Islam: Culture and Religion as Part of Social Studies - Research Paper Example

Requiring Childrento Study Culture and Religion, includingIslam, as part of Social Studies Introduction Definition of Social Studies is integrating study of the social sciences to prepare the young generation to become responsible citizens in the future. Responsible people show understandings of social and civic efficacy. Social understanding includes knowledge of the condition of human, how it has transformed over time, the variations that happen in various cultural settings and physical environments, and the trends that emerge looks likely to create the future in an interdependent world. Civic efficacy is ready and willing to assume responsibilities of the citizen, knowing when, where and how to make well-informed and reasoned decisions for the public good in a democratic and pluralistic society (Education 4). The focus for social studies is for students to explore their culture and then expand their study to other people and lands to study about the ways that those people live and work. It can argued that for religion and culture, for instance Islam which is a minority religion, to flourish and prosper in a predominantly Western, Christian, and secular society, Islamic teachings must be introduced towards Islamizing Muslim children. Islamization means that Muslim teachings should be promoted, assimilated, and integrated with any society. Islamic teachings also provided need to be in compatibility with secular and western values than with some rigid Islamic values (Timani 2). Therefore, the paper will mainly focus on supporting the argument as to why children should study culture and religion, including Islam, as part of social studies and how it can be useful for them in the future. During children, cognitive development stages; distractions and inconsistencies and confusions of thoughts are being replaced by basic logic gradually. Children begin to make some logical decisions about problems, which involve concrete and real objects. In addition, the development of a reversible and new system of mental operations and the ability to form stable new relationships among themselves and classes begins. During this period, rules and regulations mostly serve as useful guidelines for the character and behavior of such school going children. Teachers and their Parents become serious role models for these schoolchildren, and the cultural and religious-oriented character that is shown to the children becomes a genesis of their training and inspiration. Here comes the necessity of introducing culture and religion to these children during social studies classes. Making Friends are most likely to happen between children who go to school. These schoolchildren can be of the same race, sex, age and among those who share interests that are common among them. Also, the most popular going to schoolchildren tends to have wonderful skills, and they can communicate proper, and they can freely interact well with new friends. In a cultural and religious school setting, cultural knowledge that has been acquired by such children through learning culture and religion in social studies can discourage racism when selecting their friends. It also enables them not to choose friends in line to religions or culture (Ghazi 4). The achievement of being creative in social studies and Islamic education classes is one of the main roles of teachers who are deemed the educational managers and leaders. Therefore, there is a need to impart children, during social studies classes, with knowledge on culture and religion (Karasneh and Jubran 652). Schoolchildren do not receive a proper knowledge regarding grounds of culture and religion. They are mostly exposed to ideas that tempt them away from the straight path that is defined by culture and religion as wrong. Therefore, teachings on culture and religion during social classes are good for children because they can learn the basics of religions, and thus maintain a religion and cultural environment. Children can also maintain proper cultural and religious manner and, for instance, are expected to wear Islamic attire, and there is less pressure to engage in non-Islamic behavior. Therefore, the main idea for introducing religions such as Islamic during social studies classes is to create a group of believers of diverse religious backgrounds and culture that is well prepared to lead and spread their faith and culture. As Amin stated, he pointed out that the greater objective for the provision of education is to prepare the young generation for leadership in the future. Amin added that the final goal of Islamic values during classes is to develop personalities, who can resist strange ideologies. Amin does not specify what these strange ideologies are, but one can easily make the assumption that he is referring to values and behaviors that cannot be accepted by the Islam religion (Amin 9). Religions, for instance, Muslims, are attempting by all means to keep Islam alive. Because religion, language and culture continues in future generations, Muslims in countries, such as the United States, have realized that if their children grow up in non-Islamic set up, Islam religion will become marginalized and definitely will be eroded. Therefore, for this reason alone, Muslims have moved to construct Islamic schools to teach their children Islamic practices and beliefs so that Islam as a religion and culture can guide and continue with them. This is because in public schools there are no teachings on religious values. Due to the crisis in culture, and afraid of erosion of Islam as a religious and cultural identity, Muslim immigrants in United States who have been secular in Muslim countries are struggling to be Muslim faithful. In America, however, Muslims do their best to teach their children Islamic practices, and most importantly have started to take their children to Islamic schools (Timani 5). Therefore, this justifies the need to offer religion and culture in social studies classes since some of the Muslims parents are unable to take their children to these Muslims schools. It is essential to introduce religions, such Islamic, during classes in order to ensure there is a compromise between different religions and cultures. For instance, in Islam and Western values in United States, it is too difficult for children of Muslim to have an identity of Muslim that has no assimilation of western values and secular values. This new identity of Islamic must be tuned to be in line with what exist among the American community and must exist in harmony with its values. Teaching and learning of Islam within the context of the American society will make it easy for Muslim kids to have an identity that makes them American Muslims (Timani 15). Muslim religion is a minority religion among others like Christians. Some scholars argued that faith schools in general are very divisive, and their existence can fuel enmity between religious or ethnic groups (Short 560). There is no even a single school, whatsoever, established on a religious basis can contribute to the unity of society, even though it attempts to instruct its members in toleration. Religions cannot accept each other, and schools being constructed on the basis of religions carry intolerance into generations in the future. To support this argument and citing example in the United States, Muslims have built their own schools and they have eliminated social studies courses (for example. economics, history, geography, anthropology, law, archeology, philosophy, religion, sociology and political science) from their curriculum and replaced it with Islamic studies in order to provide Islamic values and teachings. In these schools, Muslim students, unlike their colleagues in public schools, do not have the chance to study any of the social studies mentioned above which is a very crucial and important part of the entire school curriculum. Not being able to study American history and politics at the tender age would no doubt leave consequences on Muslim children when they grow up (Atkins 16). Therefore, this proves beyond any doubt the need to provide all these religions and cultures in social studies in order to form a unified society, rather than divide society where different religions have their schools and colleges. Based on what has been mention, Muslim children who go to Muslim schools would very likely be alienated from the entire society, participate less in the politics activities as well as becoming less liberal of other religious and ethnic groups. As Muslim children are brought up segregated and alienated, Islam as a religion would be marginalized. They would, however, remain immigrants religion instead of becoming a major American religion, and the entire of Americans would lack knowledge on Islamic teachings and beliefs. If students and children in general, are to work properly as very competent citizens around the globe in the future, they require comprehending and observing religions profound results on culture, history, society, and politics. However, they need to know basic religious principles and facts. They should recognize and appreciate the diverse religions that are in existence within each belief system across several places in the world. Familiarity with central religious texts is also essential, and its legal to study these texts in public schools classes during social studies sessions, as long as the purpose is educational and devotional. People with a very strong affiliation based on religion mostly prefer to be identified by their religion instead of their ethnic background. This applies on most religions, including Muslims, who stress on their religious background and wish to be referred, for instance, as Muslim instead of being termed as people of African, Asian or Arab origin. With this strong affiliation with religious background, religious group, look for ways to maintain, preserve, and enhance their religious identity in generations of future (Timani 16). Therefore, introducing culture and religion in social studies will eradicate issue of racism in the future among children. Conclusion This paper has attempted to show that it is worth to introduce culture and religion, such as Islam during social study classes. As it has been discussed by citing examples from Muslims how they established schools to help, their children retain their Islamic religion and culture, the paper has argued they may after all contribute to the alienation and social division of their children from the rest of the society. Therefore, children from diverse religions and culture can learn without separation from the reality of their culture and religion. This can only be achieved by introducing religion and culture during social studies classes. While studying about their culture and religion, children also learn and are exposed to values of other cultures and religion for instance secular and Christian values. Work cited Amin, Hussein Abdulwaheed. "Focus on the Third Generation." Journal of Islamic Horizon.31.5 (2002): 9-10. Web. 30th November 2014. Atkins, Peter. "The Church School-good or evil." Against” The Independent (Education Supplement) 2001. Michigan Department of Education. "Grades K-8 Social Studies Content Expectations." Grade Level Expectations 12.7 (2002): 4-5.print Ghazi, Tasneem. "Islamic Social Studies." .Web 30th November 2014. Karasneh, Samih Al- and Ali Jubran. "Classroom Leadership and Creativity." Journal of Social Studies and Islamic Education 4.10 (2013): 651-652. print Short, Geoffrey. "“Faith-Based Schools: A Threat to Social Cohesion." The Journal of the Philosophy and Education Society of Great Britain 36.4 (2002): 559-562. print Timani, Hussam S. "Islam’s Vehicle to the Future." Islamic Schools in America (2006): 2-21. Web 30th November 2014. Read More