Abstract
In this chapter, we present the experiences of five Muslim women academics at their South African universities in a time of transformation. All five women are respected and accomplished individuals in their academic environments. We wanted to understand the prevailing organisational culture and the ways in which aspects of that culture could impede or encourage the process of inclusion of Muslim women as a minority within the university. The chapter is organized in two parts. In the first part, we contextualize Muslims within the bigger racial and ethnic landscape and provide an overview of transformational initiatives in higher education. In part two, we present our experiences.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alleyne, S. (2005). Devalued by diversity. Black Enterprise, 35(6), 53.
Bernstein, A., & Cock, J. (1994, June 15). A troubling picture of gender equity. Chronicle of Higher Education, B1-B3. Pull-out section 2.
Da Costa, Y. (1993). Assimilatory processes amongst the Cape Muslims in South Africa during the 19th century. South African Journal of Sociology, 23(1), 5–11.
Daniels, D. (2009). Muslim academics at South African universities: A Western Cape experience. In F. N. Seggie & R. O. Mabokela (Eds.), Islam and higher education in transitional societies (pp. 49–64). Rotterdam: Sense.
Department of Education. (1997). Higher Education Act (Act101 of 1997). Pretoria: Government Gazette.
Erasmus, Z. (2001). Coloured by history shaped by place: New perspectives on coloured identities in Cape Town. Cape Town: Kwela.
Fataar, A. (2007). Identity formation and communal negotiation in a “bounded” geographic space: The formative discourses of Muslim teachers in Apartheid Cape Town. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 27(1), 155–170.
Haron, M. (2002). The Cape Malays: An imagined community in South Africa: A bibliographical essay in Africa Records and Documentation.
Hofstede, G. & Hofstede, G. J. (2005). Cultures and Organizations. Software of the Mind. (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Mahida, E. M. (1993). History of Muslims in South Africa: A chronology. Durban: Arabic Study Circle.
Mor Barak, M. E. (2005). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Nieves-Squires, S. (1992). Hispanic women in the U.S. academic context. In L. Welch (Ed.), Perspectives on minority women in higher education (pp. 71–92). New York: Praeger.
Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. (2006). A meta-analytical test of ingroup contact theory, Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 90, 751–783.
Prasad, A. (2001). Understanding workplace empowerment as inclusion: A historical investigation of the discourse of difference in the United States. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 37, 33–50.
Republic of South Africa. (1996). Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996). Pretoria: Government Printers.
Republic of South Africa. (1997). Basic conditions of Service Act (Act 7 of 1997). Pretoria: Government Printers.
Republic of South Africa. (1998a). The Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998). Pretoria: Government Printers.
Republic of South Africa. (1998b). Employment Equity Act (Act 55 of 1998). Pretoria: Government Printers.
Roberson, Q.M. (2004). Disentangling the meaning of diversity and inclusion. Cornell University School of Industrial and Labour Relations, Working Paper Series, June, 2004.
Shell, R. (1974). The Beginning of and Spread of Islam from the Beginning of Company Rule to 1838, Unpublished BA (Hons) thesis, University of Cape Town: South Africa.
Shell, R. E. H. (1994). Children of bondage: A social history of the slave society at the Cape of Good Hope, 1652–1838. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.
Tajfel, H. (1982). Instrumentality identity and social comparisons. In H. Tajfel (Ed.), Social identity and intergroup relations (pp. 483–507). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Daniels, D., Dasoo, N. (2012). Muslim Women Academics in Higher Education: Reflections from South Africa. In: Lovat, T. (eds) Women in Islam. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4219-2_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4219-2_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-4218-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-4219-2
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawPhilosophy and Religion (R0)