The leap of faith : lived experiences of madrasah students negotiating the transition from a religiously-homogeneous environment to a secular environment

Abstract

This study utilizes the tools delineated in Pierre Bourdieu’s Habitus and Field theory, and the symbolic interactionist concept of socialization to examine how Singapore’s Madrasah students negotiate their transition from a religiously homogeneous to a secular school. Drawing on 25 interviews with ex-Madrasah students, this study uncovers the many ways they address the tug and pull of social acceptance and utilize previously-acquired cultural capital to negotiate boundaries of religiously-appropriate behaviour. The findings point to four main transition outcomes which is shaped by (i) their motivations to align their habitus with that of their new peers and (ii) their commitment to maintain their previously-conditioned habitus and ties with the Madrasah community. This study provides evidence to show that although the transition process is interspersed with episodes of inner-conflict and estrangement due to the demands of various fields and reference groups, religious adherence does not necessarily hinder the students’ integration into mainstream secular society.