Quranic Schools in Northern Nigeria: Everyday Experiences of Youth, Faith, and Poverty (The International African Library, Series Number 54)

In a global context of widespread fears over Islamic radicalisation and militancy, poor Muslim youth, especially those socialised in religious seminaries, have attracted overwhelmingly negative attention. In northern Nigeria, male Qur'anic students have garnered a reputation of resorting to violence in order to claim their share of highly unequally distributed resources. Drawing on material from long-term ethnographic and participatory fieldwork among Qur'anic students and their communities, this book offers an alternative perspective on youth, faith, and poverty. Mobilising insights from scholarship on education, poverty research and childhood and youth studies, Hannah Hoechner describes how religious discourses can moderate feelings of inadequacy triggered by experiences of exclusion, and how Qur'anic school enrolment offers a way forward in constrained circumstances, even though it likely reproduces poverty in the long run. A pioneering study of religious school students conducted through participatory methods, this book presents vital insights into the concerns of this much-vilified group.--Publisher's description In A Global Context Of Widespread Fears Over Islamic Radicalisation And Militancy, Poor Muslim Youth, Especially Those Socialised In Religious Seminaries, Have Attracted Overwhelmingly Negative Attention. In Northern Nigeria, Male Qur'anic Students Have Garnered A Reputation Of Resorting To Violence In Order To Claim Their Share Of Highly Unequally Distributed Resources. Drawing On Material From Long-term Ethnographic And Participatory Fieldwork Among Qur'anic Students And Their Communities, This Book Offers An Alternative Perspective On Youth, Faith, And Poverty. Porridge, Piety, And Patience: Qur'anic Schooling In Northern Nigeria -- Fair Game For Unfair Accusations? Discourses About Qur'anic Students -- 'secular Schooling Is Schooling For The Rich!' : Inequality And Educational Change In Northern Nigeria -- Peasants, Privations, And Piousness : How Boys Become Qur'anic Students -- Inequality At Close Range : Domestic Service For The Better-off -- Concealment, Asceticism, And Cunning Americans : How To Deal With Being Poor -- Mango Medicine And Morality : Pursuing A Respectable Position Within Society -- Spiritual Security Services In An Insecure Setting : Kano's 'prayer Economy' -- Roles, Risks, And Reproduction : What Almajiri Education Implies For Society And For The Future -- Annex: Synopsis Of 'duniya Juyi Juyi--how Life Goes'. Hannah Hoechner. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 235-260) And Index. Cover 1 Half title 3 Series 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 List of figures 11 List of maps 13 List of tables 15 Acknowledgements 17 Note on translation and anonymisation 21 1 Porridge, piety, and patience: Qur’anic schooling in northern Nigeria 25 2 Fair game for unfair accusations?: Discourses about Qur’anic students 66 3 ‘Secular schooling is schooling for the rich!’: inequality and educational change in northern Nigeria 93 4 Peasants, privations, and piousness: how boys become Qur’anic students 117 5 Inequality at close range: domestic service for the better-off 146 6 Concealment, asceticism, and cunning Americans: how to deal with being poor 164 7 Mango medicine and morality: pursuing a respectable position within society 182 8 Spiritual security services in an insecure setting: Kano’s ‘prayer economy’ 205 9 Roles, risks, and reproduction: what almajiri education implies for society and for the future 227 Annex: Synopsis of ‘Duniya Juyi Juyi – How Life Goes’ 251 Glossary and abbreviations 255 Bibliography 259 Newspaper articles 282 Websites and blogs 283 Index 285 An ethnographic study of Qur'anic schools in northern Nigeria that debunks stereotypes about such schools being recruitment grounds for Boko Haram and other violent groups. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, Hannah Hoechner explores through the eyes of students the true nature of being young, poor, and Muslim in a context of pervasive inequality. Through the eyes of northern Nigerian Qur'anic students, this book explores what it truly means to be young, poor, and Muslim