Mazen Istanbouli

Exploratory Case Study of Religio-cultural Issues in an Islamic School: Implications for Socialization and Enculturation Mazen Istanbouli

This study focused on exploring the religious and cultural issues that appear in the Islamic school within the American context and the implications for socialization and enculturation. A large number of factors that dealt with the socialization and enculturation of Muslim students were examined and analyzed by the researcher. The researcher also introduced two competing social theories that shed light on the role of schools in society, the interpretivist and the functionalist schools of thought. The researcher identified other factors besides school and family that affect the socialization of the students. The researcher further analyzed a number of religious and cultural issues that are considered a consequence of the socialization process that Muslim students in Islamic schools experience. This issue is of central concern because it impinges on Islamic issues of religion and religious practices. The study also addressed general problems associated with the integration and assimilation of these students within the American culture.