Religious Dress Research Articles

Religious dress in the healthcare setting: Unpacking legal arguments and balancing individual rights

This article explores the complex debate surrounding healthcare providers seeking to express their religious beliefs through the wearing of religious attire considering critical legal, ethical, and practical aspects. Drawing insights from the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and European Court of Justice, it sheds light on the implications for healthcare settings. The study highlights the sensitivity of the healthcare context, where specific arguments surface, such as the debated significance of religious neutrality given the vulnerability of patients and concerns about health and safety. Difficulties may arise when patients feel discomfort when treated by visibly religious healthcare providers. However, patients’ preferences regarding the religious neutrality of healthcare providers cannot be generalised, especially when considering the needs of certain minoritised communities. Furthermore, questions can be raised about the admissibility of potentially accommodating prejudice through prohibitions on religious dress. The article further examines hygiene and safety arguments used by healthcare institutions to restrict religious attire, arguing that while health and safety standards are crucial, scientific support for outright bans is limited, especially considering the possibility of reasonable adjustments. The central theme is the necessity for balanced considerations while upholding religious freedom and prioritising patient care, with particular emphasis going on the idea that the needs of patients cannot be generalised.

A qualitative study exploring experiences of racial minority stress in pharmacy education and practice

BackgroundDespite 49.1% of registered pharmacists in the UK being from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, senior management roles within pharmacy are dominated by white males. People from BAME communities may experience minority stress which contributes to a professional attainment gap compared with non-BAME colleagues. Minority stress describes additional stressors, such as unconscious bias, micro-aggression and racial minority stress, experienced by minoritized people to adhere to the social norms of the majority. There is little evidence describing experiences of minority stress in pharmacy practice and education. The aim was to explore experiences of racial minority stress in pharmacy education and practice. MethodsA convenience sample of pharmacy students and pharmacists were recruited via email and social media posts to volunteer to take part in interviews and focus groups. A topic guide was used to explore experiences of unconscious bias, microaggressions and racial minority stress in education and practice. Interviews and focus groups were transcribed verbatim and inductively analysed using thematic analysis underpinned by a phenomenological approach. Ethical approval was granted from Newcastle University (5340/2020, 2430/2593). ResultsForty-five participants were recruited. Six focus groups and sixteen one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted. The sample was varied, with 56% (n = 25) students and 33% (n = 15) registered pharmacists from community, hospital, primary care, academia and an additional 11% (n = 5) still in foundation training in these sectors. The sample include diversity of racial identities, including 40% (n = 18) South Asian, 27% (n = 12) White, 15% (n = 7) Black, 7% (n = 3) Chinese and Arab mixed, 2% (n = 1) and 2% (n = 1) Not disclosed. Three themes were identified – Theme 1) Experiences of racial minority stress, Theme 2) Making sense of racial minority stress, and Theme 3) Responding to racial minority stress. Participants characteristics (for example skin colour, dialect, religious dress) made them feel susceptible to judgement, racist comments and microaggressions in education and practice. Participants required time to interpret, understand and make sense of incidents of racial minority stress. Responses to stressors included ‘ignoring ignorance’ and using a ‘professional identity’ to mask feelings. However, malicious comments and actions from other pharmacy staff were responded to differently to experiences from patients. Participants reported poor self-confidence to challenge racist behaviours in the workplace. ConclusionsThe aim of this study was to explore experiences of racial minority stress in pharmacy education and practice. This study shows dealing with microaggression, racial minority stress and judgement in pharmacy education and practice is a burden experienced by people from BAME backgrounds. These experiences could contribute to the professional attainment gap in pharmacy, as making sense of these experiences is an additional burden pharmacists and trainees must bear in comparison to people from non-BAME backgrounds. Further work is needed to explore interventions to reduce minority stress in pharmacy practice and education to reduce the attainment gap across the sector.

A qualitative study exploring experiences of racial minority stressors in pharmacy education and practice

Abstract Introduction Despite 49.1% of registered pharmacists in the UK identifying Black, Asian, or from a Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, senior management roles within pharmacy are dominated by white males.[1] People from BAME communities may experience racial minority stressors. Racial minority stressors are behaviours which range from unconscious bias, micro-aggression, and overt racism (macro-aggression). However, there is little evidence describing experiences of racial minority stressors in pharmacy practice and education. Aim To explore experiences of racial minority stressors in pharmacy education and practice. Methods A convenience sample of pharmacy students, trainees and pharmacists were recruited via email and social media posts to voluntarily take part in interviews and focus groups. Inclusion criteria were: be over 18 years old, conversant in English, capacity to give consent to take part in research and be either a pharmacy student, trainee or registered pharmacist. The only exclusion criterion was where the inclusion criteria were not met. Interviews and focus groups were held online using Microsoft Teams. A topic guide was generated from key themes in the literature and used during data collection to explore experiences of racial minority stressors in education and practice. Interviews and focus groups were transcribed verbatim and inductively analysed using thematic analysis underpinned by a phenomenological approach. Ethical approval was obtained from Newcastle University Ethics Committee. Results Forty-five participants were recruited. Six focus groups and sixteen one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted. The sample was varied, with 56% (n=25) students and 33% (n=15) registered pharmacists from community, hospital, primary care, academia and an additional 11% (n=5) still in foundation training in these sectors. The sample included a diversity of racial identities, including 40% (n=18) South Asian, 27% (n=12) White, 15% (n=7) Black, 7% (n=3) Chinese 7% (n=3) Arab, 2% (n=1) mixed, and 2% (n=1) not disclosed. Three themes were identified – Theme 1) Experiences of racial minority stress, Theme 2) Making sense of racial minority stress, and Theme 3) Responding to racial minority stress. Participants experiences of stressors were based on personal characteristics (for example skin colour, dialect, religious dress) which made them feel susceptible to judgement, racist comments and microaggressions in education and practice. Participants required time to make sense of, interpret, and understand experiences of racial minority stress. This was influenced by the sources of stressors, which included patients, the public, and colleagues as well as institutions and policies. Participants responded by ‘ignoring’ stressors from patients and the public which were thought to be due to ignorance or ill-health and ‘masking’ negative feelings if sources of stress were colleagues or institutions due to fear of negative impacts on training and career progression. Conclusion This study shows dealing with microaggressions, racial minority stress and judgement in pharmacy education and practice is a burden experienced by people from BAME backgrounds. This may contribute to the professional attainment gap in pharmacy, as these experiences are an additional burden that pharmacists, trainees, and students must bear compared to their non-BAME counterparts. Further research is needed to explore interventions to reduce minority stress.

On Turbans, Abayas, and Colanders: The Scope of Religious Dress in a Pluralistic Society

Abstract This article scrutinizes the ongoing European debate surrounding religious attire, particularly in the context of legal restrictions and requests for accommodation. The core inquiry revolves around the ambiguous definition of ‘religious dress’, encompassing both prescribed attire and symbols with religious significance. Beyond conventional religious garments that are generally legally accepted, the article delves into the contentious classification of cultural styles, as seen recently with the ban on abayas and qamis in French public schools, and the exemptions for ‘religious dress’ claimed by adherents to mock religions such as Pastafarianism. Acknowledging the contested nature of defining religion, the article examines the potential necessity for legal definitions, emphasizing their role in determining both recognition and limitations. The study navigates the European legal framework, drawing insights from supranational sources and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights to unravel the intricacies, challenges, and implications of regulating religion and religious dress in Europe.

Self-Defending Ordre Public and an Over Protecting Laïcité: The Twin Foundations of ‘Legal’ Discrimination in France Victimize the Muslim Minorities

The emanation of the concept of ordre public or public order in France is based on the principle of self-affirmation, and civil law of the republic against alien infringement. There has been a separation of the temporal and spiritual power in Europe that dates back to the concept of laïcité which was a concept established by the French revolution by its Civil Constitution of the Clergy 1791 and later consecrated into law in 1905. The issue of discrimination against Muslims has arisen because of the cultural discrimination in religious formalism, such as the prohibition against the burkini and rejection of religious dress in schools. This has been achieved by superimposing the code of laïcité upon the communities’ expression of their laws and by upholding the concept of ordre public that is vigorous and stringent against the practices of the Muslim community. The concept of ordre public imposes conformity on the Muslims, reinforcing stereotypes and increasing Islamophobia in France. The argument of this article is that by legally enforcing the imposition of majoritarian customs the French state is ignoring the adoption of the comparative legal method and human rights that acknowledges normative pluralism that serves to eradicate the colonial prejudices that are restricting the understanding and application of tolerant approaches to religious expression.

Bodies in Revolt, Challenging the State in Iran

The protests that erupted across Iran in 2022 after the death of a woman arrested for noncompliance with a headscarf requirement were not only about religious dress codes. They were a culmination of years of growing discontent over broader questions involving the place of women in the Islamic Republic and other grievances about the reach of an overbearing state and perceived social and political injustices. The erosion of civil society has made it difficult to sustain the protests’ momentum, as the state moves to co-opt businesses and the public into enforcing its decrees, but the uprising is part of a longer-term, nonlinear process of dissent-driven change in Iran.

Aesthetic Labor in Religious Contexts: Women Encountering Modest Dress in the Workplace in the UK and Saudi Arabia

This article explores how UK women encounter religious dress and behavior codes in religious work contexts. It compares two very different case studies: women working at faith-based organizations in the UK and women working for secular organizations who travel for work to Saudi Arabia. Using 65 semi-structured interviews, participant wardrobe photographs, and observation in regional modest fashion retail, the article analyzes women workers’ experience in religious contexts as a form of aesthetic labor. It investigates the gendered and religious components which structure women’s different responses to workplace modesty codes. Detailing the additional aesthetic and emotional labor demanded of women in crafting modest professional appearances in religious contexts, the research reveals continuities in how workplace modesty requirements impact on women’s occupational performance and sense of self. The conclusion argues that religion-related workplace modesty codes constitute a religiously-inflected form of organizational aesthetics that may operate simultaneously with, but be experienced differently from, secular-driven organizational aesthetics. We find that religious dress codes are arbitrated by the avoidance of shame, an affect accompanying the government of modesty for all involved. We find that organizations benefit from, but do not recognize or recompense, the additional aesthetic labor that modesty demands of women.

Citizenship, Identity, and Veiling: Interrogating the Limits of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in Cases Involving the Religious Dress of Muslim Women

AbstractIn 2021, the debate about the spaces in which Europe’s Muslim citizens should be permitted to wear religious veils was reanimated by the introduction of new prohibitions introduced in Switzerland and France, and the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in joined cases C-804/18 and C-341/19. This article examines the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights concerning veiling. We argue that veil bans reduce the ability of Muslim women to actualize themselves as citizens by limiting their capacity to develop their identity through autonomous action. As such, we argue, the right ultimately at stake—which should protect rights in respect of veiling—is the right to a private life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and judicial and popular conceptions of veiling should be reoriented to accommodate this view. Doing so, we argue, highlights the full range of functions that veiling implicates—including religious but also secular identarian concerns and exposes how a usually expansive right has been curtailed in cases involving veiling.

Religija u evropskim javnim prostorima / Religion in the European Public Spaces

This chapter discusses the distinguish between media cases from court cases, concerning Muslims and Sikhs which deal with religious dress codes in the common, political and institutional public spaces. It proves the real issue is not the religious symbol in itself but what it reminds the public of: from the Islamic threat' to the peaceful Sikh community that rescues the Italian parmesan', the media give their own interpretation of the events and news related to religious issues, influencing people's attitudes and common knowledge. Indeed Italian history, characterized by divisions and local arrangements which did not contribute towards creating a strong sense of belonging to the Nation and where the Catholic faith has always been a predominant element of the citizens' identity has often been an example of pragmatic local solutions and arrangements as regards the effects of religious pluralization, such as the greater visibility of religious dress codes in the public spaces.

Body and Sartorial Paradox in Physical Education: A New Look at the Gender Interaction and Co-Educational System in Physical Education Class

Since the Tunisian Revolution of 2010, two views (modernism and conservatism) conduct two opposite social projects for the Tunisian population, which affect, in first order, the school from primary to secondary level. The Tunisian educational system is based on co-education, contradicting the country’s conservatism culture. The religious dress (veil/hijab) is accepted and tolerated in schools. Physical education, as an educational discipline, had to adapt to these changes, especially to the religion dress and gender interaction. The aim of this paper is to study, through the representations of physical education’s (PE) teachers, the paradoxes observed between physical practice and religious dress (veil/Hijab) and the management of the co-educational system in PE classes. This is based on the opinion which indicates that this matter requires the student’s body and physical ability to be independent from their gender, dress or motor skills. The results show a difference in opinion between females and male teachers regarding gender interaction and religious dress.

Indonesia's Supreme Court Judgment on Religious Clothing: Failing Women and Girls in Public Schools?

Abstract In May 2021, the Indonesian Supreme Court delivered a unanimous judgment that struck down a joint ministerial decree prohibiting local governments and public schools from imposing religious clothing on female students, teachers, and staff.1 The joint ministerial decree was issued following public criticisms and media coverage of the religious dress code enforced in public schools in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The Court held that such a decree conflicted with various provisions in the national legislations, including laws on regional government,2 child protection,3 law-making,4 and the national education system.5 Accordingly, the Supreme Court justices presiding over the case, Yulius, Irfan Fachruddin, and Is Sudaryono, instructed the Minister of Education and Culture, the Minister of House Affairs, and the Minister of Religious Affairs to rescind the joint decree. This comment explores and critically examines the Court's reasoning of the decision that has, consequently, legitimized local governments and public schools’ policy to enforce mandatory hijab on Muslim and non-Muslim female teachers, staff, and students at public schools across the country. It argues that the Court's ruling, in this case, is highly unreasoned and questionable, lacking in details in some respects, and failing to address the encroachment of women and girls' rights that should have been given appropriate consideration.

Religious and Ethical Dress Code Dynamics in Africa : Igbo Traditional Society in Focus

Dress can be a reflection of the social world order, which is bound by a tacit set of rules, customs, conventions, and rituals that guide face-to-face interaction as observed in Africa and among people of Igbo descent. Africans are known for their cultural values and norms which their dress codes are significantly recognised in line with their national identity and symbols. The method adopted in this research work is qualitative to dissect these negative attitudinal changes in dressing that have led to increase in promiscuity, less zeal in education, crime and corruption. Findings showed that ‘riot’ in dress code are a reflection of lack of family values and orientations, parental negligence and irresponsibility. From late twentieth century to this twenty first century, there is a twist in the ethics of dressing that have defiled moral values, class, status, religiosity and cultural identity. For instance, before the above mentioned period in any gathering, one can easily differentiate the married from the singles, celebrities from other members of the society, the affluence from the poor, masquerades from human beings, the prostitutes, and gigolos from the decent. Today, there is ‘riot’ in dress code that some people dress like traditional priests and lunatics in the name of fashion or ‘fashion in vogue’. Women, both married and single dress alike which makes it difficult to differentiate the married from the single; this is also applicable to men. The focus of this research work on Igbo of Southeast Nigeria is for effective investigation. Again, Igbo people are adventurers which brings the globe as a village to them be it negative or positive including dressing. People ought to adhere to religious and social differentiations in dress code which recognise regional groups, classes, occupation, majority and minority groups, educational levels, persons of different ages, men and women.

Moving from Vatican Bling to Malchus’s Ear: Taking the “Catholic Imagination” Seriously When Thinking About Catholic Devotions in Centuries Past

Moving from Vatican Bling to Malchus’s EarTaking the “Catholic Imagination” Seriously When Thinking About Catholic Devotions in Centuries Past Michael P. Carroll (bio) Every year the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City stages a gala to raise money for its Costume Institute and that gala is always associated with a themed exhibition that is open to the public once the gala itself is over (the Met Gala for 2020, of course, was canceled because of Covid-19). In 2018, the exhibition theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Most press coverage of the gala itself focused on the female celebrities who attended (including, among others, Rihanna, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Serena Williams, and Lady Gaga) and the costumes they wore in order to reflect the exhibition’s theme. But what would make the 2018 exhibition especially distinctive was that it would become the most visited exhibition in the recorded history of the Met, beating out the King Tut exhibition in the 1970s.1 On the face of things, then, it would seem there is much public interest in the “Catholic Imagination.” What did people see at this particular exhibition? As commentators were quick to note, the exhibition had a tripartite organization. [End Page 124] One section was devoted to what one churlish commentator called “Vatican bling.”2 On view there were nearly four dozen papal vestments on loan from the Sistine Chapel sacristy, many of which had never been outside Rome, and which included tiaras (including a tiara set with 19,000 gems, mostly diamonds); papal chasubles, and pectoral crosses. By agreement with Church authorities, these objects were kept separate from the more secular fashions displayed in the rest of the exhibition. A second section of the exhibition displayed secular clothing by leading fashion designers that had been inspired by religious dress and religious art. Finally, a third section was on display at the Cloisters, the Met’s extension in northern Manhattan, and this also involved secular designs that had been inspired by sacred art. At one level then, the exhibition was concerned with exactly what its title suggests, namely, the influence of Catholic art and clerical dress on secular fashion—though as one commentator noted, this was only true if “fashion” consistently meant “women’s fashion.”3 On the other hand, reading through the scholarly essays published in the exhibition catalogue, it seems clear that the organizers had an aspirational goal that reached for a bit more, namely, they wanted to explore the nature and importance of the “Catholic Imagination” in the Catholic tradition generally. This is especially clear in the introductory essay in the exhibition’s catalogue, which was written by Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute and the organizer of the exhibition. Bolton starts by noting that the term “Catholic Imagination” was popularized by the priest/sociologist Andrew Greeley (1928–2013) in his book of that title, and Bolton summarizes Greeley by saying that “metaphor is the essential characteristic of a distinctively Catholic sensibility, or consciousness, which he [Greeley] defines as the Catholic Imagination.”4 Bolton goes on to quote an extended passage from Greeley’s book. Since that particular passage also appeared on a wall of the exhibition (which, incidentally, I did visit at the time), it is worth repeating here: [End Page 125] Catholics live in an enchanted world, a world of statues and holy water, stained glass and votive candles, saints and religious medals, rosary beads and holy pictures. But these Catholic paraphernalia are mere hints of a deeper and more pervasive religious sensibility to see the Holy lurking in Creation. . . . The Catholic Imagination in all its many manifestations . . . tends to emphasize the metaphorical nature of creation. . . . Everything in creation, from the exploding cosmos to the whirling, dancing, and utterly mysterious quantum particles discloses something about God and, in so doing, brings God among us. Greeley’s argument, Bolton notes, was derived from an earlier argument developed by the theologian David Tracy,5 and indeed Tracy contributed his own essay to the exhibition catalogue.6 Despite the fact that this very explicit acknowledgement of Andrew Greeley’s work was (literally) built into the exhibition, the exhibition and...

Modest Dress Practices through the Eyes of Seven Conservative Mennonite Women

<p>How do Conservative Mennonite and Amish-Mennonite women conceptualize their religious dress practices? Do they unthinkingly conform to church dress practices or do they exercise some agency? Using an oral history research methodology, we explore the relationship between social structures and individual agency through the stories of seven women regarding their interaction with modest dress practices. These stories touch on the transmission of dress practices, the variety of influences that shaped their experiences, and changes in the expression of dress practices. The stories consist primarily of quotations from interviews conducted by Megan Mong, a former member of a Conservative Mennonite church; her insider status provides a rich and nuanced inquiry. Detailed excerpts from interviews are provided for the seven women. We then organize insights from the interviews around several themes: the relative influence of religious structures and the family, dynamics of change in dress practices, and the role of inner attitudes versus external practices. The picture emerging from these stories is one in which the narrators were and continue to be extensively involved in a constantly evolving set of standards. [Abstract by authors.]</p>

Homogeneity within Heterogeneity: Insights from the Culture of West Kameng of Arunachal Pradesh

As the world moves faster towards a homogenised culture, the logic of keeping heterogeneous properties of culture seems asynchronous. The liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation (LPG) model of growth and development of states throw challenges to the indigenous cultures and traditions for a state like India where diverse traditional moorings, cultural systems, religious practices, and ethnic variations stand core to its integrity. In the rat-race for development, indigenous cultures and traditions of a state are enmeshed within ‘accept the global go and lose insularity’ or ‘decline it to stay homogeneous’. In a homogeneous societal culture, the underlying values and beliefs are squarely believed, shared, and practised compared to many different values and beliefs professed by diverse population groups in the case of a heterogeneous one.
 Arunachal Pradesh with twenty-six major tribes and numerous sub-tribes at its credit stands incredible for its ethnicity, tribal indigenous identities, and cultural homogeneity. As is the number, so is the variation with indigeneity and nuances of culture practised by the tribes. The cultural diversity of the people differs from tribe to tribe even if they reside within the same geographical area. The district West Kameng is abode to six different tribes—Akas, Buguns, Mijis, Monpas, Sajalongs, and Sherdukpens living in close proximity with each other. However, their traditional culture with regards to their religious practices, dress, customs, rituals, languages, dialects, fairs, and festivals is starkly heterogeneous. Most remarkable is the criterion that heterogeneity hardly aberrates homogeneity within themselves. The focus of the present study is to highlight such a homogeneity-heterogeneity aspect of the culture of West Kameng.

Religious Dress and the Making of Women Preachers in Australia, 1880–1934

Religious Dress and the Making of Women Preachers in Australia, 1880–1934

Hijab, Sport and Schooling in Finland – from Principles to Practice

This paper concerns the intersections between veiling, school and sport, focussing on both legislative elements and formal regulations, as well as the more micro-level practices of physical education teachers in school environments in Finland. Veiling is an extraordinarily politicised topic today, while also being an everyday dress practice engaged in by millions of women worldwide. Sport can be likewise politicised, and certainly is so in the case of veiling. Sometimes seen as resistance to patriarchal structures and cultural traditions, sometimes defended and justified using religious arguments, Muslim women’s physical activities may be understood as a conflictual social field, especially when the women either choose to veil or prefer gender segregated venues for sport. Bringing together realms such as politics, legislation, education, garment design and religion, the debates surrounding female Muslim bodies are at the centre of ideas to do with citizenship and integration in Muslim-minority contexts. In Finland, both the national law and local regulations allow for a great deal of independence for teachers working with veiling students, at the same time as guaranteeing high protection of an individual’s right to freedom of religion. Consequently, negotiation strategies between teachers and veiling students are central for the accommodation of religious dress practices. This is particularly so when teaching physical education, which has specific requirements for students’ outfits from the point of view of safety and practicality. I discuss the complexities created by the fields of law, education, religion, politics and design when they come together in the case of hijabs, sport and physical education.

The Conscientious Objection of Medical Practitioners to the CPSO’s “Effective Referral” Requirement

The term “conscience” is used in two different ways in discussions about religious freedom. Sometimes, conscience is contrasted with religion. Freedom of conscience, in contrast to freedom of religion, is concerned with the protection of fundamental beliefs or commitments that are not part of a religious or spiritual system.1 Together, freedom of conscience and freedom of religion protect the individual’s most fundamental moral beliefs or commitments.2
 Other times, though, the term “conscience” refers to a particular kind of accommodation claim. In most religious accommodation cases, an individual or group seeks to be exempted from a law that prevents them from engaging in a religious practice — for example, from wearing religious dress or keeping religious holidays. In conscientious objection cases, how- ever, the individual asks to be exempted from a law that requires them to perform an act that they regard as immoral or sinful. In many of these cases the claimant asks to be excused from performing an act that is not itself immoral, but supports or facilitates what they see as the immoral action of others, and so makes them complicit in this immorality. In this comment I will focus on this second use of the term conscience, and more particularly the conscientious objection claim made by some medical practitioners in Ontario to the requirement that they provide an effective referral to another doctor when they are unwilling, for moral or religious reasons, to perform a particular medical procedure(...)
 1 The term “freedom of conscience” was once used interchangeably with freedom of religion to refer to an individual’s freedom to hold beliefs that were spiritual or moral in At this earlier time the moral beliefs of most individuals were rooted in a religious system. Freedom of conscience, though, is now viewed as an alternative to, or extension of, freedom of religion.2 However, as I have argued elsewhere, the conscience part of section 2(a) is seldom raised before the courts and may have very little practical See Richard Moon, “Conscience in the Image of Religion” in John Adenitire, ed, Religious Beliefs and Conscientious Exemptions in a Liberal State (Oxford: Hart, 2019) 73.

Literature Review of Taoism Dress Culture in China

Religious dress is a special kind of dress, which often embodies the thoughts and cultural ideas of a certain religion, but it is also likely to show the deeply cultural deposits of a certain national culture. Taoist clothing is a kind of clothing and accessories with obvious Taoism cultural connotation formed by absorbing, integrating and extending Taoism doctrines on the basis of Chinese traditional dress, which is of great significance to study of Chinese traditional culture and worth in-depth study in further.

Inside Out or Outside In? On Criteria for Selecting Teachers of Religion, and the Case of the Druze

This essay explores the issue of dress of teachers of Druze heritage. The Druze, among whom the rules of religious dress are rather specific, do not teach religion in schools, since the Druze religion is secret. The teacher acts as a gatekeeper and model. At the same time, Druze young people are becoming increasingly secular and may relate better to teachers who appear to be part of the modern world. This discussion examines the role of dress in teacher modeling, and the part Druze teachers may have to play in sustaining a small religion in rapidly changing times.