Role of Islam in Practical Life amongst Some Young Swiss Muslim Adults: A Focused Ethnographic Analysis

Contemporary secular Switzerland has been polarised by more than two decades of anti-Muslim sentiments, conveyed through misrepresentative narratives by some politicians and media, ‘otherising’ Islam and Muslim-related issues. This polarised environment may have triggered ambivalent impacts on the personal development of Swiss-born Muslims Consequently, I suggest that they live in an ambivalent position, where their status as Muslim is not fully acknowledged and their belonging to Switzerland still questioned. Indeed, this article will explore the following research question: How do some young Swiss-born Muslim adults construct their subjectivities and experiences linked to Islam in their daily lives in contemporary Switzerland? The research methodology of this focused ethnography draws on various semi-structured interviews and informal conversations with several young Swiss Muslim men and women. The paper focuses on (a) Switzerland’s socio-cultural and political context and (b) the various ways this study’s research partners construct their ambivalent subjectivities through the analysis of their individual trajectories and narratives. It concludes that young Swiss Muslim adults formulate and produce alternative narratives, in order to make sense of their lives and accommodate various layers of identification in contemporary Switzerland. Eventually some recommendations for further research are formulated.  

Role of Heads of Teaching Departments in the Promotion of Communication at Postgraduate Level

Communication plays a very important role in the management of an educational institution. It is the soul of an organization. An institution cannot be run without proper communication. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of heads of teaching departments in the promotion of communication at postgraduate level. The population of the study consisted of all heads and teachers in universities and postgraduate colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. For this purpose, eight universities and eight postgraduate colleges were randomly selected by the researcher as a sample. The sample consisted of 441 (148 heads and 293 teachers) respondents. A questionnaire consisted of 27 items was utilized for data collection. Mean, t-test, and One-Way ANOVA were used for data analysis. The role of heads of teaching departments was positive in all aspects of communication. Type of institute of the heads did not differentiate the two groups of heads in their opinions about their role in the promotion of communication. Insignificant difference was found between the views of heads of natural and social sciences departments about their role in the promotion of communication. A significant difference was found between heads and teachers’ views regarding the role of heads in the promotion of communication. Insignificant difference was observed between the views of universities and postgraduate colleges’ teachers, teachers from natural and social sciences departments, and between male and female teachers about the role of heads in the promotion of communication. Insignificant difference was found among the views of heads by age, qualification, experience as a chairperson, and total length of service in the present department regarding their role in the promotion of communication. Teachers were not differentiated by qualification, designation, age and experience in their views. It viis concluded that heads of teaching departments play positive role in the promotion of communication at postgraduate level. Demographic characteristics of the heads, i-e, age, qualification, total length of service in the present department, experience as a chairperson, type of institute and nature of department do not affect their role in the promotion of communication. This is also evident from the views of teachers that heads promote communication in their respective institutions. To make heads more effective in the process of communication, a course of communication skills may be arranged for newly inducted as well as for those heads who are already working as heads of teaching departments. For this purpose communication training institute may be established in every university. For the development of language proficiency of the heads and teachers, a language laboratory may be established in every institution of higher education.