The influence of international schools' Western culture on Egyptian Muslim student identity

This study examines the influence of the international education system on Egyptian Muslim student particularly in terms of their religious identity. Studying in international schools that provide English-medium education is an increasingly prevalent aspiration in Egypt in recent years. This study examines the relationship between the identity development process and such schools' Western culture. To be able to examine the question empirically, I have conducted fieldwork using in-depth interviews and participant observation. 31 participants were included in this study— parents, teachers, and students who were attending different international schools. The data I obtained indicates that identity dynamically interacts with education and culture. The subculture of international schools is found to be heavily influenced by Western culture. The limited exposure of students to their local culture, compared to the Westernized one they are exposed to at school, results in alienation from their local culture. Such alienation was found to hinder students' identity development process as well as the formation of their religious identity. In fact, as I demonstrate in this thesis, students struggle to maintain their local identity. The literature suggests that students' experience of excessive exposure to such schools' Western culture and use of English language significantly more than Arabic language, combined with limited exposure to Islamic education has led to a significant dysfunction in their religious identity formation process. Hence, their identity as Muslims is found to be unstable.