Please tell us about your research project.
My work deals with the transmission of Islamic knowledge by women, in Muslim institutes, in France. I’m conducting an ethnography in different transmission spaces, formal and informal, in mixed-sex or non-mixed-sex settings. In addition to this fieldwork, I’m conducting biographical interviews with female tutors to understand their learning and training trajectories and what has led them to teach. I also have lengthy conversations with female students, to grasp what this transmission does to them, that is to say, to what extent it has enabled a self-reform, a reform of one’s ethics, acts and intentions. I use the tools of an intersectional approach (crossing gender, race and class), while drawing on thematic fields (sociology of Islam, education and women's work in particular).
Please tell us more about your scholarship/exchange programme.
I was honoured to receive a monthly scholarship from the Maison française d’Oxford. Although my research subject is innovative in France, it has been a subject of research in other countries, particularly in the English-speaking world: for example, there is a ten-year gap between the first women preachers to be covered by the media in the United Kingdom and in France, which has led me to delve into the English-language literature. Staying at the MFO gives me access to the Oxford University library network, which has rich literature on the subject, and enables me to engage in scientific discussions with researchers from that institution.
First impressions of Oxford/the University?
When I arrived at Oxford, I wondered if I hadn't just arrived at Hogwarts! The town is particularly charming, having succeeded in preserving its ancient architecture while adapting to contemporary needs. It's also very pleasant to be surrounded by parks and greenery and to have everything within walking distance.
