Abstract
This study looked at how the faith of undergraduate students from the Nazareth Baptist Church (NBC) affected their sense and experience of belonging at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). It did this by examining the role and impact of faith-related practices, beliefs, and values in the lives of students.
The study followed a qualitative approach. The primary data-collection methods were semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Interviews were conducted with nine participants and six of these also attended a focus group session. Purposive sampling and snowballing were used to select participants for the study. Participants needed to be members of the NBC and Black undergraduate UJ students. All interviews were conducted in isiZulu. Participants only wanted to express themselves in isiZulu as they felt most comfortable speaking in their language. To analyse the data, I used open coding, followed by grouping the codes which helped me to identify themes. As a researcher, I did everything possible to ensure that the appropriate ethical principles were adhered to in this research. Ethical clearance was granted by the Humanities Research Ethics Committee.
The first key finding indicated that in the context of research participants, “home” was a complex space that could not fit into an absolute such as a “safe space”. It was also clear that home was the space where participants had their first influence from faith, and it was their faith that they thought protected them from the forces of evil in their lives. The second finding was that their experiences of non-belonging at the university were generated by many factors such as poverty, their expression of the Zulu culture, the language used on campus, and some of their religious customs such as having to obey prayer times that clashed with lecture times. Participants found it difficult to share spaces such as residences on campus because of some of the laws and rules that come with their faith, such as observing Sabbath strictly. The research participants constantly had to negotiate which parts of their faith they had to compromise so that they could fit in the university environment. Third, the participants in some instances also seem to have had limited exposure to diversity, as they chose to sometimes keep to their own community rather than opening themselves up to understanding other people who may have belonged to a different faith than them. Fourth, the findings showed that student societies such as the Nazareth Tertiary Students Association
3
(NaTeSa) create spaces of belonging at the University for undergraduate students who are members of the NBC.
Based on the findings above, this study argues that the participants brought parts of their faith, values and culture to UJ, and that in the experiences of the research participants, belonging is complex. To address the issues pertaining to religious diversity, this study recommends that the university implement a multi-faceted approach to fostering belonging among a diverse student body. Such an approach would include proactively engaging with students from diverse religious backgrounds through initiatives like the First Year Experience, and fostering collaboration between religious societies and university support services. The university could also extend itself by reaching out to religious leaders to bridge potential knowledge gaps. By prioritizing dialogue, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity, the university can create a space where students from diverse religious groups can find a sense of belonging and support at the university. Furthermore, the findings of this study also draw attention to the broader societal context of inequality and injustice, rooted in coloniality, which impacts the experiences of students. Therefore, in addition to implementing the recommended university-level interventions, a broader societal approach toward justice for the poor and equity is crucial for creating inclusive environments.