Discourses of Extremism and British Values

The Politics of the Trojan Horse

Authors

  • Stefanie Sinclair The Open University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/imre.38965

Keywords:

British values, extremism, party-political discourses, school governance, radicalisation, representations of Muslims

Abstract

This article critically investigates the production of party-political discourses of “extremism” and “British values” in response to the so-called “Trojan Horse affair.” This “affair,” which first hit UK media headlines in 2014, relates to allegations of an organised Islamic plot aiming to infiltrate schools in Birmingham to radicalise schoolchildren. Though these allegations remain unproven, they have been used to justify changes in educational policies, practices and government guidance for schools, registered childcare providers, universities and colleges in the UK. This article explores the context that has shaped party-political discourses of “extremism” and “British values” employed in connection with the Trojan Horse affair. It investigates political agendas these discourses have been tied to and considers the impact they have had.

Author Biography

  • Stefanie Sinclair, The Open University

    Stefanie Sinclair, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies, Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.

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Published

2019-07-30

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Sinclair, S. (2019). Discourses of Extremism and British Values: The Politics of the Trojan Horse. Implicit Religion, 21(4), 339-361. https://doi.org/10.1558/imre.38965