Integrating the values of Islamic Religious Education in the daily lives of rural families: a gender study

Abstract

This study explores how values of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) are integrated into the everyday lives of rural Indonesian families, focusing particularly on gender dynamics and coping strategies in response to contemporary challenges such as social media influence, urbanization, and shifting lifestyles. Employing a qualitative design, data were gathered through participatory observation and in-depth interviews with male and female family members across multiple generations. Guided by a feminist analytical framework, thematic and gender-comparative analyses reveal that core IRE values—tawh}id (the Oneness of Allah), noble character, ritual worship, social ethics, and the pursuit of knowledge—are deeply embedded in all aspects of family life: women predominantly drive religious education within the home, while men more often lead communal religious practices. Despite modern pressures, rural families demonstrate resilience and adaptability by holding regular family discussions on digital media use, supervising children’s online activities, and preserving traditional religious customs. The novelty of this research lies in its holistic integration of gender analysis within a rural setting combined with an explicit focus on contemporary socio-cultural challenges, offering empirically grounded insights for the development of responsive Islamic education policies and programs.