Exploring Connections between Social Science Education and Resilience against Violent Extremism: A Study of Selected Universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16937759

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates how and why social sciences education fosters resilience against violent extremism among university students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Universities, and particularly the disciplines of social sciences, play a central role in shaping student attitudes, fostering civic engagement, and cultivating resilience against extremist narratives. Grounded in Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Spivak’s notion of the subaltern voice, and Foucault’s conceptualization of power and discipline, the research analyzes perspectives from 84 participants, including students (n=31), faculty (n=31), and administrators (n=22) from four departments: social work, sociology, political science, and education across 11 public sector universities. Semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed using NVivo software, revealing that social sciences education enhances critical consciousness, nurtures dialogic learning environments, promotes critical thinking, democratic citizenship, and social cohesion, and encourages reflective skepticism towards extremist narratives. However, institutional constraints—including curriculum bias, censorship, and inadequate pedagogical training—limit its full efficacy. The study reinforces calls for curricular reform, faculty development in critical pedagogy, and institutional policies that safeguard academic freedom. The findings contribute to comparative education and counter-violent extremism literature, with practical implications for higher education policy in Pakistan and similar contexts.

Keywords: Resilience, violent extremism, social sciences, critical pedagogy, higher education,

Universities, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan