In increasingly diverse educational contexts, identity has emerged as a key construct for understanding how individuals negotiate belonging, recognition, and participation in schooling. While education acts as a domain for social and cultural transformation, it can simultaneously function as a site where religious boundaries give rise to both personal and structural forms of discrimination. This study focuses on the case of Türkiye, where religious diversity is recognized only to a limited extent within the constitutional framework, and where the compulsory Religious Culture and Ethics Knowledge (RCEK) course continues to be a subject of debate regarding freedom of religion and conscience.

The purpose of this study is to analyze how individuals in Türkiye who hold diverse religious and cultural identities construct meanings around their schooling experiences, how these meanings are historically and socially situated, and how they are reproduced through everyday school practices. Specifically, the research examines the schooling experiences of individuals educated in Mardin, a historically multicultural city, to understand how everyday encounters either reproduce religion-based discrimination or foster a multicultural culture of harmony.

The study addresses the following research questions: How do individuals from different religious and cultural backgrounds construct their schooling experiences? In what ways do narratives make visible experiences of discrimination, othering, and adaptation? How are institutional practices perceived by Christian students?.

Findings revealed two overarching themes: "Discrimination" and "Construction of Harmony within the School". Under the theme of Discrimination, participants described social exclusion in peer relations, religious pressure, othering, and the concealment of discrimination. The compulsory RCEK course emerged as a symbolic site where Christian students’ difference became visible and their identity was problematized, often leading to feelings of exclusion. Participants noted that while overt hostility has declined compared to the past, subtle forms of othering and "cautious intimacy" persist.

Conversely, the theme of Construction of Harmony captured experiences of cultural interaction, inclusive teacher practices, and social acceptance. The findings suggest that schools in Mardin function simultaneously as spaces of inequality and as microcosms of democracy. When teachers employed inclusive pedagogical approaches and acknowledged religious differences respectfully, students' sense of belonging and academic engagement strengthened. The study concludes that while structural barriers remain, everyday interactions and inclusive teaching can transform schools into spaces of democratic coexistence.

This study employed a qualitative research design, specifically a phenomenological approach, to examine the educational experiences of students in Türkiye who hold diverse religious and cultural identities. Phenomenology was selected to uncover how individuals make sense of their schooling experiences at the level of consciousness and to explore how they interpret these phenomena within their specific social contexts. Participants The study group consisted of 14 participants (eight men and six women) who completed their primary and secondary education in Mardin. Participants were selected using the snowball sampling method to reach members of sensitive groups who might prefer to conceal their identities. The group included nine participants identifying as Christian and five as Muslim, with ages ranging from 19 to 79. To capture generational perspectives, participants were categorized into two groups: Older Generation (OG) and Younger Generation (YG), allowing for an analysis of how changing sociopolitical contexts influenced identity formation. Data Collection Data were collected using semi-structured interview forms developed by the researchers. Two separate forms were prepared—one for Muslim and one for Christian participants—to gain deeper insights into their specific experiences. Questions focused on school experiences, moments of feeling different, teachers’ attitudes, and coping mechanisms regarding discrimination. Trustworthiness was ensured through prolonged fieldwork and the researcher’s positionality as a native of Mardin, which facilitated rapport. Data Analysis The data were analyzed using the content analysis method to identify underlying concepts and themes inductively. To ensure confirmability, two researchers independently coded the data. The analysis revealed recurring motifs which were organized into main themes. An external expert familiar with the cultural context of Mardin reviewed the analyses to ensure contextual accuracy.

The findings indicate that discrimination experienced by Christian individuals in Türkiye’s educational settings is structural and multilayered, extending beyond individual attitudes. The implementation of the compulsory RCEK course serves as a symbolic dimension of this discrimination, often forcing Christian students into a visible position of "difference" rather than fostering inclusivity. Consequently, Christian students often developed strategies of "cautious intimacy" and concealment to navigate social relations and preserve their identity. However, the study also highlights a transformation in social perceptions. Generational narratives reveal a shift from the overt exclusion faced by older generations to more subtle forms of othering encountered by youth, alongside increased opportunities for cultural interaction. The theme "Construction of Harmony within the School" demonstrates that despite past discrimination, mutual understanding and solidarity can flourish where contact is sustained. Crucially, the role of the teacher emerged as decisive. Inclusive teacher practices that recognized students' identities helped mitigate the effects of structural exclusion, transforming classrooms into safe learning environments. The study supports the view that schools function as microcosms of democracy; when diversity is recognized and respected, social acceptance strengthens. To advance educational equity, inclusivity must be institutionalized through curriculum reform and teacher education, rather than relying solely on individual discretion.

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