Identity Vulnerability and Religious Meaning Reconstruction among Street-Connected Children: Toward a Restorative Islamic Education

Abstract

Street-connected children are often viewed through poverty, while stigma, social exclusion, and religiosity remain underexplored. This study examines how social marginalization, religious meaning-making, and Islamic education intersect in their lived experiences. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study involved 15 street-connected children and 10 supporting informants across four urban areas in East Java, Indonesia. Findings were interpreted through social psychological, sociological, and Islamic educational perspectives. Participants’ experiences of social rejection, limited recognition, and stigma were conceptualized as Identity Vulnerability, while religion emerged as a source of hope, acceptance, and meaning through Religious Meaning Reconstruction. Based on these IPA findings, the study inductively proposes Restorative Islamic Education as a conceptual orientation for restoring hope, identity, and human dignity. The study contributes to Islamic education scholarship by extending its focus beyond religious knowledge and behavioral formation toward a more relational, contextual, and humanizing orientation for socially vulnerable learners.