Research Article

Muslim women negotiating their identity in the era of the Muslim ban

Published: 2023-10-3

Journal: Journal of Gender Studies

DOI: 10.1080/09589236.2021.2016382

Abstract

ABSTRACT Muslim women experience gendered Islamophobia because their Muslim identity is often more visible and comes to symbolize their culture. Experiencing discrimination can cause stress and negative mental health outcomes. However, Muslim identity can also be a source of coping, and the Muslim community can be a source of support in the face of Islamophobia. We hypothesized that openness about identity within the Muslim community may differ based on gender and that experiences of discrimination would be associated with a desire to hide one’s Muslim identity in public for women but not for men. Seventy-three Muslim college students were recruited through snowball sampling in a cross-sectional survey in North America. Mean differences and correlational patterns were compared between women (n = 35) and men (n = 30). Correlational and regression analyses revealed that for women but not men, discrimination was correlated with hiding one’s Muslim identity in public. Microaggressions and offence at Trump’s proposed travel ban were related to openness with other Muslims for women only. Women were more offended than men by Trump’s statement but only after President Trump took office. Intersectionality needs to be unpacked to better understand the multidimensional nature of gendered Islamophobia and racist policy actions. KEYWORDS: Gendered Islamophobia, Muslim women, religious identity, intersectionality, travel ban. Disclosure statement: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). Notes: 1. Data was not reported for measures about approval of U.S. intervention abroad, support for the resettlement of Syrian refugees, U.S. identity, and university identity. See supplemental materials for the full survey, data set, and syntax for the analyses which are available at: osf.io/s7vz2.

Faculty Members

  • Gwynne Richardson - Psychology Department, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA
  • Sakina Bengali - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
  • Mackensie Disbennett - Psychology Department, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA
  • Yasmeen Othman - Psychology Department, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA
  • Rachel R. Steele - Psychology Department, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA

Themes

  • Gender differences in identity expression
  • Intersectionality and identity
  • Coping mechanisms in minority communities
  • Gendered Islamophobia
  • Mental health impacts of discrimination
  • Community support in facing discrimination

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