The explanatory role of religious identity, practices and beliefs in perceived discrimination among Muslim American racial/ethnic groups
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
ISSN: 0144-333X
Article publication date: 2 January 2024
Issue publication date: 30 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The study examines the effects of religious identity, practices and beliefs on Muslim Americans' perceptions of discrimination and the extent to which religion might shape the perception of discrimination differently within Muslim race/ethnic groups.
Design/methodology/approach
Study data were obtained from the 2011 Pew Survey (N = 1,033), a nationally representative sample of Muslim adults 18 years old and older living in the United States. The sample weights with the exclusion of non-response cases were used for bivariate analyses. For multivariate analyses, multiple imputation procedures were employed to impute missing values on all variables.
Findings
Muslim Americans with high levels of religious practices are more likely and Muslim Americans with strong belief in religious tenets are less likely to report experiencing different forms of discrimination. Black, Asian and other/mixed race Muslims with high levels of religious practices report higher rates of discrimination than their white coreligionists. Within group comparison shows that the pure extrinsic group reports higher rates of perceived discrimination than the pro-religious, pure intrinsic and non-religious groups.
Originality/value
The study emphasizes varying effects of religious factors on different Muslim American groups in perceived discrimination and suggests researchers challenge a common perception of viewing religion as a “master status” for the Muslim identity.
Keywords
Citation
Zainiddinov, H. (2024), "The explanatory role of religious identity, practices and beliefs in perceived discrimination among Muslim American racial/ethnic groups", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 44 No. 5/6, pp. 430-447. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-09-2023-0238
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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