The religio-cultural dimensions of life for young Muslim women in a small Irish town

Abstract

Studies of young Western-born/raised Muslims show the multiple, complex and changing relationships they have with their religion, and what freedom and autonomy might mean in this context. Despite such evidence, popular and academic discourses of the emancipated and free female subject of neoliberal society eclipse such important themes for Muslim youth. Using qualitative evidence from a study of young Muslim women in Ireland, we identify how religio-cultural dimensions are central within young women's social lives and personal worlds. Our analysis of these young women's narratives draws on structuration theory to examine what can be described as their circumscribed choices and freedoms. Focusing on the gendered norms, meanings and sanctions that circulate within family and community, we suggest that their social and personal worlds reflect a gendered responsibility and agency, as structured through their religio-cultural system. Maintaining religious integrity is a key dimension, reinforced through close interactions, relationships and identity performances at home and with friends. The research was conducted with both female and male teenagers using participant-led interviews and a range of other qualitative methods. From a total 33 Muslim participants, this paper draws on the narratives of 15 young women, aged between 12 and 19 years.

Keywords:

• Muslim women
• structuration
• religion
• gender
• youth

Notes

1. ‘Girl Power’ is a discourse claiming the assertive, aggressive, self-expressive girl ‘with attitude’ while ‘Reviving Ophelia’ reflects an oppositional discourse of the vulnerable, self-doubting, confused girl searching for meaning.

2. Veil and headscarf are interchangeably used to describe a particular sartorial practice, while ‘hijab’ is broader in describing religious conduct and prescription (Fadil 2011).

3. We should remark that despite these changes, especially in relation to the influence of Catholicism and Catholic values, the general qualitative evidence regarding girls' and women's social positions in Ireland is currently lacking, which makes it difficult to present a comparative picture for the majority, non-Muslim society.

4. There have been no other qualitative studies of Muslim youth in the Irish context that we are aware of, which prevents comparison with their contemporaries elsewhere in Ireland.

5. The blog site received an enthusiastic response and was active for four months (after a period of inactivity it was finally removed from the Internet as a pre-requisite of ethical approval).