Temporary liberties and uncertain futures: young female Muslim perceptions of life in England

ABSTRACT

This article explores how young female Muslim university students in London and Birmingham experience life in England. Through focus groups and interviews, talk about three main topics was collected: how young Muslims frame their identities; how they are perceived by others; and how they perceive Muslims to be portrayed and represented in public life. Analysis shows that the participants: presented themselves as ambitious and autonomous; experienced direct and indirect exclusion as young Muslims; perceived a lack of diverse Muslims role models and ambassadors in public life; and that, despite their optimism, felt their futures in Britain were uncertain. The young people recognised the temporary liberties they have around dress and practice as university students that are potentially restricted in wider society. The research highlights the problems created by stigmatising public discourse around Islamist extremism that fuels narrow, deficit-focused policy that exacerbates the exclusion of young Muslims.

KEYWORDS:

• Muslim
• young women
• exclusion
• extremism
• identity
• policy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Post-1992 universities are former polytechnic colleges that have gained university status since this became possible in 1992. Before gaining university status, these colleges offered higher education programmes validated by another university. Their focus was on programmes with a technical, vocational or professional focus.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Department of Mental Health, Social Work and Integrative Medicine at Middlesex University.