Smith ScholarWorks Theses, Dissertations, and Projects 2008 The strength of Muslim American couples in the face of heightened discrimination from September 11th and the Iraq War Brianne Goodman Smith College Brianne Goodman Carter Brianne Goodman Carter Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Goodman, Brianne; Goodman Carter, Brianne; and Carter, Brianne Goodman, "The strength of Muslim American couples in the face of heightened discrimination from September 11th and the Iraq War" (2008). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/442 This Masters Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Projects by an authorized administrator of Smith ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Brianne Goodman Carter The Strength of Muslim American Couples in the Face of Heightened Discrimination from September 11th and The Iraq War ABSTRACT This exploratory study examined how Muslim American couples are psychologically and relationally impacted by heightened discrimination in the wake of September 11th and The Iraq War. Utilizing interviews with six Muslim American couples who have been married for at least six years (through September 11th and The Iraq War), the study identified that religious discrimination against Muslim Americans is experienced as pervasive and endemic—existing at multiple levels: attitudinal, interpersonal, structural, institutional, and systemic. The study found that in response to (rather than in spite of) religious discrimination, Muslim American couples exhibit increased resiliency and strength through the tenets of their faith (particularly, the primacy placed on marital union), their shared faith practice, and the resource of their religious communities.