DOCSLIB.ORG

Racialization of Muslim-American Women in Public and Private Spaces

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Racialization of Muslim-American Women in Public and Private Spaces Racialization of Muslim-American Women in Public and Private Spaces: An Analysis of their Racialized Identity and Strategies of Resistance Inaash Islam Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science In Sociology David L. Brunsma, Chair Ellington T. Graves Suchitra Samanta 28th April, 2017 Blacksburg, VA Keywords: Muslim American, racialization, spaces, racialized, identity, resistance Racialization of Muslim-American Women in Public and Private Spaces: An Analysis of their Racialized Identity and Strategies of Resistance Inaash Islam ABSTRACT The aim of this research project is to investigate how Muslim-American undergraduate women experience racialization in public and private spaces, examine whether those experiences give rise to a racialized identity, and highlight how they resist and cope with their racialization. The recent application of the term racialization to discuss the Muslim experience in the west has encouraged scholars such as Leon Moosavi, Saher Selod, Mythili Rajiva, Ming H. Chen and others, to engage in critical discourse within the scholarship of race and ethnicity regarding this often-neglected population. It is due to the unique, and gendered relationship that the female Muslim-American population has with the United States, particularly as a result of 9/11 and the label of ‘oppressed’ being imposed upon them, that it is important to comprehend how specifically Muslim-American women experience racialization. While these studies have broadened the understanding of how Muslims are, and continue to be othered, few studies have focused on the specific areas within public and private spaces where this marginalized group is racialized. Using qualitative methods in the form of interviews with Muslim-American undergraduate women at a southeast university in the United States, this study attempts to fill this gap in existing research by examining how peers, mass media, educational institutions, law enforcement, family, and religious communities racialize Muslim-American women, and how these gendered experiences shape their racialized sense of self. In doing so, it also examines the impact of religious, racial, ethnic and cultural signifiers on the female Muslim-American experience of racialization, and demonstrates how these women employ certain strategies of resistance and coping mechanisms to deal with their racialization. This study finds that participants do in fact, experience racialization in both public and private spaces. Within public spaces, participants reported experiencing the most othering in the media and in educational institutions, with the least in their neighborhoods. In private spaces, participants reported experiencing the most othering at the hands of the family and their religious communities, with the least othering by their peers. This study also finds that as a result of their racialized experiences, participants do possess a sense of the self as the Other, albeit this changes according to the different spaces they occupy. Racialization of Muslim-American Women in Public and Private Spaces: An Analysis of their Racialized Identity and Strategies of Resistance Inaash Islam GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT The aim of this research project is to investigate how Muslim-American undergraduate women specifically experience racialization in public and private spaces, examine whether those experiences give rise to their sense of self as the other, and highlight how they resist and cope with their experiences of racialization. The term racialization, understood by Barot and Bird (2010) as a process that ascribes physical and cultural differences to an individual or group(s) in order to define the other, has only recently been applied to understand and discuss the Muslim experience in the west. Due to the unique relationship that the Muslim female population has with the United States, particularly as a result of 9/11, and the label of ‘oppressed’ being imposed upon them, it is important to understand how specifically Muslim-American women experience racialization. While previous studies on racialization have broadened the understanding of how Muslims are, and continue to be othered, few studies have focused on the specific areas within public and private spaces where this marginalized group experiences racialization. This study attempts to fill this gap in existing research by examining how peers, mass media, educational institutions, law enforcement, family, and religious communities racialize Muslim-American women, and how these gendered experiences shape their sense of self as the other. In doing so, it also examines the impact of religious, racial, ethnic and cultural signifiers on the female Muslim-American experience of racialization, and demonstrates how these women employ certain strategies of resistance and coping mechanisms to deal with their racialization. This study finds that participants do in fact, experience othering in both public and private spaces. Within public spaces, participants reported experiencing the most othering in the media and in educational institutions, with the least in their neighborhoods. In private spaces, participants reported experiencing the most othering at the hands of the family and their religious communities, with the least othering by their peers. This study also finds that as a result of their racialized experiences, participants do possess a sense of self as the Other, albeit this changes according to the different spaces they occupy. Acknowledgements This thesis has been written with much appreciated support and guidance. First, I would like to acknowledge and extend my thanks to my committee chair and advisor, Dr. David Brunsma, whose words of encouragement and reassurance allowed me to have the confidence to rise to the challenge. I have truly been fortunate to have you as my mentor. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Suchitra Samanta and Dr. Ellington Graves, who have provided me invaluable feedback at various stages of writing this thesis, and with whom I have had many fruitful and lively discussions. Thank you. I would also like to thank the women in this study, without whom this thesis would simply not have been possible. You generously gave me your time and friendship, and for that, I aim to make your voices heard. I am especially grateful for my friends, Hamna, Kashifa, Summiya, Ayesha and Kanza, who have been there every step of the way. Thank you for being my study buddies, for reading my work, and for being there when I needed a break. Alhamdullilah, I have been lucky enough to have such a loving and supporting family, who encouraged me from thousands of miles away. I am forever indebted to my sisters Haneen and Izza, for putting up with the weird sister, and for being there whenever I needed them. I dedicate this project to my father Muhammad Islam and my mother Farhat Raja, for their immense support and unconditional love which has sustained me in this endeavor. Thank you for putting your faith in your girls. This journey would not have taken place had it not been for their sacrifices which have made me who I am today. Thank you, Ammi and Abbu. Alhamdullilah. vi Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... vi Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1 Literature Review ..........................................................................................................................7 Racing Religion ...................................................................................................................8 Two Spaces: Public and Private .........................................................................................12 Public Racialization ...........................................................................................................13 Media .....................................................................................................................13 Educational Institutions .........................................................................................15 General Public ........................................................................................................15 Private Racialization ..........................................................................................................18 Family and Religious Community .........................................................................18 Peer Groups ............................................................................................................21 Racialized Identity .............................................................................................................21 Resistance and Coping .......................................................................................................26 Research Questions ......................................................................................................................27 Methods .........................................................................................................................................27 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................29 Participant Recruitment .........................................................................................29
Load more

Recommended publications
  • How Headscarves Have Shaped Muslim Experience in America
    How Headscarves Have Shaped Muslim Experience in America The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Ghassemi, Arash. 2018. How Headscarves Have Shaped Muslim Experience in America. Master's thesis, Harvard Extension School. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:42004010 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA How Headscarves Have Shaped Muslim Experience in America Arash Ghassemi A Thesis in the Field of International Relations for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts Harvard University May 2018 © 2018 Arash Ghassemi Abstract This study focuses first on the role of the headscarf in creating space for Muslim women in the social fabric of America and shaping their American experience. I examine the symbolism of the headscarf from two different perspectives: 1. In the first, the headscarf symbolizes a Muslim woman’s identity by embodying the concepts of “Islamic feminism” and “Islamic activism,” both of which involve covered one’s hair as a sign of modesty. Some Muslim women view the headscarf as denoting backwardness, believing that it oppresses women, and they choose not to wear a headscarf. For others, the headscarf is regarded as symbolizing a Muslim woman’s aspirations for modernity and liberation. 2. The second perspective focuses on the symbolism of the headscarf when worn by a Black Muslim-American woman, in particular those who are active in Nation of Islam.
    [Show full text]
  • Faith, Fashion and Femininity Visual and Audience Analysis of Indonesian Muslim Fashion Blogs
    Faith, Fashion and Femininity Visual and Audience Analysis of Indonesian Muslim Fashion Blogs Aulia Rahmawati School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies Cardiff University This thesis is submitted to Cardiff University in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2016 Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my primary supervisor, Dr. Cynthia (Cindy ) Carter because of her patience, support and belief I finally finished this study. Also to my second supervisor, Prof. Paul Bowman, his word of encouragement kept me going until the end of the journey. I am especially thankful for academic and administration staffs from Jomec-Cardiff University that have been extremely helpful in creating a stimulating and vibrant academic environment during the past four years. I would also like to express my deep and profound appreciation to all my friends and colleagues in the department of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, especially class of 2012 that have been together with me all along the journey and adversity of PhD degree. We know that it is a long and sometimes a scary journey, but I’ve never feel lonely because of their companionship. To my family in Indonesia, my parents, brothers and sisters-in-law that constantly encourage me, I am deeply grateful for. And foremost, to my husband Arif and my son, Marell, this thesis is dedicated for both of you. We have been battered and bruised along the way, and yet in the end we are standing still. I can’t wait for our next adventure! ii Abstract Although a seemingly trivial subject, fashion blogs could be put into the same categories as other feminine genres such as magazines, soap operas and romance novels that have been shown by feminist scholars to be worthy of scholarly attention.
    [Show full text]
  • Kandari Whisked Off to Hospital, Meets Family
    SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2016 RABI ALAWWAL 30, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net See Page 7 Kandari whisked off to Min 07º Max 16º hospital, meets family High Tide 13:12 & 23:35 Low Tide Last Kuwaiti at Gitmo held 14 years without charge 06:38 & 17:27 40 PAGES NO: 16751 150 FILS KUWAIT: The last Kuwaiti prisoner in the US conspiracy theories Guantanamo Bay prison returned home yesterday to a family reception after 14 years of detention, the head of a detainee group said. Fayez Mohammed Ahmed Al- A real conspiracy Kandari was the last of 12 Kuwaitis held for long terms in the prison as the United States prepares to close the theory facility. “He looked tired but his morale was very high. He was welcomed at the airport by his father, two brothers and uncle,” Khalid Al-Odah, head of the society of families of Kuwaiti prisoners in Guantanamo, who was also present, told AFP. Kandari was immediately taken to a military hospital for medical examination where dozens of relatives led By Badrya Darwish by his mother were allowed to greet and talk to him freely, Odah said. The former prisoner was brought back to the Gulf state aboard a private jet which flew from Guantanamo to the state via Casablanca, Morocco. He had been held without trial in the Caribbean detention [email protected] center since 2002, and his return to Kuwait now means the facility has a population of 104. US President Barack Obama pledged to shut Guantanamo when he took he most bizarre news I heard recently was office in 2009, but his efforts have been repeatedly reports about organized attacks targeting thwarted by Congress.
    [Show full text]
  • The Representation of Veiled Versus Non-Veiled Women in Advertising: a Comparative Analysis of Local and Western Brands' Instagram Posts
    American University in Cairo AUC Knowledge Fountain Theses and Dissertations Fall 8-23-2020 The representation of veiled versus non-veiled women in advertising: a comparative analysis of local and western brands' Instagram posts Doaa El-Banna The American University in Cairo Follow this and additional works at: https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds Recommended Citation APA Citation El-Banna, D. (2020).The representation of veiled versus non-veiled women in advertising: a comparative analysis of local and western brands' Instagram posts [Master’s thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1476 MLA Citation El-Banna, Doaa. The representation of veiled versus non-veiled women in advertising: a comparative analysis of local and western brands' Instagram posts. 2020. American University in Cairo, Master's thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/1476 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by AUC Knowledge Fountain. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of AUC Knowledge Fountain. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The American University in Cairo School of Global Affairs and Public Policy THE REPRESENTATION OF VEILED VERSUS NON-VEILED WOMEN IN ADVERTISING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LOCAL AND WESTERN BRANDS’ INSTAGRAM POSTS A Thesis Submitted By Doaa Mostafa El-Banna The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication 2020 In partial fulfillment of the requirements for Degree of Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications Under the supervision of Dr. Naila Hamdy Dr. Ahmed Taher 2 ©Doaa El-Banna, 2020 3 Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisors Dr.Naila Hamdy, and Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Your Desk No Matter What Your Mood, Face the Icy Challenge of 15 the Paper - Write
    Design by Studio Belly Timber www.studiobellytimber.co.uk • Printed by McLays www.mclays.co.uk www.studiobellytimber.co.uk Design by Studio Belly Timber Provident Financial Group: Principal sponsor of the Bradford Literature Festival. ProvidentIf you are Financial a genius, Group you’ll Sponsors ofmake the Bradford your own Literature rules, Festival but if not - and the odds are 2200 against it - go to your desk no matter what your mood, face the icy challenge of 15 the paper - write. 16 J. B. Priestley 20TH – 29TH MAY 2016 The Wonderful World of Words In association with 24063_Provident_Ads_AmendedSize.indd 2 15/03/2016 10:57 2017 Festival Dates D I 12th - 21st May Bradford Literature Festival 2016 rec T or Directors’ Welcome S ’ we L We are delighted to welcome you to the second of the Brontës, we also invite you to join our co Bradford Literature Festival hosted this year day-long heritage tour to walk in the footsteps in association with our title partner, Provident of Charlotte Brontë and remember 200 years of M Financial Group. her birth. We’re marking 400 years since the e death of Shakespeare with a range of intriguing The festival will bring together 350 special guests events about his work – from sex and death including authors, poets, artists and filmmakers in his famous plays, to manga Shakespeare. from around the world in 200 events in the heart Delving deeper into our literary history, we’ll be of Bradford. It’s a ten day celebration of the celebrating 500 years of Sir Thomas Moore’s wonderful world of words, not just in book form Utopia, by exploring how the concept has not Facebook.com/bradfordlitfest but also on the stage and screen, in performance only taken on a life of its own but the way it has poetry, on the pages of comics and in cultural become subverted into dystopia.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    How Firms Fail at D&I: Inclusion, Hegemony, and Modest Fashion Alice Leri Abstract This paper analyzes the impact that inclusive marketing practices might Page 1 of 30 have on society using modest fashion as a case study. The study employs JBA 9(2): 301-330 an ethnographic approach to critical discourse analysis and explores the Fall 2020 impact of modest fashion in reshaping the boundaries of exclusion and © The Author(s) 2020 belonging in the United States. Throughout the paper, the author argues ISSN 2245-4217 that as firms try to become more inclusive in the marketplace, they DOI inadvertently reproduce existing power dynamics wherein non- 10.22439/jba.v9i2.61 threatening forms of diversity are assimilated into a safe "new normal" 26 while subversive “others” are further excluded. Key words Modest Fashion, Diversity and Inclusion, Race, Islamic Marketing, Muslim 1 Introduction In recent years, diversity and inclusion (D&I) professionals have stressed the difference between reactive and proactive approaches to D&I, shifting the paradigm from compliance to competitiveness. This shift can be seen, Journal of Business Anthropology, 9(2), Fall 2020 for instance, during the Society for Human Resource Management and Cornell Industrial and Labor Relations seminars for their Diversity and Inclusion professions certificate program in 2017 and 2018.1 Demographic and societal trends are slowly changing our workforce and, from a workplace perspective, Diversity and Inclusion are about hiring and maintaining top talent within the firm. D&I, stemming from Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, is deeply embedded in the HR function (Wieczorek-Szymanska 2017).
    [Show full text]
  • 'Muslim Women Talk Back': Understanding Identity And
    MA Thesis New Media and Digital Culture ‘Muslim Women Talk Back’: Understanding Identity and Resistance in Online Spaces Supervisor: Natalia Sánchez Querubín Second Reader: Marc Tuters By: Maria Hayat Student No.: 11230525 [email protected] 26th June, 2017 1 Abstract: Muslim women are often seen in mainstream culture as well as media as being ‘submissive’ or ‘oppressed’, or the other stereotypes deriving from Islamophobic ideas views them as potential threats. This thesis aims to show how Muslim women use the internet, and online spaces to resist such monolithic narratives, and utilize the ‘democratic space’ of the web for identity formation and self-representation, beyond limiting categories, and towards a more fluid conception of identity. To understand and reflect on the nature of this resistance and representation, it looks at Muslim women and their actions in various avenues, from mapping the potential of collective action in Muslim women ‘blogosphere’, to seeing fashion enable resistance on Instagram, to finally seeing athletics and sport opening up new avenues for reforming discourse. Keywords: Muslim women, Gendered Islamophobia, Resistance, Self-representation, blogosphere, fluid identities 2 Table of Contents: Acknowledgements: 4 Chapter 1.Introduction: 5 1.1: ‘US’ vs ‘Them’: Understanding binaries and stereotypes 6 1.2: Existing Research and Defining the Research Question 8 1.3: Framework 9 1.3.1.: Defining and problematizing ‘Islamophobia’: 9 1.3.2: Gendered Islamophobia and limiting portrayals of Muslim women: 10 1.4: Dominant Discourses and the production of resistance 11 1.5: Towards dynamic, Fluid identities 13 Chapter 2: Muslim Women and Mapping the Blogosphere 16 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Master Degree Thesis
    Hacettepe University Graduate School Of Social Sciences Department of Communication Sciences THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE MODEST FASHION MOVEMENT IN INDONESIA Siti Dewi Aisyah Master Degree Thesis Ankara, 2017 THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE MODEST FASHION MOVEMENT IN INDONESIA Siti Dewi Aisyah Hacettepe University Graduate School Of Social Sciences Department of Communication Sciences Master Degree Thesis Ankara, 2017 DECLARATION I promise that my thesis/report is completely my own work and that I have provided a source for every quotation and citation. I give permission for paper and digital copies of my thesis/report to be kept in Hacttepe University’s Graduate School of Social Sciences’ archives under the conditions indicated below: My thesis/Report can be accessed in full from any location. My thesis/Report can only be accessed from Hacettepe University premises. I do not want my thesis/report to be accessed until ..... year(s) later. After this amount of time if I have not applied to an extension of time, my thesis/report can be accessed in full from any location. June 1st 2017 Siti Dewi AİSYAH YAYIMLAMA VE FİKRİ MÜLKİYET HAKLARI BEYANI Enstitü tarafından onaylanan lisansüstü tezimin/raporumun tamamını veya herhangi bir kısmını, basılı (kâğıt) ve elektronik formatta arşivleme ve aşağıda verilen koşullarla kullanıma açma iznini Hacettepe Üniversitesine verdiğimi bildiririm. Bu izinle Üniversiteye verilen kullanım hakları dışındaki tüm fikri mülkiyet haklarım bende kalacak, tezimin tamamının ya da bir bölümünün gelecekteki çalışmalarda (makale, kitap, lisans ve patent vb.) kullanım hakları bana ait olacaktır. Tezin kendi orijinal çalışmam olduğunu, başkalarının haklarını ihlal etmediğimi ve tezimin tek yetkili sahibi olduğumu beyan ve taahhüt ederim.
    [Show full text]
  • How Headscarves Have Shaped Muslim Experience in America
    How Headscarves Have Shaped Muslim Experience in America The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Ghassemi, Arash. 2018. How Headscarves Have Shaped Muslim Experience in America. Master's thesis, Harvard Extension School. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:42004010 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA How Headscarves Have Shaped Muslim Experience in America Arash Ghassemi A Thesis in the Field of International Relations for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts Harvard University May 2018 © 2018 Arash Ghassemi Abstract This study focuses first on the role of the headscarf in creating space for Muslim women in the social fabric of America and shaping their American experience. I examine the symbolism of the headscarf from two different perspectives: 1. In the first, the headscarf symbolizes a Muslim woman’s identity by embodying the concepts of “Islamic feminism” and “Islamic activism,” both of which involve covered one’s hair as a sign of modesty. Some Muslim women view the headscarf as denoting backwardness, believing that it oppresses women, and they choose not to wear a headscarf. For others, the headscarf is regarded as symbolizing a Muslim woman’s aspirations for modernity and liberation. 2. The second perspective focuses on the symbolism of the headscarf when worn by a Black Muslim-American woman, in particular those who are active in Nation of Islam.
    [Show full text]
  • British-Arab Communities
    BASELINE RESEARCH TO ASSESS EXISTING RESEARCH ON BRITISH-ARAB COMMUNITIES JULY 2020 July 2020 The Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) Visit Caabu’s website www.caabu.org, follow us on Twitter @caabu and like our Facebook page. Become a Caabu member and support our work! 1 2 Acronyms and Abbreviations § BAME Black, Asian and minority ethnic § CAABU Council for Arab British Understanding § LA Local Authority § LB London Borough § ONS Office for National Statistics § PLASC Pupil Level Annual School Census § CSO Civil Society Organisation § MENA Middle East and North Africa § GCC Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf Disclaimer Views expressed in this report represent those of the author and Caabu, and not necessarily the views of the many organisations and British-Arabs that supported this project. 3 BASELINE RESEARCH TO ASSESS EXISTING RESEARCH ON BRITISH-ARAB COMMUNITIES JULY 2020 Figure 1: Family Day event at Liverpool Arab Arts Festival 2019. Photographer: AB Photography. 4 PREFACE Caabu has always believed that British-Arab communities can and will play an even more vital role in British life. Our role is to help accelerate that process. We have for over six months, led by my colleague Kholood Mohammad, been collating existing research on British-Arab communities, and assessing what we might know or not know. It is based on the sincere belief that vibrant, confident, participative British-Arab communities are a huge asset to this country and that as it stands, and the research bears out, we do not know or understand enough about their successes, achievements and also challenges.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Intersectional Identities of Young Muslim Women in Swansea
    Copyright: The author, Shehla Khan, 2020. Between Nation and faith – A Study of Intersectional Identities of Young Muslim Women in Swansea Shehla Khan Submitted to Swansea University in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Swansea University 2019 Abstract: Over the past two decades, Muslim women have been seen as either oppressed or socially incompatible with wider Western society. The hijab has been a topic of political debate and a physical marker of the “other”, making the study of Muslim women’s identities vital in order to counter discrimination. This is especially important when considering the second generation of Western Muslim young women. It is important to explore these identities not in isolation, but within the context of their multiple intersectional elements of race, ethnicity, gender, and faith. Identity has to be looked at within the wider spatial framework of how it is practiced in everyday life. In order to develop a better understanding of how these identities are formed, practised and understood within a social context and the broader framework of national identities, it has to be looked at within the wider spatial framework of how it is practised in everyday life. This thesis examines how identities of second generation Muslim Welsh women are constructed and expressed within everyday spaces and places. By using a mixture of approaches in methodology, findings were gathered by questioning 30 participants through interviews as well as focus groups, and by asking participants to collect visual images. The thesis investigates three key themes: the construction and embodied experiences of national and religious identities; gendered identities and feminism; and finally the sense of belonging to a collective religious or/and national Welsh identity.
    [Show full text]
  • Being Me on Instagram: How Indonesian Hijabers Reframed the Nexus of Piety and Modernity
    BEING ME ON INSTAGRAM: HOW INDONESIAN HIJABERS REFRAMED THE NEXUS OF PIETY AND MODERNITY Alila Pramiyanti Master of Science in Communication Management (University of Indonesia) Bachelor of Arts in Communication Science (University of Padjadjaran) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FACULTY QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2019 1 Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. -Cicely Tyson- 2 KEYWORDS Authenticity Community Hijab Hijabers Fashion Feminism Identity Indonesia Instagram Modernity Piety Self-presentation 3 ABSTRACT Few researchers have explored the interplay between Muslim identity, social media, fashion, and religion. In this thesis I explore how twenty-six Indonesian hijabers redefined the self- presentation of hijab-wearing women through social media specifically, Instagram. These Indonesian hijabers, or young Indonesian hijab-wearing women who are fashion-conscious, have embraced the visual affordances of Instagram to perform their unique digital self-portraits. I used digital ethnography to delve into the motives, values, and impact of Instagram use on these well-educated, middle-class hijabers, aged 20-34, living in Indonesia’s larger cities, Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Gresik. These hijabers participated in in-depth interviews, participant-observations, and social media observations. This research used thematic and iconography analysis as methods of data analysis. Drawing on Goffman’s theory of self-presentation and the lens of women’s movement, this study revealed how these Indonesian hijabers use Instagram as a medium of self-expression, channel of dakwah (proselytising Islam), and to generate their feminism agendas. Therefore, they presented authenticity, religiosity, and collectivism by using Instagram as their stage.
    [Show full text]