Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Department

Psychological Sciences

Additional Departmental Affiliation

Folk Studies and Anthropology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Much of Western society is engaging with complex ideas and events such as multiculturalism, immigration, assimilation, and terrorism. The United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) are relevant to this larger discussion considering the 2016 finalization of the ‘Brexit’ decision to leave the European Union and the recent travel restriction policies in the US targeting some countries with Islam as majority religious affiliation. Given these events, my larger research question addresses how majority populations view minority groups. Several studies have provided a view of how Muslims in the West form their own identities (Hopkins, 2011; Modood & Ahmad, 2007; Peek et al., 2005), however there is very little research on how Muslims are perceived as a group by majority non-Muslim populations (Fischer et al., 2007; Gerges, 2003). The purpose of this comparative research project is to gain an understanding of white-identifying populations’ perceptions of Muslims in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) using qualitative and quantitative ethnographic methodologies.

Advisor(s) or Committee Chair

Ashley Stinnett, Kate Hudepohl, Chris Keller

Disciplines

Anthropology | Linguistics | Psychology | Social Psychology

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