SOC311H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Cultural Assimilation, Racial Segregation, Acculturation
Testing the impact of the Islamic veil on intergroup attitudes and host community
acculturation orientations toward Arab Muslims by Shaha El-Geledi, Richard Bourhis (2012)
• Analyzing the perceptions that are related to muslim individuals, considering their head
scarves, hijab and niqab –
• There were two studies that were conducted to measure the impact that the veil has on the
attitudes toward arab muslims
• Since 9/11 terrorist attacks, there have been negative sterotypes associated to muslims in
the western media
• Survey indicates that 45% of Canadians believe that islam encourages violence, while in
quebec 63% of individuals believe that
• The Islamic veil has become the flashpoint of intergroup tensions between Christian hsot
communities and immigrants of arab muslim background
• Dress and headwear can serve as markers to show religious affiliation, gender,
geographic origin, ethnic origin, profession and social class
• Hijab is the most commonly worn Islamic veil in muslim countries and western countries
• Niqab is prescribed in Saudi and is a black cloth that overs the entire body, face- leaving
only slits for vision – banned in public space in growing number of euro countries
including france in 2011
• To many muslim women- the veil can symbolize personal and collective identification –
and social differentiation from the Christian mainstream – it can be used for strategis
reasons related to freedome of mvt, and individual upward mobility
• Esp in European union, not very receptive to the veil, and are met with prejudice, and
negative attitudes toward arabs- particularly in the case of the niqab
• In Quebec, the Islamic veil triggers neg rxns and is seen as a religious symbol
challenging fundamental French Canadian values – some view is as a political symbol of
the rising power of religious fundamentalism in the world, while others perceive it as a
refusal by muslilm women to intergrate within mainstream secular society in Quebec
• In Quebec, there are 2.8% arab muslims in the total population (109,000) , 13% of the
province’s immigrant population
• Quebec francophones view the arab muslim immigrants negatively – esp those who
remain roman catholic background
• Quebec francophone undergraduates were least comfortable with arab muslims and
evaluated them less favourably than other immigrant groups
• 62% of Quebec francophones think that muslim women who wear the Islamic veil pose
as a problem forquebec society
study 1
• undergrad students complete a questionnaire containing photos of a woman dressed in
western clothing, a catholic nun, wearing a hijab and wearing a niqab – and were asked to
give their first impressions of the women depicted in the photos
• western dressed woman could be perceived as ingroup as her dressing was similar to
francophone … Catholicism is impt for the francophone identity so catholic nun was
depicted in the image – authors expect less favourable attitudes compared to the western
dressed woman
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