Experiences of Muslim Female Students in Social Work Programs in Western Canada
Date
2022-05
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Abstract
Canada is known globally as a multicultural country, yet multiple studies have indicated that Muslim Canadians believe discrimination, based on their religious beliefs, is common. What is less well-understood is the experience of discrimination of Muslim students in post-secondary settings, particularly in social work. The theoretical framework included feminism and postcolonial feminist theory to answer the research question: What are the experiences of Muslim female students with regards to discrimination inclusion/exclusion, social justice, and equity in social work programs in Western Canada? The study used a qualitative descriptive phenomenological design. Twelve Muslim female students currently enrolled in or recent graduates (within the past two years) of university social work programs in Western Canada were recruited vis convenience sampling methods. Semi-structured exploratory interviews were conducted between September and November 2020 and the phenomenological approach was used for data analysis. The results of the analysis yielded four themes that helped to explain the Muslim female students’ experiences of the social work programs. The themes are: 1) "I am a Muslim woman”, 2) visible religious identity in educational settings, 3) experiences of social exclusion in social work programs, and 4) consequences for Muslim female students. Study participants identified experiences of exclusion, stereotyping, and discrimination, including the lack of Muslim culture and religion in the social work curriculum. A number of challenges, such as the lack of diversity, lack of awareness by professors and students were faced by Muslim female students. These findings could better inform educators and policymakers in designing curriculum and formulating culturally appropriate policies to increase diversity and inclusion. Further research is needed to understand cultural competencies among non-Muslim professors and peers to address the inclusion/exclusion of Muslim female students using a larger sample size.
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Keywords
Muslim girls, phenomenology, social work, Canada
Citation
Salim, S. (2022). Experiences of Muslim female students in social work programs in Western Canada (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.