Examining the Social Identity of Being a Muslim in the American Workplace

dc.contributor.advisorKing, Edenen_US
dc.creatorCheng, Shannonen_US
dc.date.accessioned2019-08-30T13:20:07Zen_US
dc.date.available2019-08-30T13:20:07Zen_US
dc.date.created2019-12en_US
dc.date.issued2019-08-29en_US
dc.date.submittedDecember 2019en_US
dc.date.updated2019-08-30T13:20:08Zen_US
dc.description.abstractReligion is often seen as a taboo and controversial topic in the workplace; however, it also plays an important role in many people’s lives. Over the past few decades, the religious landscape of the American workforce has become increasingly diverse. Unfortunately, as religious diversity in organizations has grown, so has the number of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charges involving religious discrimination, especially against Muslims. Even though many Muslims consider religion to be an important part of their lives, they may hesitate to fully identify with their religion publicly, such as in the workplace. This research used semi-structured interviews (N = 70) to examine current Muslim American workplace experiences through a social identity lens, exploring how intersectionality with other identities (i.e., gender) and interactions with other people (i.e., coworkers and leaders as allies) influence how Muslims experience religion at work. Although many participants talked about how their organizations are generally inclusive and supportive of providing accommodations, they also mentioned ways in which they feel like they are treated differently or excluded from social or professional opportunities. These results revealed that although many organizations are trying to be more tolerant of different faith groups, there are subtle ways in which organizations are signaling to their employees about who they value and are trying to advance. Participants discuss clear, tangible steps that leaders and coworkers can take to improve the experiences of Muslim Americans in the workplace, and future research and practical implications are discussed.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationCheng, Shannon. "Examining the Social Identity of Being a Muslim in the American Workplace." (2019) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/107394">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/107394</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/107394en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectMuslimen_US
dc.subjectworkplaceen_US
dc.subjectidentityen_US
dc.titleExamining the Social Identity of Being a Muslim in the American Workplaceen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentPsychologyen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineSocial Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Artsen_US
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