Keywords
Muslim-American; multicultural identity development; identity distress; minority identity; islamophobia; religious identity and well-being
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand how the childhood experiences, perceived discrimination, and Islamophobia experienced by Muslim-American college students have played a part in their identity development and overall well-being. Participants completed the RYFF Psychological Well-being Scales, Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale, Centrality of Religiosity Scale, GAD7, Identity Distress Survey, Multi-Ethnic Identity Scale, as well as a narrative questionnaire that asked about their childhood experiences. After carefully analyzing the results of my study, results indicated that while Muslim-Americans faced extra difficulties due to discrimination, Islamophobia, and the integration of multiple cultural identities, they still experienced higher well-being and self-esteem despite the difficulties. They were also still able to successfully integrate their conflicting identities into a multi-cultural identity. This study is relevant and pertinent because Muslim-Americans are an under-researched minority group that continuously suffers threats to their identity development, such as Islamophobia, discrimination, and lack of resources. Additionally, Muslim-Americans make up a large percentage of the college population in the United States, and it is important to better understand these students so that we can help them succeed.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Summer
Thesis Chair
Zaman, Widaad
College
College of Sciences
Department
Psychology
Thesis Discipline
Psychology
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Adam, Ruqayyah, "Investigating Influences On Muslim-American Identity Development" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 222.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/222