On the Discursive and Methodological Categorisation of Islam and Muslims in the West: Ontological and Epistemological Considerations
This article reflects on the ethical and epistemological challenges facing researchers engaged in contemporary studies of Islam and Muslims in the West. Particularly, it focuses on the impact of the constructions and categorisations of Muslims and Islam in research. To do this, it considers the entw...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/10/501 |
| _version_ | 1797552160928432128 |
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| author | Fethi Mansouri |
| author_facet | Fethi Mansouri |
| author_sort | Fethi Mansouri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article reflects on the ethical and epistemological challenges facing researchers engaged in contemporary studies of Islam and Muslims in the West. Particularly, it focuses on the impact of the constructions and categorisations of Muslims and Islam in research. To do this, it considers the entwinement of public discourses and the development of research agendas and projects. To examine this complex and enmeshed process, this article explores ideological, discursive and epistemological approaches that it argues researchers need to consider. In invoking these three approaches alongside an analysis of a collection of recent research, this article contends that questions of race, religion and politics have been deployed to reinforce, rather than challenge, certain essentialist/orientalist representations of Islam and Muslims in the West in research. As this article shows, this practice is increasingly threatening to compromise, in a Habermasian communicative sense (i.e., the opportunity to speak and be heard for all concerned), the ethical and epistemological underpinnings of social science research with its emphasis on inclusion and respect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:56:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91095f30ea634b22a8a0ecc03a883dc5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:56:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-91095f30ea634b22a8a0ecc03a883dc52023-11-20T15:40:13ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442020-09-01111050110.3390/rel11100501On the Discursive and Methodological Categorisation of Islam and Muslims in the West: Ontological and Epistemological ConsiderationsFethi Mansouri0Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University, Melbourne 3217, AustraliaThis article reflects on the ethical and epistemological challenges facing researchers engaged in contemporary studies of Islam and Muslims in the West. Particularly, it focuses on the impact of the constructions and categorisations of Muslims and Islam in research. To do this, it considers the entwinement of public discourses and the development of research agendas and projects. To examine this complex and enmeshed process, this article explores ideological, discursive and epistemological approaches that it argues researchers need to consider. In invoking these three approaches alongside an analysis of a collection of recent research, this article contends that questions of race, religion and politics have been deployed to reinforce, rather than challenge, certain essentialist/orientalist representations of Islam and Muslims in the West in research. As this article shows, this practice is increasingly threatening to compromise, in a Habermasian communicative sense (i.e., the opportunity to speak and be heard for all concerned), the ethical and epistemological underpinnings of social science research with its emphasis on inclusion and respect.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/10/501Muslim migrantsreporting/representing Islamepistemological biassocial categorisationmethodological reductionism |
| spellingShingle | Fethi Mansouri On the Discursive and Methodological Categorisation of Islam and Muslims in the West: Ontological and Epistemological Considerations Religions Muslim migrants reporting/representing Islam epistemological bias social categorisation methodological reductionism |
| title | On the Discursive and Methodological Categorisation of Islam and Muslims in the West: Ontological and Epistemological Considerations |
| title_full | On the Discursive and Methodological Categorisation of Islam and Muslims in the West: Ontological and Epistemological Considerations |
| title_fullStr | On the Discursive and Methodological Categorisation of Islam and Muslims in the West: Ontological and Epistemological Considerations |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Discursive and Methodological Categorisation of Islam and Muslims in the West: Ontological and Epistemological Considerations |
| title_short | On the Discursive and Methodological Categorisation of Islam and Muslims in the West: Ontological and Epistemological Considerations |
| title_sort | on the discursive and methodological categorisation of islam and muslims in the west ontological and epistemological considerations |
| topic | Muslim migrants reporting/representing Islam epistemological bias social categorisation methodological reductionism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/10/501 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fethimansouri onthediscursiveandmethodologicalcategorisationofislamandmuslimsinthewestontologicalandepistemologicalconsiderations |