Researching Islamophobia and the Veil

Abstract

As outlined in previous chapters, relatively little is known about veiled Muslim women’s lived experiences despite their vulnerability as victims of Islamophobia. Against this background, our research sought to improve knowledge of their targeted victimisation, which is all too often ‘hidden’ from academic enquiry. This chapter presents our methodology and describes the nature of qualitative research undertaken to explore these issues. A key component was the process of conducting semi-structured interviews with veiled Muslim women, key stakeholders and policy-makers in Leicester, which generated important insights into the nature, extent and impact of this victimisation. In framing the lines of enquiry of the research, emphasis was given to eliciting information from veiled Muslim women from different backgrounds in order to provide as informed and full a picture as possible. The chapter discusses the similarities and differences between the researcher and the researched which are framed by notions of insider and outsider status. We argue that being an outsider can benefit the research process by enabling the researcher to elicit detailed responses whilst maintaining a critical distance from the data.