On the misrecognition of identity : Muslims’ everyday experiences in Scotland
Abstract
Political theory is interested in the misrecognition of identity because it impacts individuals’ autonomy in their self-definition and thus their ability to articulate and pursue identity-related interests. Here, we explore minority group members’ experiences of being seen in terms that do not accord with their self-definition. Our data are qualitative, gathered through walking interviews with 24 Muslims in Scotland. Focusing on interactions in which they reported discrepancies between how they and others saw them, we differentiate four forms of misrecognition: i. Having the meaning of a valued identity (i.e., one’s Muslim identity) defined by others in ways that one judges inaccurate and inappropriate; ii. Having one’s membership of a valued community (e.g. as a member of Scottish society) denied or rejected; iii. Having one’s identity (i.e., one’s Muslim identity) overlooked such that one’s distinctive identity-related needs are not taken into account; iv. Being seen in terms of just one of one’s many social identities (i.e., one’s Muslim identity) such that other identities (judged more situationally relevant) are ignored. This empirically-grounded typology contributes to wider debates about the forms of identity (mis)recognition and their political implications.
Citation
Ryan , C , Hopkins , N , Ahluwalia-McMeddes , A , Dobai , A , Pehrson , S & Reicher , S 2023 , ' On the misrecognition of identity : Muslims’ everyday experiences in Scotland ' , Political Psychology , vol. 44 , no. 4 , pp. 769-787 . https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12885
Publication
Political Psychology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0162-895XType
Journal article
Description
Funding: This research was made possible by a grant (“Misrecognising Minorities in Europe”) from the Volkswagen Foundation, Germany.Collections
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