Exploring the lived experiences of mixed ethnic women with a kin connection to Islam through one parent

This thesis explores the lived experiences of Islam among mixed ethnic women living in a Northeast town in England. I consider the ways in which Islam is lived in a multifaceted environment, and how these experiences influence the ways that these women negotiate and create a sense of belonging, self and identity. Central to this thesis are 15 women’s stories of lived religion that capture the significance of intersections of mixed ethnicity, gender and space. I use creative participant-led approaches, informed by qualitative research methods, utilising interviews, photo elicitation and walking interviews. I explore the different scales of conflict which participants experience at the intersections of their gender, ethnicity and religion, ranging between subjective, pragmatic and wider structural conflict they face. I consider how participants navigate such conflict, positioning themselves as active agents of their lives and skilfully exercising strategies in a bid to attain social harmony. This opens up sociological dialogue about the diversity which exists in Islam and everyday expressions of Islam which have been side-lined for institutional depictions. I consider the ways my participants understand and explain their adult relationships with Islam as enduring, despite ongoing conflict and struggle. I emphasise processes of distancing they engage in, and their alignment with cultural aspects of Islam. In doing so, this research makes three key contributions. First, in focusing on the experiences of mixed ethnic women in Middlesbrough, I emphasise the significance of intersections of mixed ethnicity and gender within studies of lived religion. Second, my use of mobile participant led methods highlights the importance of considering the contextual specificities which influence people's identities. Lastly, I bring diversity to the study of Muslim identities in the U.K. and offer detailed accounts of the experiences of mixed ethnic women with a kin connection to Islam through one parent.