Youth, citizenship and the production of 'dangerous communities': representations of young Muslims in Britain and Germany

Hilbert, Maria (2011). Youth, citizenship and the production of 'dangerous communities': representations of young Muslims in Britain and Germany. University of Birmingham. M.Res.

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Abstract

This dissertation explores representations of young Muslims in Britain and Germany. The relatively recent focus on Islam in Western politics is contextualised within wider discursive shifts that frame ethnic minorities increasingly in terms of culture and faith, rather than race and ethnicity. Two case studies are explored – the Rushdie Affair and the Rütli Affair – to demonstrate the ways in which Muslims are ‘othered’ and constructed as ‘dangerous’ by non-Muslims. Media and political debates around these affairs are explored through the use of selected documents and discourse analysis. This highlights similarities in the ways Muslims are conceptualised in both countries as well as historic continuities. Representations of Muslims carry connotations of a Clash of Civilizations; an idea that has gained particular momentum following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Portrayals of Islam as archaic and anti-Western position it as a possible threat to nation, state and society. Gendered accounts render young males deviant and aggressive, while women are conceived as passive or oppressed. The discourses examined reveal concerns about Muslims as segregated and not ‘integrated’. Underlying notions of assimilation place particular demands on them to demonstrate compliance with apparent national cultures and values.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Res.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Res.

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