Chained to the kitchen sink? : Sydney Muslim women's public sphere activity

Previously, discourse on Muslims in the West has focused primarily on the agency of men, but Muslim women have also emerged as symbols of Muslim identity in these societies. Western media stereotypes of Muslim women as invisible, inactive and powerless have prompted the necessity to understand more about the public sphere activities, gender roles and viewpoints of Muslim women living in the West. For some Muslim women, public sphere activity has taken the form of higher education or paid employment, with many participants pointing out that they are changing people’s perceptions of Muslim women by wearing the hijab and excelling at their job or at university. For others, public participation took the form of voluntary work, undertaken both in Islamic and mainstream organisations, which was viewed as a significant part of their contribution to the community. This thesis has been built around data collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and social observations including open-ended research procedures. Fifteen in-depth interviews were undertaken with Muslim women in Sydney that explored the topics of family dynamics, employment, education, volunteerism, political activity and gender roles. Data was coded and a thematic analysis was undertaken of both the interview data and observational notes. Negative depictions of Muslim women in the Australian mass media have prompted a change: gradually, activity by Muslim women in the public sphere is becoming more apparent. This emerging public activity or activism can be seen to be following a clear direction: Sydney Muslim women with family support and encouragement are more active in the public sphere and view their roles within their families and communities in a more progressive way. This research has successfully concluded that similar to Read’s findings (2004) in the U.S., that family support is the primary factor either supporting or inhibiting Muslim women in their public sphere activities