Elite Young Muslims in Britain: Generational Experience and Political Participation, 2007

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.This is a qualitative data collection. The role of young western Muslims in radical Islamic politics has become a prominent public policy issue, especially since 9/11. This research project explored the impact of global, national, local and personal events on the views and political activity of young British Muslims regarded as ‘opinion formers’ of the future. The project aimed to:document the impact of formative events (global, national, local or personal) on political participation or views of a sample of future ‘opinion-forming’ young Muslims;gauge the involvement of this generational cohort in national political activities;assess its involvement in transnational activities;document its involvement in global politics;document its use of the Internet as a news/politics sourceinvestigate inter-generational similarities or differences in relation to national,local and global politics;document intra-generational similarities or differences (i.e. between genders) in relation to national, local and global politicsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with students at the University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of Bradford. In addition, a focus group discussion was held at Bradford, with five male and five female participants. University students were targeted because less advantaged young Muslims have been extensively researched elsewhere, and because it is those with higher education who have more often been associated with extremism in recent media treatment. The sites were also chosen to reflect demographic contrasts. Bradford attracts a greater proportion of Muslim students, often from the local area. Cambridge and the LSE have a more international intake. Interviews were also conducted with members of young Muslim organizations. In addition, documentary research was carried out on two publications targeting young Muslims/South Asians (Eastern Eye and Q-News) and the website of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC). (Note that only the interviews are held at the Archive, not the documentary research results.) Further information about the project may be found on the ESRC Elite Young Muslims in Britain - Generational Experience and Political Participation award page. Main Topics:The individual interviews covered were structured into six sub-sections. The first involved background information on education/generational location; the second, an exploration of formative events on political outlook; the third, participation in local or national politics; the fourth, transnational politics. The fifth and sixth sections cover continuities and discontinuities between and within generations. The focus group discussion covered political attitudes, and political and social issues