A constructivist grounded theory of Queer and Muslim identity integration in college

Abstract

The constructivist grounded theory (CGT) explored how queer Muslim college students integrate their religious and sexual identities. By using intensive interviews concurrent with an iterative analytical scheme, the study identified a cycle of identity integration. Findings suggest that queer Muslim college students navigated identity gatekeepers by redefining religious truths and reflecting on their beliefs. They contextualized themselves within their communities as they preserved their familial connections and cultural congruity. Queer Muslims also disrupted taken-for-granted notions of authenticity through a process of selective outness and differentiated religion from culture and belief to process cultural attitudes and construct a more cohesive and integrated identity as both queer and Muslims. The CGT sheds light on the complexity of the Muslim identity and troubles religious structures by highlighting collectivist paradigms, nuancing self-authorship, and complicating the nexus between religion and culture.