Gender, Religious Identity, and Civic Engagement among Arab Muslims in the United States

Abstract

Research on the civic engagement of Arab Muslims is scarce relative to studies on other U.S. populations, and knowledge about women's participation is particularly limited. Stereotypes often depict this group as detached from American society, yet few studies assess empirically their public sphere involvement. The current study addresses this question by examining gender differences in Arab Muslim civic engagement and assessing the influence of religious identity on their participation. Using national survey data with 1,156 Arab Muslims, the analysis finds high levels of civic engagement for both men and women. Religious identity is generally associated with greater levels of civic involvement, but more so for men than women. For women, having a strong personal commitment to Islam dampens slightly their overall rates of civic engagement. These findings mirror past research and indicate that Arab Muslims may be more integrated and active in U.S. society than commonly believed.