Negotiating two worlds: An exploration of Moroccan Belgian youths’ lived experience of gender identity

Hanne Dewinter,Lucia De Haene,Hanne Dehertog

doi:10.21825/digest.v8i2.17368

Abstract

This article explores the lived experiences of Muslim youth in Belgium regarding their gender identity. Based on a qualitative study with focus groups among Moroccan Belgian youths, we examine the usefulness of studying gender identity as a dynamic construct. Gender identity is not only shaped within and through different contexts, the state of Moroccan Belgian youths negotiating between two worlds also highly complicates this construction. Gender acts as a mobilising force to legitimate borders and to differentiate from another ethnic or religious group that does not share the same practices or perceptions. Finally, processes of stereotyping, which are mainly gender-based, evoke a diversity of reactions among these youths. The aim of this article is to contribute to an understanding of the construction of gender identity as a continuous process that acquires meaning in relation to minority/majority relations in society. Directions for future research are suggested.

Highlights

Over the past decade, gender-based issues regarding the presence and representation of a large Muslim community in Western countries have arisen as hot topics in public debate (Spierings et al, 2015)
In the majority of these media representations gender identity seems to be approached in a rather static way, ignoring the complexity of the negotiation of gender identity (Bullock & Jafri, 2000; Herz, 2019; Dunne & Crossouard, 2020). In spite of this attention in public debate, research into the lived experiences of Muslim youths regarding their gender identity remains an emerging area. Based on these two observations, this paper reports on the findings of a focus group study aimed at exploring the lived experiences of Muslim youth in Belgium
In light of the above described observations that (1) dominant discourses in public debate often seem to neglect the dynamic way in which gender identity is constructed and (2) research into the lived experiences of Muslim youths regarding their gender identity remains an emerging area, this article aims to fill this gap by means of a focus group study

Summary

Introduction

Gender-based issues regarding the presence and representation of a large Muslim community in Western countries have arisen as hot topics in public debate (Spierings et al, 2015). In spite of this attention in public debate, research into the lived experiences of Muslim youths regarding their gender identity remains an emerging area (see for example Abo-Zena, 2019; Maske, 2017; Mir 2011). Based on these two observations, this paper reports on the findings of a focus group study aimed at exploring the lived experiences of Muslim youth in Belgium. We are interested in the way Muslim youths experience dominant representations and processes of stereotyping in public discourse

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