Solo status, religious centrality, and discrimination among American Muslim women

Abstract

The present study examined the extent to which age, religious centrality, and solo status experiences predict reports of discrimination for American Muslim women. We also examined the role of solo status as a moderator in the relationship between age and perceived discrimination and the relationship between religious centrality and perceived discrimination. Results showed that age and religious centrality did not predict experiences of discrimination among American Muslim women, while solo status was a significant and positive predictor of discrimination experiences. The two-way interactions provided showed that solo status interacts with age and religious centrality to exacerbate perceived discrimination. Ultimately, while controlling for the effects of wearing the hijab, young and highly religious-identified Muslim women with high experiences of solo status appeared to be the most perceptive of and vulnerable to religious-based discrimination.