Stigmatised minorities: an explorative study into the challenges of Muslim women entrepreneurs

Abstract

The recent wave of negative rhetoric in the US aimed at immigrants has brought about distressing outcomes, particularly for those trying to start a business. We draw from stigmatisation theory to explore the challenges faced by immigrant Muslim women entrepreneurs and their experiences with stigma as well as their coping mechanisms. Our qualitative analysis of 11 in-depth interviews reveals that stigma is exacerbated due to the ease of identifying the stigmatised group (via dress code) and the intensity of targeted negative media rhetoric. Lack of support from the diaspora and poor access to various institutional benefits contributed to the challenges of this group. Interestingly, the study revealed that Muslim women entrepreneurs developed active coping mechanisms which included the enhancement of their skill set and seeking to become good examples. The proposed framework depicts potential coping mechanisms and their relationship to the scope of change sought by these women entrepreneurs.