“You don't belong anywhere, you're ‘in-between’”: Pious Muslim women's intersectional experiences and ideas about social change in contemporary Turkey

Abstract

This study investigates the experiences and the related social change attitudes of pious Muslim women in Turkey. Twenty self-identified pious women living in Istanbul were interviewed about their experiences of disadvantage based on gender and religious identity, the position of women in religious teachings and practices, and attitudes towards the women's movement. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants expressed facing distinct forms of marginalization in secular and religious settings, leading to a state of “in-betweenness” characterized by a psychological distance from both communities. Participants' attitudes regarding social change, and how they voiced their critiques about women's issues, were also informed by the tensions between the two contexts. Findings suggest that this state of “in-betweenness” may decrease pious women's intentions to act and limit their potential for activism.