My Last Essay from Sociology

So this is my last essay from my Prejudice and Discrimination class.  I think I did a good job even though I only had a day to complete it.  I guess that is how the teacher tested us to see if we payed attention to the different theories surrounding the topic.  I hope you all enjoy it and remember I enjoy comments, even if you want to give me a negative critique I will learn from them.

Muslim Americans

To be Muslim in America today is not an easy thing.  On September 11, 2001 one of the worst orchestrated terrorist attacks came at the hands of Islamic fundamentalist group Al Qaida.  This group has origins in Arabia which has led to manly believing that all Muslims are Arab, which in turn has led to many to think that all Arabs are terrorists.  The truth is that terrorists make up such a minute part of the Muslim population that to say that all Muslims are terrorists is extremely inaccurate.  According to the textbook “Racial and Ethnic Groups” of the Muslims in America 20-42% are African American, 24-33% are South Asian, 15-22% are white/Hispanic, and only 12-32% are actually of Arab descent.

            According to Schaefer there are 5 characteristics of sub ordinance which lead to further subordination from the dominant group.  The first characteristic is the experience of unequal treatment.  Since September 11^th Muslim Americans have experienced a loss of constitutional rights.  When the US government passed the Patriot Act, suspected terrorists can be imprisoned without trial indefinitely.  With racial profiling in practice this tends to affect Muslims and Arabs more than any other group today.  The second characteristic is a shared physical or cultural characteristic.  The Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, is written in Arabic and through education and religious practice most can speak and or at least understand the Arabic language.  The third characteristic is involuntary membership.  Even though Islam is a religion and can be thought of as voluntary, the way Muslims are treated and perceived gives them an involuntary membership into a subordinate group.  The fourth characteristic is a strong sense of group solidarity.  The rigid doctrine of Islam, which involves Friday services, strict diet, and obligatory prayer, leads to a sense of community within the group.  The continued prejudices towards the followers of Islam take the sense of community and make it stronger.  The final characteristic of a subordinate status is in-group marriage.  In the Muslim tradition Muslims must marry Muslims.  This means that one must be part of the faith or convert to the faith in order to marry a member of the faith.

            There are two theories that can explain why Muslim Americans are placed in a subordinate status.  The first is called Social Learning Theory, which states that people learn from one another in a social setting.  In other words what people initially believe and embrace comes from observing the behaviors and attitudes of others.  After September 11^th the media covered the Arab world concentrating on terrorist activities, and the perceived threat of the Islamic religion.  This media coverage placed a lot of prejudices and stereotypes in people’s minds.  These prejudices are then passed onto others through the Social Learning Theory.

            The other theory that could explain the subordination of Muslim Americans is the normative theory.  This theory states that norms, which are behavioral expectations, are situational and socially constructed.  Anything that goes against social norms is usually mistrusted and those breaking norms are placed into a subordinate status.  The norms that dominate American culture have deep roots in our forefather’s Christian roots.  The Islamic faith is very different from the Christian norms of today.  It encompasses a Sabbath on Friday instead of Sunday, five obligatory prayers towards the holy city of Mecca, strict moral codes, as well as a diet that forbids alcohol, swine, and any substance that could prevent one from practicing their faith.  Because of these differences many view people of the Islamic faith as a threat to their very way of life.

            The future is not as bleak as the current situation makes it appear, in fact the future could be bright for Muslim Americans.  Most have a strong familial structure, which provides a strong support system within the home.  There is a strong emphasis on education, with many college graduates and post graduates within the community.  Many new immigrants have upper college degrees and are a viable resource to the American Labor Force.  According to “Racial and Ethnic Groups” many Muslims have set up companies and businesses in America that have become very successful and play an important role in the American economy.  The aspects of the Muslim faith which help lead to a subordinate status help build strong communities which look out for one another.  All these aspects help strengthen Muslim Americans and in the future could help them rise above their current status of subordination.

If you have reached this point you have read my essay.  I hope that you enjoyed it, maybe learned a bit from it, and that it at least put things in perspective.  Thank you for reading.