1 - Introduction

Summary

The Muslim family has become a site of considerable debate and contestation. Acknowledging that there is no one type of Muslim family, and no universal experience of being a member of one, is, however, an essential starting point for exploring Muslim family life. This book offers an innovative perspective on Muslim family life through an original, wide-ranging analysis of the social and cultural organization of Muslim families in the UK. It aims to capture and evaluate the changing, diverse and complex nature of family life while drawing out significant commonalities. It provides a comprehensive synthesis of various literatures, bringing together and furthering concepts, theories and empirical knowledge from family and relationship studies and ethnic and racial studies. Keeping in mind substantial differences between Muslims, the book pays attention to a range of intersectional differences, including gender, generation, ethnicity, race and religion. It endeavours to fill a gap in understanding about how these collectively inform the arrangement, conduct and experience of family life. The book also breaks new ground in considering the interdependence between Muslim family life and the wider society in which it is situated. In a context where Muslims are both a numerical minority and a culturally and politically minoritized group, it considers how family life is informed by members’ experiences of various processes of exclusion from dominant, mainstream society.

While this book focuses on examples from the UK, the core issues identified and the arguments advanced are applicable to exploring Muslim family life in other societies in which Muslims are a minority, across Europe and beyond. Globally, around one third of Muslims live as cultural or religious minorities, over a half of whom are estimated to live in Western Europe (Anwar, 2008). They share multiple commonalities arising from the distinctiveness of Muslim family life, the relevance of the family in Islam and the consequences of identifying as a Muslim family. The book therefore provides insights relevant to international studies of Muslims as a minoritized group.

Exploring Muslim family life is a timely, useful undertaking because evidence shows that there is a steadily growing number of Muslims from different ethnic backgrounds in the UK.