Sara Elsayad ( Three Minute Thesis )
School of Social , Political and Global studies
Sustainable Integration : an ethnographic study of a British Muslim community in Birmingham
From the speech of Home Secretary Roy Jenkins ( 1966 ) on immigrants ’ integration ( Jenkins 1967 ) to the Casey report ( 2016 ) about opportunity and integration among British communities , the UK has struggled to reach an agreement about creating a diverse yet cohesive society . For many years , integration has been puzzled by different proposals , ideas , and scholarships , and has been a point of social and political divisions . British Muslims have been at the centre of those debates and controversies with a general perception of them being non-integrated . This environment shapes not only the social and political atmosphere in Britain ; but also it constructs Muslims ’ perceptions and behaviours towards integration . Ethnic and religious diversity in the UK combined with recurring claims of social / cultural ( dis ) -integration underline the necessity for tackling integration /( dis ) - integration questions in a novel way . That said , this dissertation is a timely attempt to understand and provide up-to-date insights into Muslims ’ conceptions of integration .
This dissertation is based on a central argument that an inclusive society builds on inclusive social structures and discourses . An integration discourse that only reflects the majority ’ s perspective cannot be representative enough to minority ethnic communities . This thesis also argues that recognition of difference and celebrating diversity are not necessarily sufficient for achieving belonging among ethnic minorities . It is therefore , of paramount importance to investigate what communities other than the mainstream ones perceive and understand concepts such as belonging and integration . This is especially crucial because vagueness about ethnic communities understandings could lead to misconceptions and misinformed policies that do not necessarily meet the actual needs of local ethnic communities . Knowing less about how British Muslims think have increased misunderstandings and misconceptions among communities , putting Muslim communities in a stigmatized position as selfsegregated , patriarchal , and isolated . While mainstream integration discourse calls for dialogue to achieve social cohesion , integration debates are mainly led by mainstream views . Muslims ( as well as other ethnic communities ) are seldomly represented in integration discourse .
In this paradoxical context , there is a pressing need to problematise the British integration discourse through investigating non-mainstream discourses . Inspired by this pressing need , this dissertation aims to explore meanings and understandings of integration in a community deemed responsible for segregation . The thesis engages with this context through real-world stories and experiences to answer the main question of this study which is : what does integration mean to Muslims in the UK ? Integral to inclusive integration is a better understanding of the way different communities perceive integration through everyday practices . This develops the goal of this study to uncover and explain the meanings attributed to integration in a particular context . In this study , I attempt to analyse narratives and experiences of British Muslims in a particular area of Birmingham . Building upon 12 months of fieldwork and 29 interviews , I argue that local narratives of integration should be a fundamental part in establishing a sustainable integration . I argue that the success of integration policies depends on taking those local narratives into account and thereby enhancing and maintaining a ‘ healthy ’ relation between the state and citizens ( British Muslims in this study ). The findings of this study do not only dispel misconceptions and stereotypes , but they also provide a novel understanding of how integration policies and agendas should be established .
Postgraduate Conference 2021 Page 23