‘Unwelcome Sisters?’ An Analysis of Findings from a Study of How Muslim Women (and Muslim Men) Experience University

Abstract

Integrating students into an academic community has long been established as an important aspect of a student's life and learning on university campuses. Yet efforts at greater inclusiveness by both institutions and teaching staff are taking place in the context of an increasingly diverse student body, in Australia as elsewhere. Differences between students, and between staff and students, offer both challenges and opportunities. This article reports findings from a national study of female and male Muslim students in Australian universities—a group strongly associated with difference. The study found that, although their academic satisfaction and commitment are strong, their sense of belonging may be diminished by factors operating at both institutional and interpersonal levels. Gender differences were generally not significant within the group, which challenges certain stereotypes regarding relations between male and female Muslims.