Anti-muslim sentiments in western Societies

Abstract

The number of empirical studies on anti-Muslim sentiments in western societies has been growing and these studies focus on different types of attitudes and different underlying reasons. Additionally, various conceptualizations, measures, research methods and comparative designs have been proposed and used to investigate anti-Muslim sentiments. This chapter begins with a discussion of the conceptualization and related empirical research of anti-Muslim sentiments by making a distinction between prejudices against Muslims and negative views about Islam. This is followed by an overview of concepts explaining the emergence of anti-Muslim sentiments, particularly secular and liberal ideological beliefs, and cultural, political and security threats. The chapter ends with discussing the importance of intergroup dynamics and the societal context for future work.