“So, it’s like you’re swimming against the tide”: Didactic avowals and parenting as intersectional Muslim women in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT Muslim parents in the United States negotiate their intersecting identities and roles as parents amidst increasing (white) nationalism and anti-Muslim racism. In this qualitative study, we draw on cultural identity theory (CIT) to examine how sixteen cis-heterosexual/educated/able-bodied Muslim women parenting children in the United States make sense of their identity negotiations as individuals and parents. Our analysis identifies three overlapping themes highlighting struggles and resilience while parenting. We offer the concept of “didactic avowals” that describes contextually-contingent avowals aimed at instructing and disrupting hegemonic stereotypes and conclude by discussing the implications of these findings in light of CIT.