Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Schooling, Community, And Identity: The Perspectives Of Muslim Girls Attending An Islamic School In Florida, Vanessa Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the number of Islamic institutions increases in America, the need for greater understanding of the Muslim community, and the challenges faced by this minority, increases as well. This project seeks to provide such knowledge by exploring one of these rapidly growing institutions founded and funded by Muslims, private Islamic schools. Absent from media and literature is an understanding of Islamic schools and the experiences of youth as their attendees. This project addresses this gap through an ethnographic focus on female students at one Islamic school. Data was collected via interviews, focus groups, observation, and participant observation. This student-centered approach …