Seeking Unity Despite Differences: Female Muslim College Students and Cultural Bridges of Social Media

Authors

Toqa Hassan, The University of AkronFollow

Abstract

Through the lens of co-cultural and social construction of reality, this research explores the impact of social media on the lives of female Muslim college students in the United States. Two research questions were posed: 1) How social media allows female Muslim college students to bridge the gap between minority groups in their communities and 2) How do they perceive the presence of diversity among themselves online and offline. Results of 11 semi-structured interviews showed that social media allows female Muslim college students to unite with others globally and expand their local circle of friends to grow beyond their socially constructed boundaries. Participants shared their ability to connect with other Muslim women with similar interests and ideas. Despite their claim of the lack of representation of diversity online, some reported seeing an improvement in recent online content. Participants indicated that diversity is not favored in real life as it is favored online. Suggested future studies may seek to understand how female Muslim college students communicate as a minority in the US.

Recommended Citation

Hassan, Toqa (2018) "Seeking Unity Despite Differences: Female Muslim College Students and Cultural Bridges of Social Media," Journal of Research, Assessment, and Practice in Higher Education: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/jraphe/vol3/iss1/6