Between Exclusion and Agency: Muslim Women’s Everyday Belonging in the Netherlands

This thesis examined how Muslim women in the Netherlands navigated an imposed political label of “Muslimness” and how this shaped their experiences of belonging across everyday and institutional settings. Drawing on fifteen semi-structured interviews and two participant observations, the study analysed experiences in education, work, community spaces, and national and political contexts. The findings showed that belonging was not a stable condition but a situational and conditional process. Across arenas, belonging was often partial and could be withdrawn when religious visibility, institutional norms, or politicised moments made Muslimness salient as a boundary of exclusion. While participants experienced stronger belonging in community and women-led spaces, belonging was more fragile in schools, workplaces, and in relation to the Dutch nation. Women responded through everyday strategies such as managing visibility, explaining religious practices, and selectively engaging or...Show moreThis thesis examined how Muslim women in the Netherlands navigated an imposed political label of “Muslimness” and how this shaped their experiences of belonging across everyday and institutional settings. Drawing on fifteen semi-structured interviews and two participant observations, the study analysed experiences in education, work, community spaces, and national and political contexts. The findings showed that belonging was not a stable condition but a situational and conditional process. Across arenas, belonging was often partial and could be withdrawn when religious visibility, institutional norms, or politicised moments made Muslimness salient as a boundary of exclusion. While participants experienced stronger belonging in community and women-led spaces, belonging was more fragile in schools, workplaces, and in relation to the Dutch nation. Women responded through everyday strategies such as managing visibility, explaining religious practices, and selectively engaging or withdrawing. Although these strategies created moments of ease and recognition, they rarely translated into secure or transferable belonging. By following the same women across multiple arenas, this study showed how exclusion and agency were intertwined in contexts where recognition remained partial and unstable.Show less

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Between Exclusion and Agency: Muslim Women’s Everyday Belonging in the Netherlands