How the Challenges for Somali Muslim Men in the UK Affect their Identity Resilience?

Year 2024, Volume: 11 Issue: 21, 219 - 242, 15.06.2024

Durali Karacan

Abstract

Somali men living in the UK mostly encounter difficulties related to racism, discrimination, Islamophobia, social position, and economic circumstances, which may be attributed to their relatively recent arrival in the UK. The current study explores how the intersecting identities of Somali Muslim men in the UK affect their lives, challenges and identity resilience. The objective of this research is not to generalize the difficulties encountered by Somali men in the UK. Instead, the purpose is to thoroughly investigate how the personal experiences of Somali men impact their identity resilience. The study adopts the qualitative research methodology, employing semi-structured individual in-depth interviews with Somali men in the UK, and applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The research findings revealed that the intersection of race and religion, being a first generation and the lack of a concrete role model among Somali men, low social class and socioeconomic standing, and finance and interest-related matters seem to create unique challenges for Somali men in the UK. Moreover, these challenges experienced by Somali men in the UK seem to impact their emotions. It appears that the challenges faced by Somali men also negatively affect the identity principles of “self-efficacy”, “self-esteem”, “distinctiveness”, and “continuity”, which are fundamental concepts in Identity Process Theory (IPT) and the recently developed “Identity Resilience Model”. Although the religious identities of Somali men in the UK usually create challenges that negatively impact or threaten their identity resilience, their religious beliefs and religiosity also strengthen their identity resilience by providing a strong coping mechanism for their challenges.

Keywords

Psychology of Religion, Somali Men, Islamophobia, Identity Resilience, The UK

İngiltere’deki Somalili Müslüman Erkeklerin Karşılaştığı Zorluklar Kimlik Dayanıklılıklarını Nasıl Etkiliyor?

Abstract

İngiltere’de yaşayan Somalili erkekler çoğunlukla ırkçılık, ayrımcılık, İs-lamofobi, sosyal konum ve ekonomik koşullarla ilgili zorluklarla karşı-laşmaktadırlar ve bu durum, ülkeye diğer Müslüman gruplara göre daha sonraki dönemlerde göç etmiş olmalarına bağlanabilir. Bu çalışma, İngil-tere’deki Somalili Müslüman erkeklerin kesişen kimliklerinin hayatlarını, yaşadıkları zorluklarını ve kimlik dayanıklılıklarını nasıl etkilediğini araş-tırmaktadır. Bu araştırmanın amacı Somalili erkeklerin Birleşik Krallık’ta karşılaştığı zorluklara ilişkin genellemeler yapmak değildir. Bunun yerine amaç, Somalili erkeklerin kişisel deneyimlerinin kimlik dayanıklılıklarını nasıl etkilediğini kapsamlı bir şekilde araştırmaktır. Nitel araştırma dese-nini benimseyen, İngiltere’de yaşayan Somalili erkeklerle yarı yapılandı-rılmış derinlemesine bireysel görüşmeler yapılan ve Yorumlayıcı Feno-menolojik Analiz (IPA) yaklaşımını uygulanan bu araştırmanın sonuçları-na göre; ırk ve dini kimliklerinin kesişmesi, ülkede birinci nesil Somalili göçmen olmaları ve somut rol modellerinin olmayışı, düşük sosyal sınıf ve sosyoekonomik durumları, finans ve faiz ile ilgili konular İngiltere’deki Somalili erkekler için daha farklı sorunlara yol açıyor gözükmektedir. İngiltere’deki Somalili erkeklerin yaşadığı bu zorluklar ayrıca onları duy-gusal anlamda da etkiliyor gözükmektedir. Somalili erkeklerin yaşadıkları zorlukların aynı zamanda Kimlik Süreç Teorisi (IPT) ve yakın zamanda geliştirilen “Kimlik Dayanıklılığı Modeli”nin temel kavramları olan “öz-yeterlik”, “özsaygı”, “ayırt edicilik” ve “süreklilik” kimlik ilkelerini de olumsuz yönde etkilediği görülmektedir. Her ne kadar dini kimlikleri İn-giltere’deki Somalili erkekler için genellikle kimlik dayanıklılıklarını olumsuz yönde etkileyen veya tehdit eden zorluklar ve problemler yarat-sa da dini inançları ve dindarlıkları aynı zamanda karşılaştıkları zorlukla-ra karşı güçlü bir başa çıkma mekanizması sağlayarak kimlik dayanıklılık-larını güçlendiriyor gözükmektedir.

Keywords

Din Psikolojisi, Somalili Erkekler, İslamofobi, Kimlik Dayanıklılığı, İngiltere

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