Mussafirs of the 21st Century: British South Asian Muslim women, higher education and the changing notions of ‘Britishness’

The South Asian Muslim community in Britain is one that has become increasingly ‘visible’ with what it means to be ‘British Muslim’ remaining a pertinent issue. Given that the British South Asian community is set to grow, it is necessary to engage with this community in order to understand how discourses around gender, ethnicity and identity affect how this community develops. The aim of this research was to engage with specific members of the British South Asian Muslim community, that of women and mothers. In undertaking this research aspects of identity, belonging and citizenship were explored, with particular emphasis placed on discourses around ‘identity’. Drawing on narratives expressed in focus groups and interviews this research analysed and explored the influences of higher education in shaping attitudes towards citizenship and belonging. Higher education was revealed to have a positive impact on Muslim women’s’ lives, whilst identities and the notions of ‘Britishness’ were increasingly areas of intense negotiation.