Narrative Inquiry on Bangsamoro Hijabis and their Experiences on Veiling
Abstract
This research explores the veiling practices among Filipina Muslim women, scrutinizing the personal and societal dimensions of wearing the hijab - a headscarf worn by Muslim women to cover their hair, neck, and sometimes shoulders. The practice of veiling reflects adherence to Islamic dress codes that extend beyond attire to encompass expected social behaviors. Employing standpoint theory as analytical framework, the study aims to address misconceptions surrounding the veiling tradition. By examining the experiences of hijabis the paper argues that their choice to wear the hijab is a rational act of individual agency rather than mere conformity to social norms. This study presents a comparative analysis of veiling within Muslim and non-Muslim communities, highlighting the hijab's integral role in the lives of the interviewees, all of whom have practiced veiling for over a decade. By purposively selecting long-term hijabis and considering their narratives, this research provides insights into the complex reasons behind the maintenance of the veil and its significance as more than just a piece of fabric.
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30. Syed, J., & Pio, E. (2009 March). Veiled diversity? Workplace experiences of Muslim Women in Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 27, 115–137. DOI 10.1007/s10490-009-9168-x
31. Tajuddin, F. (2018, September 15). Cultural and Social Identity in Clothing Matters "Different Cultures, Different Meanings". https://doi.org/10.33422/ejbs.2018.07.63
32. Tan, M. L. (2016, February 03). ‘Hijab’. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
33. Tarlo, E. (2013). Hijab in London Metamorphosis, Resonance and Effects. Retrieved at: http://mcu.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/12/2/131
34. Ty, R., Al-Karzon, A., & Hunting, E. J. (2010 September 26-28). Islam: Misconceptions, Current Trends, and the Role of Social Movements and Education in Promoting Development, Conflict Transformation and Peace Building. Presented at Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, Community and Extension Education.
35. Wazni, A. (2015, August 3). Muslim Women in America and Hijab: A Study of Empowerment, Feminist Identity, and Body Image. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swv033
36. Westfall, A., Welborne, B., Tobin, S., & Russell, Ö. (2016, April 13). The Complexity of Covering: The Religious, Social, and Political Dynamics of Islamic Practice in the United States†. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.12278
37. Williams, R., & Vashi, G. (2007, September 1). Hijab and American Muslim Women: Creating the Space for Autonomous Selves*. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/68.3.269
38. Yurdakul, G. (2015, November 4). What Is Veiling?. Sociology of religion. https://academic.oup.com/socrel/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/socrel/srv051
39. Zhang, X., French, D., & Schneider, B. (2006, April 3). Culture and Peer Relationships. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511499739.001
2. Alghafli, Z., Marks, L., Hatch, T., & Rose, A. (2017, February 28). Veiling in Fear or in Faith? Meanings of the Hijab to Practicing Muslim Wives and Husbands in USA. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01494929.2017.1297757
3. Al-Huraibi, N. (2017, April 17). Navigating the Cultural Divide: Islam, Gender, and the Integration of Somali Immigrants. https://doi.org/10.1163/22131418-00501002
4. Al-Karzon, A., Ty, R., & Hunting, E. J. (2010 September 26-28). Islam: Misconceptions, Current Trends, and the Role of Social Movements and Education in Promoting Development, Conflict Transformation and Peace Building. Presented at Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, Community and Extension Education.
5. Arar, K., & Shapira, T. (2016, December 1). Veiling and management. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470595816674745
6. Bhowon, U., & Bundhoo, H. (2016, February 17). Perceptions and Reasons for Veiling. https://doi.org/10.1177/0971333615622894
7. Bilge, S. (2010). Beyond Subordination vs. Resistance: An Intersectional Approach to the Agency of Veiled Muslim Women. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 31(1), 9-28. DOI: 10.1080/07256860903477662.
8. Chen, X., French, D., & Schneider, B. (2006, April 3). Culture and Peer Relationships. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511499739.001
9. Cole, D., & Ahmadi, S. (2003). Perspectives and Experiences of Muslim Women Who Veil on College Campuses. Journal of College Student Development, 44(1). Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu.
10. Darder, A. (2018, February 23). Decolonizing interpretive research: subaltern sensibilities and the politics of voice. Qualitative research journal. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/QRJ-D-17-00056/full/html
11. Droogsma, R. (2007, August 1). Redefining Hijab: American Muslim Women's Standpoints on Veiling. Journal of applied communication research/Journal of applied communications research. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00909880701434299
12. Edwards, S. (2018, July 3). Distinguishing Between Belief and Culture: A Critical Perspective on Religious Identity. Journal of college and character. https://www.naspa.org/blog/distinguishing-between-belief-and-culture-a-critical-perspective-on-religious-identity
13. El Hamel, C. (2002). Muslim Diaspora in Western Europe: The Islamic Headscarf (Hijab), the Media and Muslims’ Integration in France. Citizenship Studies, 6(3). DOI: 10.1080/1362102022000011621.
14. Hopkins, C. (2014, November 7). Social reproduction in France: Religious dress laws and laïcité. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027753951400154X
15. Huisman, K., & Hondagneu-Sotelo, P. (2004). DRESS MATTERS Change and Continuity in the Dress Practices of Bosnian Muslim Refugee Women. GENDER & SOCIETY, XX(X), 1-22. DOI: 10.1177/0891243204269716
16. Jardim, G., & Vorster, J. (2003, August 2). Hijab and the construction of female religious identity. https://doi.org/10.4102/ids.v37i2.469
17. Kabir, N. (2016, November 21). Muslim Women in Australia, Britain and the United States: The Role of “Othering” and Biculturalism in Identity Formation. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13602004.2016.1257683
18. Kaur, R., & Nagaich, S. (2019, January 1). Understanding Feminist Research Methodology in Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3392500
19. Kilic, S., Saharso, S., & Sauer, B. (2008). The Veil: Debating Citizenship, Gender and Religious Diversity. Social Politics, pp. 397-410. DOI: 10.1093/sp/jxn022
20. Lu, S. F. D. P. (2016). Women and Politics in the Middle East: Study on the Broader Socio-Political and Religious Issues. American Journal of Social Science Research, 2(1), 17-21.
21. Mahdi, H. (2009, March). The Hijab in Nigeria, the Woman’s Body and the Feminist Private/Public Discourse. Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa (ISITA) Working Paper Series, Working Paper No. 09-003.
22. Prasad, R. (2001, November 5). The Hijab is not only a Feminist Issue. World News, The Guardian.
23. Rahmath, S., Chambers, L., & Wakewich, P. (2015, December 19). Asserting citizenship: Muslim women's experiences with the hijab in Canada. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027753951530251X
24. Ruby, T. (2006, January 1). Listening to the voices of hijab. Women's studies international forum. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277539505000920
25. Ryan, L. (2011). Muslim Women Negotiating Collective Stigmatization: ‘We’re Just Normal People’. Sociology, Retrieved at soc.sage.pub.com. DOI: 10.1177/0038038511416170
26. Saied, N. (2018, April 25). Perspective | Reactionary regimes use hijab law to control women — but so do liberalizing ones. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2018/04/25/reactionary-regimes-use-hijab-law-to-control-women-but-so-do-liberalizing-ones/
27. Scott, J. W. (2008, February 10). Gender Equality and Islamic headscarves. The Social Science Research Council.
28. Sloan, L. (2011). Women's Oppression or Choice? One American's View on Wearing the Hijab. Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 26, 218. DOI: 10.1177/0886109911405827
29. Small, J. (2009, January 4). Faith Dialogues Foster Identity Development. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1002/abc.272
30. Syed, J., & Pio, E. (2009 March). Veiled diversity? Workplace experiences of Muslim Women in Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 27, 115–137. DOI 10.1007/s10490-009-9168-x
31. Tajuddin, F. (2018, September 15). Cultural and Social Identity in Clothing Matters "Different Cultures, Different Meanings". https://doi.org/10.33422/ejbs.2018.07.63
32. Tan, M. L. (2016, February 03). ‘Hijab’. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
33. Tarlo, E. (2013). Hijab in London Metamorphosis, Resonance and Effects. Retrieved at: http://mcu.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/12/2/131
34. Ty, R., Al-Karzon, A., & Hunting, E. J. (2010 September 26-28). Islam: Misconceptions, Current Trends, and the Role of Social Movements and Education in Promoting Development, Conflict Transformation and Peace Building. Presented at Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, Community and Extension Education.
35. Wazni, A. (2015, August 3). Muslim Women in America and Hijab: A Study of Empowerment, Feminist Identity, and Body Image. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swv033
36. Westfall, A., Welborne, B., Tobin, S., & Russell, Ö. (2016, April 13). The Complexity of Covering: The Religious, Social, and Political Dynamics of Islamic Practice in the United States†. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.12278
37. Williams, R., & Vashi, G. (2007, September 1). Hijab and American Muslim Women: Creating the Space for Autonomous Selves*. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/68.3.269
38. Yurdakul, G. (2015, November 4). What Is Veiling?. Sociology of religion. https://academic.oup.com/socrel/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/socrel/srv051
39. Zhang, X., French, D., & Schneider, B. (2006, April 3). Culture and Peer Relationships. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511499739.001
Authors
[1]
“Narrative Inquiry on Bangsamoro Hijabis and their Experiences on Veiling”, Soc. sci. humanities j., vol. 8, no. 04, pp. 34965–34975, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.18535/sshj.v8i04.1025.
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