Voicing through Silence: Relational, Embodied, and Linguistic Agency among American Muslim Girls

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Agency, Resilience, and Motivation: Strategic Responses to Barriers in Education

Abstract

This paper theorizes the linguistic, embodied, and relational manifestations of the epistemic agency of American Muslim girls across educational settings. These include decisions about what language(s) to speak or withhold, the layered meanings assigned to hijab, and how they engage with or hold back religious and cultural knowledge. Central to the analysis is the concept of “silence as a voice,” an intentional epistemic stance shaped by context, power, and ethical discernment. Drawing from a synthesis of three qualitative studies, the paper traces how six Muslim girls navigate intersecting racial, linguistic, and religious boundaries. Their narratives reveal that epistemic agency is not only about expression, but also about knowing when, how, and why to employ silence with purpose and intention.

Author

• Amal Mahmoud Rizk Elassi, Transylvania University