Investigating Perceptions and Attitudes of Criminal Involvement toward Muslims

• In Event: Threat

Abstract

There has been an amplified interest in research towards Muslim, especially in relation to negative attitudes and/or perceptions towards them. However, exploring these attitudes from a criminal perspective within the Canadian context is sparse. The intent of this research is to examine how individuals perceive the same events when they believe those events were committed by Muslims vs. by Non-Muslims. Using a sample of undergraduate students from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, we investigate reactions to a supposed police investigation of suspicious circumstances, when the suspects involved were described as Muslim or not. We manipulate ethnicity, by mentioning that the suspects in the case were Muslim (or no group label was mentioned) and/or providing traditional Muslim names for the suspects (or no names were mentioned). Statistical analyses focused on whether participants perceived the news events differently (e.g., found the suspects’ behaviour more suspicious, were more supportive of the behaviour being reported) when they believed the suspects were Muslim than when they did not. Stigma and labeling theories are used to contextualize the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Authors

• Maaha Farrukh, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

• Kimberley Ann Clow, University of Ontario Institute of Technology

• Arshia Urooj Zaidi, University of Ontario Institute of Technology