Shi'a women's participatory roles in the establishing and sustaining Shi'a religious identity in South Florida : Islamic Jaffaria Association

Authors

Ivanessa Maria Arostegui, Florida International University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Major/Program

Religious Studies

First Advisor's Name

Aisha Musa

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Ana Maria Bidegain

Third Advisor's Name

Erik Larson

Date of Defense

6-10-2011

Abstract

The research on the Muslim American community is largely Sunni specific and the purpose of this thesis is to add upon the limited scholarly work concerning the Shi'a Muslim American community. This study looks into the American Shi'a Muslim education experience at the Islamic Jaffaria Education Center (IJEC) and how it establishes and sustains a Pakistani Shiite Muslim identity. In addition, research on widespread American Muslim education shows high female participation on all levels, including, but not limited to, board and teaching positions. To see if this situation exists inside the Shi'ite communities an ethnographic study was conducted over the course of about 4 months at the IJEC. The findings show that there is also high female participation at that Shi'ite education center on all levels. The study links the high female participation with the education and how it established and is currently sustaining a Pakistani Shi'ite Muslim American identity in South Florida.

Identifier

FI14032348

Recommended Citation

Arostegui, Ivanessa Maria, "Shi'a women's participatory roles in the establishing and sustaining Shi'a religious identity in South Florida : Islamic Jaffaria Association" (2011). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1314.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1314