New MiCDI project & job opportunity for ‘Theorizing Islamophobia’

The Muslims in Canada Data Initiative (MiCDI) is pleased to announce a new research project funded by the Peel Social Lab: Theorizing Islamophobia. The new project also has a job posting for a Research Assistantship (more details below).

Announcement: Theorizing Islamophobia

Job Opportunity: Graduate Research Assistantship (50 hours)

New Project – “Theorizing Islamophobia” – To Shed Light on Canadian Context

Theorizing Islamophobia (and/or anti-Muslim racism) responds to the absent consensus on what the phenomenon is and how it can be better understood. Is Islamophobia a form of racism? Does that approach flatten the racialized differences within Muslim populations? Is Islamophobia synonymous with anti-Muslim racism, or does that unduly collapse antagonism towards Islam as a religion with antagonism to Muslims as citizens? Is antagonism to Islam a proxy or (even pretext) for anti-Muslim hate in every instance?

In addition to addressing the above questions, Theorizing Islamophobia fills a profound gap in research on Muslims in Canada. Considerable academic attention is given to Muslims in Europe and the US. Canada, however, often appears as a footnote to studies on “North America.” In fact, the study of Muslims in Canada too often relies on extrapolations from other regional contexts. While Canada is an immigrant receiving country like the US and European states, it provides a unique, rich, and diverse context that renders such extrapolations suspect. Precisely because the Greater Toronto Area has the highest concentration of Muslims in North America, research that centers on this region promises to enhance the burgeoning study of Islam and Muslims in Canada.

The project will be led by MiCDI’s Dr. Sarah Shah, in collaboration with their UTM students in the course on Anti-Muslim Racism (SOC408). Students will conduct interviews in collaborative research groups to address the intersections of Islamophobia and gender, race, sexual diversity, and geography. The project promises to engage students in real-time research, and contribute to the expertise of tomorrow’s researchers.

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Job Posting: Graduate Research Assistantship for ‘Theorizing Islamophobia’ (50 hours)

Area of Research

The Study of Islam and Muslims in Canada Description of Duties This RAship invites a graduate student to work closely with a data team member from Muslims in Canada Data Initiative (MiCDI) and University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) students in SOC408: Anti-Muslim Racism to support a research project on theorizing Islamophobia. The RA will work alongside the course instructor and teaching assistant to support students in their research.

– The role will include the following responsibilities:

– Weekly meetings with course instructor

– Attendance of specified class meetings

– Coordinating and managing student research teams

– Support with data cleansing and anonymizing

– Support with data analysis and writing results

Required Qualifications

Applicants must be currently enrolled as a graduate student in a social sciences or humanities field at The University of Toronto. Applicant must be trained in qualitative data analysis and be familiar with the Study of Islam and Muslims in Canada.

Application Instructions

For full consideration, applications must be submitted electronically to ssarah.shah@mail.utoronto.ca by the application closing date.

Applications must include:

1. a cover letter with a statement of interest;

2. a current curriculum vitae;

3. names and email addresses for two references.

Applications will be reviewed after the closing date.

Closing date for Applications: Thursday, December 22, 2022

Supervisor: Sarah Shah, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, The University of Toronto Mississauga

Expected Start and End Date: January 1, 2023 – April 30, 2023