Muslim youth and consumerism: a study of Islamic street wear

Abstract

Abstract:Drawing on a framework that goes beyond the usual securitization lens and that includes other neglected sociological dynamics, namely consumerism and individualization, this article explores an overlooked form of dress in the research on Islamic dress in the West which is Islamic street wear. This analysis interrogates what Islamic street wear reveals, in terms of identity, about the experience of young Muslims living as a minority in secular spaces. Various messages collected from message T-shirts are deconstructed to precisely highlight the effect of these different dynamics on the articulation of identities by young Muslims. A theoretical framework grounded in the notion of hybridity guides a systematic content analysis of the messages. The analysis of these messages reveals the strong individualization of faith deriving from consumerist patterns, the rather limited expression of the controversial "ummatic" loyalty to Muslims worldwide and the assertion of pride in Muslim identity.

Young people and religious actors in a globalized world. Introduction

“…This hybridization can lead to forms of eclecticism (Vásquez and Marquardt, 2003), but can also paradoxically lead to a stronger sense of belonging to the community of origin. Ajala (2018), for example, has shown that Islamic street wear worn by young Muslims in Europe and North America, which combines Western fashion codes with Muslim messages, enables young Muslims to express their pride in belonging to Islam in societies where they are a minority and often victims of prejudice.…”

“…Cette hybridation peut déboucher sur des formes d’éclectisme (Vásquez et Marquardt, 2003), mais peut aussi paradoxalement conduire à un renforcement du sentiment d’appartenance à la communauté d’origine. Ajala (2018) a par exemple montré que l’ Islamic Street wear portée par les jeunes musulmans en Europe et en Amérique du Nord, qui combine les codes de la mode occidentale avec des messages musulmans, permet aux jeunes musulmans d’exprimer leur fierté d’appartenir à l’islam dans des sociétés où ils sont minoritaires et souvent victimes de préjugés.…”

Consumer culture and symbolic capital in a differentiated Pakistani transnational community: ‘It is a fake type of izzat’

“…Shifting notions of izzat are also being shaped by, for example, political and cultural discourses of religion and belonging among the diaspora. Some twenty-first-century discussions of the relationship between consumerism and honour within the contemporary Pakistani diaspora focus on the implications for Muslim identity and piety within the context of global Islamophobia (Ajala, 2018;Harris, 2011;Maqsood, 2017). These accounts reveal that there is no necessary tension between conspicuous consumption and contemporary Muslim identity/piety, rather that differing forms of consumption are now central to struggles over, and competition for, Muslim identities within a differentiated and hierarchical transnational Pakistani community.…”

Kapitalisasi Politik Identitas dalam Produk Halal; Industri Fashion dan Kosmetika

“…Selain merek, dorongan komunitas atau kelompok untuk menunjukkan identitas teruji berdasarkan penelitian Imene Ajala bahwa remaja muslim/ muslimah dan dewasa yang menggunakan kaos dengan pesanpesan keagaaman menjadi tren di Eropa. Kalimat seperti 'shalat menjaga kebersamaan', 'Ramadhan tiba', 'Islam adalah jalanku', dan lainnya telah membentuk sikap solidaritas, rasa persaudaraan, dan menguatnya identitas muslim sebagai kelompok minoritas yang terdiskriminasi dan tidak bisa mengekspresikan pengalaman keberagamaannya di negara mereka (Ajala, 2017).…”