Research That Matters (January 17 - 20, 2008)

Background & Purpose: Although Islam has attracted a large following among African Americans in the U.S. (Dannin, 2002) and African American converts to Islam and their families constitute a significant client group (McAdams-Mahmoud, 2005), little attention has been given to this population in the social work literature (Augustine, 2002). This exploratory qualitative study sheds light on African American women converts and their families of origin and shows how individuals and families cope with this religious change. It addresses three research questions: (1) What attracts African American women to Islam? (2) What is the impact of their conversion on relations with the family of origin? (3) How do the converts and their mothers cope with differences in ideology and practices?

Methods: The primary method of data gathering was the individual interview. Adult women who were raised Christian or secular and later converted to Islam were identified through personal and professional networks. The interview sample consisted of 24 African American women. Among them were 15 daughters who had converted to Islam and 9 mothers of converts, of whom 7 were mothers of the daughters interviewed. A second method, which helped us understand the context, consisted of participant observation at a mosque, an African American-owned Muslim clothing store, a Muslim bookstore, and a halal butcher shop. Fieldnotes were taken on observations. In the course of our study, we developed a glossary of Arabic/Islamic terms.

All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Codes were developed during data collection and were revised afterwards by the research team. We coded transcribed interviews using the NVivo software package. We also wrote analytic memos on each interview, the mothers as a group, and the daughters as a group. We compared the interviews of the related mother-daughter dyads to triangulate data (Denzin, 1989).

Results: The African American daughters were attracted to the stability, structure, and respect for women in Islam; its peacefulness; the doctrines; and the women's community. They experienced a secondary gain from wearing garments that protected them from unwanted sexual attention. Their mothers' initial reactions to the daughters' conversion consisted of shock, denial, anger, and guilt. Mothers who were fervent Christians were disturbed about their daughters' beliefs and, in particular, that the grandchildren were not being raised in the church. Non-attendance of family Christmas and Easter dinners interfered with family cohesion. Daughters coped by visiting their families close to holiday times, maintaining relationships throughout the year, and by adhering to their Muslim beliefs. Mothers prayed and, in some cases, surreptitiously imparted Christianity to their grandchildren.

Conclusions and Implications: This study contributes to social work knowledge about African American Muslims, the impact of conversion on families, and how converts and their families of origin cope with their religious differences. Our findings indicate that family systems of converts to Islam become disrupted and may need help understanding Islam and coping constructively. We recommend that knowledge of Islam, its workings in the family system, and the intersection of race, gender, and religion be incorporated into culturally competent social work practice.