The hijab is seen before my competence : Muslim women wearing the hijab and their experiences of labour market establishment

Sammanfattning

This study explores the experiences of Muslim women's establishment within educational professions. The aim of the study is to examine how wearing a hijab may influence the recruitment process, as well as the kinds of treatment and opportunities these women encounter in everyday working life. The research is based on seven semi-structured interviews with Muslim women who wear the hijab and have connections to educational professions. The study draws on Erving Goffman's theoretical concepts of stigma and frame analysis to understand how Muslim women wearing the hijab are perceived and treated in educational workplaces and recruitment processes. The findings show that the participants experience both opportunities and challenges when establishing themselves within educational professions. However, within educational professions, both positive and negative experiences were reported, where factors such as competence and language skills were sometimes valued more highly. The study also highlights that the hijab functions as a visible social marker that influences how individuals are treated by employers, colleagues, and society in general. The conclusion of the study is that Muslim women’s establishment in the labor market is shaped by both individual resources and structural factors, where norms and perceptions surrounding religion play a decisive role in creating both barriers and opportunities in working life.