Islamophobia and normative sociology

Abstract: The concept of Islamophobia as anti-Muslim culturalism racism is establishing itself in social science and public discourse alike. Yet there is a tendency to focus on Muslims as an ‘Other’, an ascribed identity, at the expense of Muslim intersubjectivity and agency. ‘Othering’ analysis also does not attend to how to distinguish between Islamophobia and reasonable criticism of Muslims and Islam. Moreover, the possibility of mutual criticism based on dialogue, as well as group intersubjectivity and agency are important for multicultural recognition and accommodation. The bringing out of the political significance of the latter is illustrative of a sociology which thinks of socio-political problems and solutions as existing within the same intellectual framework. Going further, such normative sociology makes explicit and justifies its normative presuppositions and prizes public intellectual engagement.

Keywords: Islamophobia, cultural racism, Muslims, multiculturalism, public sociology.

Lecture in Sociology, read 20 March 2019.