The Impact of an Educational Intervention on People's Attitudes Regarding the Negative Stereotypes o...

مرکز و کتابخانه مطالعات اسلامی به زبان های اروپایی

منو

" The Impact of an Educational Intervention on People's Attitudes Regarding the Negative Stereotypes of Muslims "
Ahmad Laiq M. Baran

Document Type	:	Latin Dissertation
Language of Document	:	English
Record Number	:	1103737
Doc. No	:	TLpq917734188
Main Entry	:	Ahmad Laiq
	:	M. Baran
Title & Author	:	The Impact of an Educational Intervention on People's Attitudes Regarding the Negative Stereotypes of Muslims\ Ahmad LaiqM. Baran
College	:	Cardinal Stritch University
Date	:	2011
student score	:	2011
Degree	:	Ed.D.
Page No	:	195
Abstract	:	The lack of knowledge about the true values and tenets of Islam, coupled with the increased acts of terrorism committed by radical fundamentalists both in Europe and in the United States over the last decade, have led to a disconnect between the Western and Islamic cultures. The American public knows very little about the true nature of Islam and Muslims; most of their perceptions are based on negative stereotypes presented in the media (Suleiman, 1999). The purpose of this study was to determine what impact, if any, an educational intervention had on people's attitudes regarding the negative stereotypes of Muslims. Three research questions guided this study: 1. Will an educational intervention decrease the belief that Islam is associated with terrorism? 2. Will an educational intervention decrease negative stereotypes of Muslims as measured by the Bogardus Social Distance Scale (1925)? 3. What is the impact of age, religion, educational level, gender, and ethnicity on people's attitude about negative stereotypes of Muslims? The research methodology chosen for this study was descriptive survey utilizing mixed methods. The research took place at a private urban university located in a large metropolitan area in the Midwest. A sample of 100 undergraduate and graduate students was randomly divided into an experimental and control group. The experimental group watched an educational DVD regarding Islam and Muslims. All students completed the Bogardus Social Distance Scale (1925) which is a 7-item instrument using a Guttman Scale. Two student focus groups validated the data generated by the quantitative findings. The results were generally consistent with Bogardus' (1925) findings regarding the distance between participants and members of the other group. Results from the quantitative analyses revealed that the short educational DVD had a significant impact on lessening the extent to which people viewed Islam as being associated with terrorism as determined by conducting a one-way ANOVA. However, the brief educational intervention was not enough to change people's overall negative stereotypes about Muslims in everyday situations. In addition, the qualitative responses of this study shed light on what may impact negative stereotypes of Islam and Muslims. The research concluded that although one cannot imply that a short educational DVD will erase social distance attitudes about Islam and Muslims, education does influence positive changes in people's attitudes to some extent.
Subject	:	Education
	:	Educational intervention
	:	Impact of education
	:	Islam
	:	Negative stereotypes
	:	Social sciences