Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 Factors that Influence how Sunni Muslims in Western Michigan Perceive Violence Joyce Busch Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/dissertations Part of the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Religion Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Joyce Busch has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.
Review Committee Dr. Richard Worch Jr., Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Kevin Fandl, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. David Milen, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.
Walden University 2018 Abstract Factors that Influence how Sunni Muslims in Western Michigan Perceive Violence by Joyce M. Busch MA, Western Governors University, 2015 MSS, United States Army War College, 2011 MA, Western Governors University, 2007 MBA, Touro University, 2003 BS, United States Military Academy, 1987 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University February 2018 Abstract Decisionmakers in organizations like the Department of Defense and the State Department rely on accurate information to develop strategies to engage foreign populations. There is gap in understanding how perceptions are formed in religious adherents, specifically understanding how Muslims determine if violence is an acceptable or unacceptable behavior. Informed by Hobföll’s conservation of resources theory of stress, the purpose of this case study was to identify and understand the religious and secular factors that influenced a group of Sunni Muslims in Western Michigan to accept or reject violent behaviors.
Research questions focused on how this population’s perception of violence was influenced by religion, various sources of information and threats of loss. Convenience sampling was used to identify the participants for this study. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with 10 Sunni Muslims living in Western Michigan. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and the data were inductively coded and examined to identify trends in the information.
While identity and religion were important to understanding how Muslims view the acceptability of violence, perceptions of the justice system's effectiveness emerged as an important factor in understanding an individual’s tolerance for violent behaviors. The results of this study may contribute to positive social change by informing leaders who engage large Muslim populations about how perceptions of identity and justice system efficacy impact the acceptability of violent behaviors. Factors that Influence how Sunni Muslims in Western Michigan Perceive Violence by Joyce M. Busch MA, Western Governors University, 2015 MSS, United States Army War College, 2011 MA, Western Governors University, 2007 MBA, Touro University, 2003 BS, United States Military Academy, 1987 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University February 2018 Acknowledgements First, I’d like to thank my parents, Mr.
Silas Shannon Jr. Kazue Shannon for always making sure that I had what I needed to complete this program. They somehow knew exactly what I needed and were always there to help. Without my parents to push me, to carry me, to hold me, and to walk with me, I can’t even imagine where I would be now.
There aren’t enough words to express my appreciation. I would also like to thank my Committee for their support throughout this process. Thank you for your input and advice. Next, I want to thank Dr.
Michelle Moore for listening to me and talking me off the ledge every time I wanted to quit. You have no idea how much your support meant to me. Thanks for always answering your phone. I’d also like to acknowledge Walter Malone, who for two years, commiserated with me as we wrote our papers after work, before work, and on weekends.
I knew that no matter the hour, Walter would be down the hallway reading some article and tapping on his computer. Thanks for allowing me to complain. Your empathy was much appreciated. To all my friends and family who understood my schedule and never made me feel bad about staying in to read or write or edit, thank you.
I’m genuinely grateful for everyone who supported me and helped me to get here. I know full well that I didn’t do this alone. Thank you all. Table of Contents List of Figures .v Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study.4 Purpose of the Study .15 Nature of the Study .18 Phenomena and Key Concepts Being Investigated .25 Scope and Delimitations .34 Transferability and Bias.
34 Dependability and Credibility. 36 Significance of the Study .36 Summary and Transition .37 Chapter 2: Literature Review .39 Literature Search Strategy.44 Review of Literature Related to Key Variables and Concepts .48 Review of Similar Research using Different Methodologies. 48 Variables Affecting Perception of Violence .98 Chapter 3: Research Method .102 Research Design and Rationale .102 Role of the Researcher .105 Personal and Professional Relationships .109 Selection of Participants. 113 Data Collection Procedures.125 Protection of the Participant’s Rights/Ethical Procedures .128 ii Exploratory Study .135 Presentation of the Results .145 Findings of the Interviews .161 Evidence and Trustworthiness .171 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendations .175 The Interpretations of the Findings .177 Sub-question 1 Results.
179 Sub-question 2 Results. 180 Sub-question 3 Results. 181 iii Limitations of the Study.183 Recommendations for Further Research .184 Implications for Social Change. 188 Recommendations for Practice.
189 Reflections of the Researcher .195 Appendix A: Demographic Questionnaire.213 Appendix B: Interview Questionnaire .214 iv List of Figures Figure 1. Reasons that influence perceptions about violence…………………………160 v 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study Introduction Approximately 84% of the world’s population considers themselves to be a member of a religious group or faith (Global Religious Landscape, 2012); however, prior to the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, many Americans had little understanding of the religions, faiths and cultures of the Middle East. Following Al- Qaeda’s statements explaining the religious motivations behind the deadly 9/11 acts and Aum Shinrikyo’s justifications for the sarin attacks in Japan during the 1990s, many in the U. government began to recognize how the combination of religion, ideology, and politics could result in violent and deadly outcomes (Gates & Steane, 2010; Reader, 2012; Weinberg & Eubank, 2010).
While many acknowledge that religion can be used to justify a wide range of actions both peaceful and violent, there is little agreement on which specific factors contribute to how a religious adherent perceives peace or violence. Understanding the role religion plays in a society and recognizing how it interacts with other cultural influences to shape an individual’s perceptions is critical to understanding how best to engage with other cultures. In this study, I attempted to explain why notable religious adherents and peace advocates such as Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
view violence as objectionable behavior while other religious leaders see violence as an acceptable means to achieving an end. I examined the reasons and 2 conditions that shape the perceptions of a population in order to provide managers, planners, and policy makers in governmental organizations with information that may be helpful to make informed decisions. In this chapter, I discuss the study’s background, offer the problem statement, and outline purpose of the study. Additionally, I introduce the research questions and discuss the nature of the study, along with my assumptions, and the study’s scope, limitations, and significance.
Background In recent research on religion and violence, scholars have worked to determine whether religion encourages or inhibits violence (Huber, 2011; Kippenberg, 2010; Sukma, Ma’ruf, & Abdullah, 2011). Bradley (2010), Cliteur (2010a), Cliteur (2010b), Ibrahim (2009), and Scott (2009) have demonstrated how religious leaders use religion to condone, advocate, and even direct believers to commit acts of violence while Walsh (2012) and Van Pelt Campbell (2011) attempt to prove that an individual’s religious beliefs can serve as encouragement for its believers to reject violence and to conduct their lives through peaceful means. Additionally, a significant portion of the recent literature (Falahi, 2010: Scott, 2009; Weinberg & Eubank, 2010) has been focused specifically on how Islam or Islamic texts advocate violence and has neglected to address other roles that Islam may play in the formation of individual perceptions. 3 Researchers who have examined the role of religion in the formation of individual and group identity have suggested that globalization can be seen as a potential threat to a society’s identity (Basedau, Strüver, Vüllers, & Wegenast, 2011; Sen & Wagner, 2009).
Other researchers (Aly & Striegher, 2012; Mani, 2012) have discussed how religion creates individual and group identities that can ultimately form an in-group consisting of those within the group or society and an out-group consisting of those who are not part of the group or society. Studies have shown that protection of this religious identity using these groups have been used as justification for violence (Ginges, Hansen, & Norenzayan, 2009). While several researchers have conducted quantitative studies to identify the factors that contribute to violence, insufficient qualitative research has been conducted to examine the relationships, interactions, and consequences amongst the various factors that contribute to the belief that violence is acceptable. The behaviors of religious adherents have also been the topic of examination by researchers to determine if the very nature of religion is violent or peaceful (Beyers, 2011; Ginges et al.
In these works, there is a common premise that religion is a critical factor in understanding why an adherent accepts or rejects violence. What scholars have not thoroughly addressed in the recent literature is the notion that religion, as an institution, may play a minor, supporting role in a religious believer’s attitudes toward violence. My intent in this study was to identify how other factors can influence the way that a Muslim adherent perceives violence. This research is needed to 4 help policy and decision makers understand the most relevant factors, beyond the influence of religion, that affect people’s perceptions of violence.
Problem Statement There is a problem in some governmental organizations responsible for making critical decisions. Despite the continually growing need to engage people from different cultures, there is often insufficient information to understand how and why individuals from different cultures form and hold their beliefs. This problem has negatively impacted some of the interactions Americans have had with individuals from other cultures because they were either uninformed or misinformed about those they would engage (Juergensmeyer, 2010). A possible cause of this problem is a lack of relevant information about how cultural norms are formed and maintained.
Perhaps a study investigating which factors most significantly influence a religious adherent could assist in making critical decisions. Globalization is becoming an increasingly significant issue in international engagements. government involvement in the Middle East has demonstrated that intercultural relations have also become more significant issue in recent years, but the problem of insufficient information has not been fully resolved. In order to address cross- cultural interactions, it is necessary to know more about perceptions and how they are formed.
I determined that a case study designed to identify and examine the factors that influence religious adherents may help to address this issue. 5 In much of the world today, violence is generally considered an unacceptable behavior. Laws, ethical standards, and social norms are ways that a society indicates its level of tolerance for violence against another person. They are also the means for directing consequences against those who violate a society’s conventions.