ABSTRACT

In this chapter I explore some psychological factors that may help explain the apparent rise in anti-Muslim prejudice – so-called Islamophobia – that has been noted in many countries over the past ten years or so. In particular, I will deploy selected theoretical approaches from social psychology to explore Islamophobic prejudice in the United Kingdom. I will present data from two studies with young people in the UK, and consider the broader implications of the findings from this research. While the data are from a UK sample, and the focus is on Islamophobia, the issues under investigation in fact resonate with broader theoretical questions in the social sciences about the interplay between identity and prejudice.