The American Islamic Community: Which Muslims are Likely to be Encouraged by Other People?

Encouragement—or expressions of support designed to instill perseverance and hope in the face of challenging circumstances—is an important concept in the strengths perspective and a central feature of social work practice. Encouragement may be a particularly significant factor for Muslims living in post-9/11 America. Yet, little research has examined this topic despite its relevance. To address this gap in the literature, this cross-sectional study employed a community sample of Muslims (N = 274) to identify which Muslims are disproportionately likely to report receiving expressions of support from other people. The results of the logistic regression indicated that Muslims who were single, Middle Eastern, non-Sunni, and frequent Mosque attenders, were more likely to receive expressions of support compared to those who were married, European American, Sunni, and less frequent Mosque attenders. Conversely, Muslims without a 4-year college education and born aboard were less likely to receive express...