The Impact of Singlism on Mental Well-being for Unmarried Muslim American Women

This dissertation investigates singlism or the stigma, stereotyping, and marginalization of singlehood among unmarried Muslim Americans, with an emphasis on Muslim American women. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, three studies were conducted. The first quantitatively assessed how singlism varies by age and gender, revealing that women and older adults report the highest levels of singlism broadly. The second study examined the relationship between singlism and wellbeing and the role that religiosity played in that relationship. Findings suggest that there was a significant association between singlism and wellbeing, such that higher levels of singlism were associated with lower levels of wellbeing, and certain forms of religiosity were found to serve as moderators in certain instances. The third, qualitative study explored the lived experiences of singlehood and singlism among unmarried Muslim American women, comparing those actively seeking marriage to those not actively seeking. This study describes religious and sociocultural contextual dimensions of singlehood and singlism, as well as how these women navigated marriage-seeking pressure. Findings across these three studies highlight how the intersections of religion, gender, age, and culture shape singlehood and singlism and mental wellbeing. Theoretically grounded in Goffman’s stigma theory, intersectionality theory, Link and Phelan’s stigma model, and the stress coping model, this work demonstrates that singlism is socially constructed, culturally reinforced, and internalized by single Muslim Americans. This work offers a foundational framework for understanding and addressing the psychosocial and cultural challenges of singlism among Muslim Americans, urging a broader recognition of their experiences in both academic and social or communal settings.