Social Representations and the Threat to Worldview: A Socio-psychological Perspective on Islamophobia

In the field of Social Psychology, the study of prejudice has received substantial attention, with a growing subset of literature focusing on Islamophobic prejudice. Various models of prejudice have been developed, each with their own proponents and critics. This chapter proposes an integrative theoretical framework that draws upon multiple perspectives including Social Identity Theory (SIT), Intergroup Threat Theory (ITT), Essentialism, Social Representations Theory (SRT), and Terror Management Theory (TMT) to comprehensively explore the origins of Islamophobia and its increasing prevalence in Western societies. By combining these perspectives, this approach aims to provide a more holistic understanding of prejudice than any single theory could offer. Central to this integrated approach is the role of existential motivation as outlined by TMT. While this emphasis on TMT as a central framework might not universally resonate with all social psychologists, we argue for its inclusion for several reasons. TMT addresses epistemic and existential motives such as uncertainty and the need for meaning, while also directly considering the impact of terrorism on the development of Islamophobia. TMT’s insights into the dynamics of social identity, particularly in cases like national identity, where groups are considered eternal, add depth to understanding prejudicial attitudes. Furthermore, TMT sheds light on the escalation and de-escalation of conflict and prejudice, making it uniquely suited to explaining phenomena like Islamophobia. In this chapter, we provide an overview of TMT’s core tenets and discuss how other socio-psychological theories can complement TMT’s framework. By interfacing TMT with essentialism, social representations, and identity theories, we explore how the motivations of self-esteem and meaning play pivotal roles in driving Islamophobia and potential pathways for escalating or de-escalating conflicts between Islam and the West. This comprehensive approach addresses the anxiety-buffering functions of essentialism, social representations, and identity, offering a multifaceted understanding of prejudice. Ultimately, our integrated approach suggests that combining insights from various theories holds promise for effectively mitigating prejudice towards Muslims.