Archives and the Event of Islamophobia: A Case Study of the English Defence League

Abstract

Islamophobia, a term increasingly found in contemporary discourse at both the academic and popular level, has been studied from a variety of stances. Whether political, economic, psychological, anthropological or otherwise, emerging research on Islamophobia has proliferated with a focus on public perceptions of Islam in a post-9/11 era. While these studies on Islamophobia have been empirical in nature throughout this relatively short history, they lack a methodological avenue that has yet to be explored. It is in this context that my MA Essay fills a significant gap in previous scholarship by offering a new theoretical framework through the lens of French philosopher Michel Foucault.