The Influence of Religious Identity, Culture, and Values on the Practice of American Muslim Physicians

Wahiba Abu-Ras (), Farid Senzai, Lance Laird and Eliza Decker
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Wahiba Abu-Ras: Adelphi School of Social Work, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
Farid Senzai: Department of Political Science, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
Lance Laird: Department of Family Medicine, Boston University of Medicine, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Eliza Decker: Adelphi School of Social Work, Garden City, NY 11530, USA

Social Sciences, 2022, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: Many believe religion has no place in modern medical and professional fields. Nevertheless, recent studies show that religion remains integral to many people’s lives and professional practices, such as physicians. This study addresses the significance that American Muslim physicians (AMPs) attribute to their religious values in shaping their identity; and examines how the values held by self-identified Muslim physicians affect their medical practice, specialization, public roles, and civic engagement. This paper also discusses how complex lives may not be adequately addressed by theories of value derived from modernization theory and more normatively conceived Muslim ethical principles. Individual interviews were conducted with 62 AMPs. Grounded thematic analysis guided the processing of qualitative interview data. The results suggest that many of the AMPs’ religious values converge with shared cultural and professional values in the United States and elsewhere. The authors suggest that focusing on how AMPs articulate their values will lead to more humane professional, community, and healthcare settings. Regardless of the religious beliefs of professional providers, they should not ignore the impact of religion on their medical practice, especially since religion is still a vital part of many patients’ lives.

Keywords: religious values; culture; American Muslim physicians; medical practice; religious identity; acculturation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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