Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Demographic Portraits

257 anonymous American female converts to Islam · University of Georgia · IRB-approved

Figure 5

Geographic Distribution

257 Respondents
40+
States & territories
represented
257
Women across the U.S.
and worldwide
1
Nation — many
voices, one study
Respondents came from across the continental United States, plus Hawaii and Puerto Rico — reflecting the geographic breadth of Muslim women's conversion experiences nationwide.
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 10

Age at the Time of Conversion

257 Respondents
The majority of women converted in their twenties and thirties — 63% between ages 20 and 34.
25–34
n = 90
35%
20–24
n = 72
28%
16–19
n = 42
16%
35–44
n = 26
10%
45–54
n = 12
5%
55–64
n = 8
3%
Less than 16
n = 6
2%
65+
n = 1
<1%
Largest group
Second group
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 6

Race & Ethnicity

257 Respondents
Caucasian or White
n = 136
53%
African American or Black
n = 51
20%
2+ Races or Ethnicities
n = 37
14%
Hispanic or Latina
n = 17
7%
Other
n = 9
4%
Asian
n = 6
2%
Native American
n = 1
<1%
Largest group
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 8

Belief Prior to Conversion

257 Respondents
76.3% identified as Christian before converting — making prior Christian belief the overwhelming majority experience.
Christian
n = 196
76.3%
Agnostic
n = 13
5%
Other
n = 18
7%
Atheist
n = 7
2.7%
Jewish
n = 10
3.9%
None
n = 10
3.9%
Buddhist
n = 3
1.2%
Dominant belief
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 9

Branches of Christianity
Prior to Conversion

196 Christian respondents
Protestant
n = 124
63.26%
Roman Catholic
n = 58
29.6%
Anglican
n = 5
2.55%
Mormon
n = 3
1.53%
Unitarian Universal
n = 3
1.53%
Seventh Day Adventist
n = 2
1.02%
Jehovah's Witness
n = 1
0.51%
Largest group
Of 196 prior Christians · Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 14

Branches of Islam

257 Respondents
Over half of respondents identify as Sunni. Nearly 1 in 4 blend traditions — Sunni-Sufi, Sufi, or other combinations.
Sunni
n = 133
51.75%
Other
n = 34
13.25%
Sunni-Sufi
n = 29
11.28%
Sufi
n = 27
10.5%
Shi'a
n = 16
6.25%
Nation of Islam
n = 6
2.33%
Shi'a-Sunni
n = 4
1.55%
Shi'a-Sufi
n = 4
1.55%
Nation of Islam-Sunni
n = 2
0.77%
Shi'a-Sunni-Sufi
n = 2
0.77%
Dominant tradition
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 7

Highest Level of Education Completed

257 Respondents
A highly educated group — 58% hold a Bachelor's degree or higher, including 26% with a Master's or Ph.D.
B.A. / B.S.
n = 81
32%
M.A. / M.S.
n = 68
26%
Some College
n = 42
16%
A.A. / A.S.
n = 29
11%
High School or GED
n = 13
5%
Trade School
n = 15
6%
Ph.D.
n = 9
4%
Largest group
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 13

Length of Time as a Muslim

257 Respondents
Respondents represent a wide range of experience — from new converts to women who have been Muslim for 20+ years.
0–3 years
n = 66
25%
4–7 years
n = 56
22%
20+ years
n = 46
18%
12–15 years
n = 36
14%
8–11 years
n = 33
13%
16–19 years
n = 20
8%
Most recent converts
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 11

Marital Status at Time of Conversion

257 Respondents
55% were single, never married at the time of their conversion — the majority converting as single women.
Single, never married
n = 141
55%
Married w/ children
n = 23
9%
Divorced
n = 22
9%
Divorced w/ children
n = 23
9%
Married w/out children
n = 18
7%
Single w/ children
n = 13
5%
Engaged
n = 11
4%
Separated
n = 6
2%
Largest group
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

Figure 12

Current Marital Status

257 Respondents
At the time of the survey, 57% were married — a significant shift from the 55% who were single at the time of conversion.
Married w/ children
n = 101
39%
Single, never married
n = 35
14%
Married w/out children
n = 46
18%
Divorced w/ children
n = 26
10%
Divorced
n = 27
10.5%
Single w/ children
n = 8
3%
Engaged
n = 10
4%
Widow
n = 2
0.75%
Separated
n = 2
0.75%
Largest group
Feeling Muslim Study · 2014

How to Cite This Research

APA (7th ed.)

Evans, K. N. (2015). Feeling Muslim: Prolegomena to the study of American female converts to Islam [Master's thesis, University of Georgia]. UGA Electronic Theses & Dissertations.

Chicago (17th ed.)

Evans, Karla Nicole. "Feeling Muslim: Prolegomena to the Study of American Female Converts to Islam." Master's thesis, University of Georgia, 2015.

MLA (9th ed.)

Evans, Karla Nicole. Feeling Muslim: Prolegomena to the Study of American Female Converts to Islam. Master's thesis, University of Georgia, 2015.

A Note on the Data All figures presented here are drawn from the original 2014–2015 survey of 257 American female converts to Islam, conducted as part of the M.A. thesis research at the University of Georgia under IRB-approved protocol. Data collection, research design, and analysis were conducted by Karla Nicole Kovacik (formerly Evans). The survey remains the only known study of this scope focused specifically on the psychological and sociological dimensions of Muslim identity formation among American female converts.