Muminah Hussain
Thesis: 'Muslim Women of South Asian Origin: Diversifying Representation of Female Migrant Communities in Britain between 1960-1990'.
Contact Details
Email: Muminah.Hussain@warwick.ac.uk
LinkedIn: Muminah Hussain
Supervisory Team:
Dr Simon Peplow, Professor Sariya Cheruvavill-Contractor (University of Coventry)
Research Biography
As a first-year doctoral researcher, my study focuses on examining the everyday lived practices of Muslim female communities who migrated to Britain in the late twentieth century. Underpinned by both a feminist and postcolonial historiography, I will use primary sources and oral history interviews with first generation South Asian Muslim women to analyse themes of identity, agency, representation and autonomy.
The intersection between religious and cultural identity remains vital to the foundation of my research. As such my focus on the South Asian Diaspora will provide both a rich and nuanced investigation into how and why communities create and uphold cultural values, furthermore what role this can play in identity construction in a new and unfamiliar environment.
This project will endeavour to illustrate the necessity in documenting the stories of pioneering generations, such as the Muslim Female community, with faith remaining a vital source of inquiry into lived practices and norms. Only by actively engaging with these stories through narrative and oral history, can we as historians dismantle any challenges that remain in bridging the gap between minority communities and their representation in the academic sphere.
Research Interests
- Oral History
- Religion identity and Representation
- Gender and power
- Ethnicity and Migration
- Feminist 'Herstories'
Conferences
The Politics of Motherhood: Maternalism, Maternity and Mothering' - Upcoming, February 2026
Presentation:
Mothers as the first teachers: the legacies of first-generation Muslim mothers who migrated to Postwar Britain.
'Muslims in Britain, 1800‒1970, and Beyond: Historical Approaches & Why' - July 2024
Presentation:
Muslim women of Pakistani Origin: Representation and Personal Agency in late 20th Century Britain.
Academic Career
2025-2029: PhD in History, University of Warwick
- Thesis: 'Muslim Women of South Asian Origin: Diversifying Representation of Female Migrant Communities in Britain between 1960-1990'.
2023-2024: MA in Islamic Studies, University of Birmingham (Distinction)
- Thesis: 'Ramadan through a Gendered Perspective: The case of Barbadian Women and Menstruation'.
2020-2023: BA(Hons) in History and Politics, University of Warwick (First Class)
- Dissertation: 'Muslim women of Pakistani Origin: Representation and Personal Agency in late twentieth century British Society'.