Anti-Muslim Racism in Media Discourse—An Uphill Battle for Learning Transformatively

This paper explores how the public and the private sphere are linked in the case of anti-Muslim racism. It helps us understand how individual assumptions can be shaped, limited and even distorted through media discourse. It illustrates how media coverage portrays Muslims and refugees in ways that reinforce stereotypes. In doing so, it unveils barriers and challenges to critically question these stereotypes and to potentially transform them. The paper begins with an analysis of how German media positions Muslim refugees and refugees from Muslim countries as a security and cultural threat to German and European societies. The analysis consists of theoretical foundations in Sociology of Discourse theory, orientalism and anti-Muslim racism as well as an overview of transformative learning. This paper helps us to better understand the negative role of media coverage in this context in an attempt to foster transformative learning.