Muslim Performing Artists Archieven

Career Trajectories and (In)Formalization

Does the career of Cat Stevens exemplify the trajectories of Muslim performing artists? Their grappling with the relationship between art and Islam reflect orientations to the (dis)embedment of Islam in culture. Drawing upon (in)formalizing behavioral regimes (Elias and Wouters), the encountered phase of intensified formalization involves the emancipation from destabilized environments by means of stricter manners. While the accommodationism thesis of Roy suggests an internationally dominant position of disembedment, the situation seems reversed among British and North-American Muslim artists.

Conversion Strategies and the Power to Define

Among social scientists, there seems to be a tendency to focus especially on Muslim performing artists — and Muslims in general —, who display (obvious) religiosity in their expressions. But not all artists are inspired by the trend toward greater piety. The theories of process and relational sociology may provide alternative insights that prevent regarding Muslims as culturally considerably different from other cultured human beings.