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Overview

I am Research Fellow in British Muslim Studies at Cardiff University’s Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK.  I am a mixed methods (QUANT-QUAL) researcher. My research interests include labour market inequalities, migration, and the everyday lives of British Muslims.

I completed my PhD as a Jameel Scholar at the Islam-UK Centre in 2018. My doctoral research examined the reasons behind high levels of economic inactivity among Muslim women in Britain using  mixed methods which included a statistical analysis and qualitative research.

I have been affiliated with the Islam-UK Centre since 2008, having worked as a researcher on two of the Centre’s past research projects: Religious Nurture in Muslim Families, and the Social Cohesion and Civil Law Project - both funded by the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Research Programme.

In my current role, I lead a project team developing an online course (MOOC) on ‘Understanding Muslim Mental Health’. Generously funded by the Jameel Research Programme, this project aims to facilitate better understandings of experiences of mental health illness among health professionals and religious pastoral care providers who work in contexts of British Muslim communities (e.g. mental health nurses, imams, chaplains, counsellors).

Between 2020-21 I worked in the Department of Sociological Studies at The University of Sheffield, as a post-doctoral research associate on  the ‘Everyday Bordering’ project. Working as part of a research team, I conducted co-produced and ethnographic research on the impact of the hostile environment on the work of social care practitioners with migrant families.

Alongside my academic research experience, I have worked as a freelance research consultant on a number of practice and policy based projects for public and third sector organisations.

Publication

2023

2022

2019

2018

2017

  • Scourfield, J., Gilliat-Ray, S., Khan, A. and Otri, S. 2017. Learning to be a Muslim. In: Strhan, A., Parker, S. G. and Ridgely, S. B. eds. The Bloomsbury Reader in Religion and Childhood. London: Bloomsbury Academic, pp. 123-130.

2014

2013

2012

2011

2008

Articles

Book sections

Books

Monographs

Thesis

Research

Publications

2020

Walsh, J. and Khan, A. (2020) Collaborative research: the potential of COVID contingencies. Sociological Studies Research Blog, September 2020. https://socstudiesresearch.com/2020/09/28/collaborative-research-the-potential-of-covid-contingencies/

2017

Scourfield, J., Gilliat-Ray, S., Khan, A. and Otri, S. 2017. Learning to be a Muslim. In: Strhan, A., Parker, S. G. and Ridgely, S. B. eds. The Bloomsbury Reader in Religion and Childhood. Bloomsbury, pp. 123-130.

2014

Douglas, G., Doe, N., Sandberg, R., Gilliat-Ray, S., and Khan, A. 2014. In: Religious Divorce in England and Wales: Religious Tribunals in Action. Shah, P. et al. eds. Family, Religion and Law: Cultural Encounters in Europe. London: Ashgate.

2013

Scourfield, J., Gilliat-Ray, S., Khan, A. and Otri, S. 2013. Muslim Childhood: Religious Nurture in a European Context. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Scourfield, J., Warden, R., Gilliat-Ray, S. and Khan, A. 2013. Religious nurture in British Muslim families: Implications for social work. International Social Work 56(3), pp.326-342.

Sandberg, R., Douglas, G., Doe, N., Gilliat-Ray., S and Khan, A. 2013.  Britain's Religious Tribunals: "Joint Governance" in Practice. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 33(2), pp. 263-291.

2012

Khan, A. et al. 2012. Reflections on Qualitative Research with Muslim Families. Fieldwork in Religion 7(1), pp. 48-69.

Chimba, M., De Villiers, T., Davey, D. and Khan, A. 2012. Protecting Black and Minority Ethnic Children: An Investigation of Child Protection Interventions. Available at: http://bawso.org.uk/assets/Uploads/Files/PDF/Bawso-BME-Report-Nov-2012-v3-Web.pdf

2011

Douglas, G, Doe, N, Gilliat-Ray, S, Russell, S. and Khan, A. 2011.  Marriage and Divorce in Religious Courts: A Case Study. Family Law September (2011) 41, pp. 956-961.

Douglas, G., Doe, N., Gilliat-Ray, S., Russell, S. and Khan, A. 2011.  Social Cohesion and Civil Law: Marriage, Divorce and Religious Courts:  Report of a Research Study funded by the AHRC.June 2011.  Available at:  http://orca.cf.ac.uk/10788/

2008

Khan, A. et al.  2008. The Prawn Sandwich Will Live Forever:  Learning to Innovate in Commercial Sandwich Production’, Learning as Work Research Paper, No. 17, May 2008.  Available at:  http://learningaswork.cf.ac.uk/outputs.html

Conference Papers

As invited speaker (national recognition)

Khan, A. 2018. Migration, Marriage and Motherhood: Understanding the Economic Inactivity of Pakistani Women in Britain. 30/01/2018. CoDE Seminar, CMIST, University of Manchester.

Khan, A. 2017. Reflections on Establishing and Maintaining Fieldwork Relationships As An Insider-Outsider Within a British Muslim Community. 25/04/2017. Postgraduate Research Methods Workshop, University of Cambridge.

Khan, A. 2015. Response to keynote by Professor Anthony Heath: Religion and Poverty in the UK. Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Oxford University

Khan, A and Scourfield, J. 2010.  Muslim Childhood.  Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK Public Lecture Series. 07/03/2010. Cardiff University,

Other conference papers

Khan, A. 2021. ‘Barkat’ and ‘Majboori’ (Blessings and Necessity): The Impact of Religious Beliefs and Practices on High Levels of Economic Inactivity Amongst British Muslim Women. Annual Conference of the Sociology of Religion Study Group, British Sociological Association (online).

Khan, A. & Walsh, J. 2021. Reimagining Borders: The limitations and possibilities of everyday practice interactions. Annual Conference of the British Sociological Association (online).

Khan, A. 2017. Intersections of religion, gender and migrant Status in areas of high Muslim and co-ethnic density. 01/09/2017. Conference of the European Sociological Association, Athens.

Khan, A. 2017. Experiences of Second Generation British Muslim Women in Education in the 70’s and 80’s.   12/04/2017. BRAIS Annual Conference, Chester University.

Khan, A. 2017. The experiences of first and second generation Pakistani women in areas of high Muslim and co-ethnic density. 29/03/2018. MBRN Annual Conference, Leeds University.

Khan, A. 2016. The Economic Inactivity of Muslim Women in Britain: Measuring the Impact of Religiosity and Social Capital 26/08/2016. Conference of the European Sociological Association, Prague

Khan, A. 2012. Protecting BME Children: An Investigation of Child Protection Interventions.  British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Annual Conference.  Queens University Belfast, 16th April 2012.

Khan, A. and Gilliat-Ray, S. 2011. Religious Courts and Religious Communities.  Britain’s Religious Courts Symposium. 18/05/2011. Cardiff Law School, Cardiff University.

Khan, A. 2010. Critical Reflections on Researching Religious Nurture. 29/03/2010. Innovative Methods in the Study of Religion Conference, AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme and Norface Religion Programme,  London.

Khan, A. 2008. Inter-generational Transmission of Religion in British Muslims. Encounters and Intersections: Religion, Diaspora and Ethnicities Conference. 11/072008. St Catherine’s College, Oxford.

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

I will deliver two guest lectures on the ‘Living Islam’, level-5 module for Year 2 Religious and Theological Studies students during the Autumn Semester of 2021.

I have delivered a number of guest lectures relating to socio-economic inequalities among British Muslims for undergraduate courses at both Cardiff University and The University of Sheffield.

Biography

Management and Leadership

  • 2021- to date. Member of management committee for the Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Diversity Research Group (MEAD), Cardiff University
  • Executive Committee Member for the Muslims in Britain Research Network (MBRN), 2020-to date
  • Co-chair of Covid Realities Reflection Group, Department of Sociological Studies, The University of Sheffield. 2020-21

Honours and awards

  • 2013 - awarded Jameel scholarship for Ph.D. study
  • 2012 – awarded scholarship to study for MSc. in Social Change at the Institute of Social Change, Manchester University

Professional memberships

  • Member of British Sociological Association (Sociology of Religion sub-group)
  • Member of Muslims in Britain Research Network
  • Member of the European Sociological Association

Work Experience

Current work: Research Fellow in British Muslim Studies. Principal Investigator: ‘Understanding Muslim Mental Health’. School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University.

2020-2021 Research Associate: Everyday Bordering in the UK Project. Department of Sociological Studies, The University of Sheffield.

2011-2012 Research Associate: Confidential Inquiry into the premature deaths of people with learning disabilities. School for Policy Studies, Bristol University

2007-2011 Research Associate at Cardiff University, projects include:

  • Social Cohesion and Religious Courts Project, Cardiff Law School
  • Religious Nurture in Muslim Families Project, School of Social Sciences
  • Learning as Work Project, School of Social Sciences

Consultancy on Externally Funded Projects (research and analysis)

2019 Evaluation of Fostering Wellbeing Programme. Funder: The Fostering Network.

2019 Domestic Abuse Needs Assessment, Salford. Funder: Salford City Council.

2012 ‘Muslim Childhoods’, Digital Storytelling Project. Funder: AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme.

2011 Protecting Black and Minority Ethnic Children: An Investigation of Child Protection Interventions. Funder:  National Institute for Social Care and Health Research.

2011 Torfaen Complex Families Project. Funder: Torfaen County Borough Council.

2010 Changing Lifestyles Project Evaluation. Funder:  Big Lottery Fund.

Contributions to the Field

  • Peer review for Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
  • Peer review for the Children and Families Series, Bristol University Press.
  • Peer review for Ethnicities Journal