Warum Islamwissenschaft? Eine quantitative Umfrage zu den Studienwahlgründen, Berufszielen und Einstellungen von Studierenden der Islamwissenschaft in Deutschland

This master’s thesis describes the first large-scale quantitative survey conducted among students of Islamic Studies in Germany. The survey was carried out at 20 German universities between November 2020 and February 2021. It gathered data on the students’ reasons for choosing this subject of study, their career goals, their views on Islam and on the discipline of Islamic Studies. Additionally, the survey provides information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents (gender, age, religious affiliation, political party preference, and more). After statistical analysis of the collected data, the key characteristics of the students as a group are described and visualized in diagram form. In some instances, correlations between several variables are also explored, e.g., between religious affiliation and views on Islam. Finally, the findings provide a comparison of Islamic Studies students with students of the confession-oriented, neighbouring subject Islamic theology. The aim of this study is to describe Germany’s future experts on Islam in terms of their attitudes, goals, and personal motivations and to discuss the significance of these latent characteristics for science and society. This is pursued with a special focus on the controversial history of Islamic Studies, which still leads to discussions about the appropriate self-conception of the discipline and its representatives. Thus, this research aims to contribute to a better understanding of German Islamic Studies in the present (What kind of people are attracted to the discipline? What premises and intentions do these students bring to the university?) and thereby to provide impulses for shaping the future of the field itself.