Impact of the Headscarf Ban Policy on the Identity Development of Part-Time Unveilers in Turkish Higher Education

This qualitative study examines the impact of the Turkish higher education headscarf ban policy on the plural self-identities (i.e., as Turkish citizens, as Muslims, and as females) of part-time unveilers, female students who cover their hair in their private life but who remove the headscarf (or conceal it to appear unveiled) while at a Turkish university in deference to the policy. Findings indicate the headscarf ban seems to challenge, undermine, and make more difficult the development of the plural self-identities of these women and appears to encumber them with significant psychological challenges (e.g., managing guilt, anxiety, and fear).