Narrating Religious Discrimination in Regulated and Unregulated Spaces

Instances of religious discrimination are not always clear, ranging from overt acts to subtle microaggressions. While research distinguishes these types, we know little about how the physical context shapes these experiences. Drawing on 44 in-depth interviews with victims of religious discrimination, drawn from a national U.S. survey sample, we examine how narratives of religious discrimination vary across regulated spaces (with formal rules and boundaries, such as workplaces/airports) and unregulated spaces (such as parks and sidewalks). We find that victims felt more uncertain about whether an incident constituted discrimination in regulated spaces. Conversely, they expressed greater certainty and fear regarding incidents in unregulated spaces. These findings shift the focus from the individual to the context of discrimination, highlighting the power of place in shaping how discriminatory interactions are experienced. This expands the field beyond workplace studies on discrimination, comparing how the nature of the physical place itself shapes the victim’s experience.