Negative social representations of Islam and Muslims among Czech lower-secondary pupils: Constructing the Muslim “other”

This article examines negative social representations of Islam among lower-secondary school pupils in Prague, Czechia, drawing on Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism. Despite growing research on media representations of Islam and the teaching of controversial issues, research examining how lower-secondary pupils in Central and Eastern Europe construct understandings of Islam remains limited. The study investigates whether Islam is perceived through Orientalist narratives that construct it as a cultural “Other” and explores the factors shaping pupils’ perceptions. Data were collected from 88 pupils aged 11–15 through mind maps, drawings, a short questionnaire, and follow-up group discussions. The materials were analysed using qualitative thematic coding informed by negative social representations. The findings reveal negative social representations associating Islam with terrorism, violence, the oppression of women, and cultural backwardness. References to 9/11 and gender inequalities were particularly prominent. Pupils contrasted a modern and progressive West with a culturally different Muslim world, reproducing Orientalist dichotomies. While television, school, and social media emerged as the main sources of information about Islam, direct contact with Muslims was associated with more nuanced and positive perceptions. The study contributes to understanding how pupils in a Central European context construct negative social representations of Islam and religious difference.