The words of a researcher, who affirmed Monday that 73% of Muslim women would like to leave Quebec, caused a stir. But the study, published this Thursday, is disapproved by experts, who believe that the methodology is “problematic”.
The stories of racism or the desire to leave Quebec described in the study “are phenomena that exist,” immediately specifies Claire Durand, professor of methodology in the department of sociology at the University of Montreal. “They did not invent their interviews, they did not invent their polls. But we cannot say that this represents the situation of Muslim women at the moment in Quebec. »
Earlier this week, The duty reported remarks made by Nadia Hasan, assistant professor at the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at York University, before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. “My studies show that more than 73% of Muslim women in Quebec plan to leave the province,” she said.
Now, Mme Hasan should have clarified that this percentage only concerned Muslim women who were consulted by the three co-signatories, indicates Mme Durand. Bruno Marien, who teaches statistics and methodology in the political science department at the University of Quebec in Montreal, is of the same opinion.
A “militant” selection
Both experts are categorical, the sample is not representative. Not necessarily because of the number of respondents (411), but rather because of the “mode of recruitment of the target population”, which was done “in environments which are more likely to be activists”, explains Mme Durand.
Muslim women who responded to the survey were recruited in three ways. The firm Abacus Data drew “from an existing pool of survey participants in Quebec”, to which 750 people responded, 48.7% of whom were men. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCMC) shared a call for participation on social media, and the research team conducted an “in-person recruitment strategy” with “more than 20 organizations.” “Poll booths” were also set up at “community events,” such as “religious gatherings and social activities.”
“It can be quite difficult to draw a representative sample of Muslim women in Quebec. But it cannot be recruited in mosques and Muslim community organizations,” maintains Mme Durand.
“Regarding the integrity of the methodology and our community approach, I am completely confident in the way in which we proceeded,” retorts Mme Hasan, specifying that the research team did not go to “activist spaces as such, but places where Muslim women could be found”. The fact remains that photos of women brandishing signs against Bill 21 appear on a poster used to “promote the study”.
“When Muslim women do research on Muslim women, it’s called ideology, but when non-Muslims do research on Muslim women, often using the same methods, it’s considered legitimate. »
The fact that Mme Hasan was, until July 2023, head of operations of the CNMC, does not prevent him “from doing things correctly [son] work,” nuance M. Marien. The one who was project manager at Statistics Canada emphasizes that the researchers clearly indicated who financed and commissioned the study. “We see that they tried to pay attention to certain things,” says M.me Durand. “What we should not do is sensationalize. »
A vague link with Law 21
According to the two professors, the study also does not make it possible to demonstrate a “clear” link between the attacks suffered by Muslim women and Law 21, at least, without having access to the questionnaire, which was not integrated into the ‘study. “Has the process already started with the Charter of Values, or even with the crisis of reasonable accommodation”, questions Mme Durand.
She also believes that certain questions are “biased”, such as one asking whether Muslim women have “suffered more microaggressions because of Bill 21”. “We call this asking respondents to answer our research question. There is an ideology [derrière]it’s clear, it’s not hidden,” says Mme Durand.
For his part, Mme Hasan claims not to have made public the questionnaire, which she describes as “complex”, so as not to “confuse” readers. It also indicates that all the questions were rooted in the period of adoption of Law 21, but were “simplified” in the report.
“I supervise research before publication and before presentation to committees. I wouldn’t have signed. I wouldn’t want my name to be associated with that,” says Mr. Marien.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.