Who’s the Real Terrorist: Stigmatizing Labels and the Changes in Attitude Towards the Labelling Country among Pakistani Youth in Foreign Countries

Objectives. The primary objective of the present study was to identify various negative labelsused against Pakistani Muslim immigrants in foreign countries by the natives of those countriesand the changes that occurred in the attitudes of the labelled victims due to those labels.Additionally, the research also aims to investigate the consequent actions that the labelled victimsperformed as a result of those negative labels and extending the already established labellingtheory even further.Method. The final study sample comprised of eighteen Pakistani Muslim immigrants gatheredbefore saturation point, using a theoretical sampling technique. A multiple grounded theorymethod was selected based on the objective of adding newer information to an already developedtheory. A semi-structured interview protocol was used as the main tool for data collection whichwas completed in four phases, each phase consisting of five interviews with three in the last. Athree-step coding including open, axial and selective coding, was used on transcribed data whichwas transformed into categories, themes and sub-themes using a thematic analysis method.Results. The findings of the study included three main categories including the labels used,changes in attitudes and the consequent actions due to labelling; along with their respective set ofthemes and sub-themes. Additionally, the findings did proposed possible addition of newerperspective in the labelling theory.Conclusion. This study not only achieved its study objectives but also highlighted an importantprevalent issue of terrorist labelling against Pakistani Muslim immigrants in foreign countries.The study also successfully suggested newer areas for future researchers to conduct studies andfurther expand on the labelling theory.