Are there generational differences in ethnic and religious attachment among Muslim minorities in the Netherlands? To answer this question, we assess patterns of ethnic and religious identity and practice as well as their interrelation among Dutch Turks and Moroccans. Classical assimilation theories predict a decline in ethnic attachment over generations, but are less clear on consequences of migration on religious attachment. We use quantitative analysis to test propositions among first and second generation minorities (N 01,861). Our data indicate that the second generation reports weaker ethnic and religious identities, and engages less in ethno-cultural and religious practices. We do find, however, that religious and ethnic identity become increasingly related for the second generation. These differences can only partly be accounted for by differences in education, employment and life course events.
Against the background of contrasting religious versus secular norms in immigrant communities and in Dutch society, this study examines how religious identity expression is related to the social integration of Dutch Muslims within (a) Turkish or Moroccan minority groups and (b) Dutch majority groups. Using nationally representative survey data (N = 2,027), we distinguish religious identification from religious practice (worship and dietary practices) and assertion (support for the role of religion in politics and society) as different forms of religious expression. Structural equation models confirm that minority group contact supports and, conversely, majority group contact suppresses religious practice and assertion. In line with religion as social identity, this result is partly because Dutch Muslims with more minority contacts identify more strongly with their religion, whereas those with more majority contacts identify less strongly. As found in a social capital approach, social integration also directly influences religious expression, especially within the most cohesive Turkish minority group.
This research note focuses on Muslim minorities living in a secular context, the Netherlands. The question is whether mosque attendance among Turkish-and Moroccan-Dutch changed between 1998 and, testing mechanisms of religious decline and religious vitality. Elaborating on previous research of the same Muslim groups, this study examines a longer time span and adds contextual-level explanations. Whereas previous research reported a linear trend towards secularization over time and over generations, in recent years the trend has become more complex. The revival of religious attendance among the second generation is most striking. Forces of secularization such as educational attainment and generational replacement gradually lose their predictive power. Over time, processes of secularization are therefore not inevitable. 1 We also assessed the trend for religious attitudes, but for reasons of brevity, we will only report the findings on mosque attendance because outcomes were comparable.
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