One Conception of Secularism for All? A Comparison of Conceptions of Laïcité among Nonbelievers, Catholics, and Muslims in France

Abstract

In European countries, a large number of people feel that Islam is incompatible with secularism. France's legal principle of laïcité (a type of state “secularism”) has governed the relationship between religion and society since 1905. However, recent research suggests that there coexist two distinct lay conceptions of laïcité that differ most notably in their tolerance for the presence of religious symbols in public places, one inclusive, the other restrictive. This latter conception appears to target mainly Muslims. The present research examined the lay conceptions of laïcité held by Catholics, Muslims, and nonbelievers. Analyses of participants’ responses (N = 375) to a scale measuring lay beliefs about laïcité confirmed the existence of two distinct lay conceptions of laïcité that differed in the importance given to public expression of religious beliefs, religious neutrality of the state, and equal treatment of different religions. The results also showed that, independent of participants’ religiosity, the restrictive conception was more prevalent among nonbelievers, the two conceptions were equally prevalent among Catholics, and the inclusive conception was more prevalent among Muslims.

Rejecting Muslim minority practices

“…Secularism entails the idea that religious interference in state and public affairs should be limited in order to preserve the neutrality of public institutions (Copson, 2017). Hence, secularism is related to favoring restrictions on religious expression in public institutions while supporting religious freedom in private contexts (Berg, 2019;Cohu et al, 2020;Imhoff & Recker, 2012). Several studies provided evidence that those who more strongly endorse secular values are more likely to reject Muslim religious practices, independently of prejudicial feelings towards Muslims (e.g., Aarøe, 2012;Breton & Eady, 2015).…”