Becoming Adults As Part of a Religious Minority: Comparing and Contrasting Local Policies and Generational Attitudes

The paper will discuss ways and means of managing religious identity in the transition from the first to the second generation through an investigation in various European immigration cities, which are internationally recognized as privileged areas in the field of intercultural policies and the promotion of the dynamics of religious coexistence (Turin, Barcelona, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Berlin). Through an in-depth qualitative study with a random sample of 50 foreign and/or foreign-born young people who identify themselves as Muslims (balanced by gender, origin from Morocco, Senegal and Egypt and mainly students or already in the labor market, aged between 20 and 29) and 15 privileged witnesses belonging to the first generation, the dynamics of religious socialization in migration are presented. By comparing the two points of view, I enable the comparison of the modus vivendi of being Muslim in a context where Islam is a minority religion and where the dual affiliation of Muslims and children of immigrants/immigrants’ descendent is likely to lead to discriminatory practices and dynamics. The findings show that young people develop strategies for adapting their religious identity to everyday life that lie between attempts at ethnic identification and practices of secularization, while the first generation seeks legitimization of their parental authority through the next generation's adherence to religious values.