Muslim Integration into Western Cultures

Posted by Celia Walter | 10 Jun, 2009

Muslim Integration into Western Cultures: Between Origins and Destinations
Source: Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Faculty Research Working Paper Series

To what extent do migrants carry their culture with them, and to what extent do they acquire the culture of their new home? The answer not only has important political implications; it also helps us understand the extent to which basic cultural values are enduring or malleable; and whether cultural values are traits of individuals or are attributes of a given society. Part I considers theories about the impact of growing social diversity in Western nations. We classify two categories of society: ORIGINS (defined as Islamic Countries of Origin for Muslim migrants, including twenty nations with plurality Muslim populations) and DESTINATIONS (defined as Western Countries of Destination for Muslim migrants, including twenty-two OECD member states with Protestant or Roman Catholic majority populations). Using this framework, we demonstrate that on average, the basic social values of Muslim migrants fall roughly mid-way between those prevailing in their country of origin and their country of destination. We conclude that Muslim migrants do not move to Western countries with rigidly fixed attitudes; instead, they gradually absorb much of the host culture, as assimilation theories suggest.

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Muslim communities in the UK and USA. From Intute.ac.uk

Posted by Celia Walter | 3 Feb, 2009
Situation of Muslims in the UK, The
This website allows access to the full-text of 'Monitoring Minority Protection in EU Member States: The Situation of Muslims in the UK'. The report was written by Tufyal Choudhury of the University of Durham and was published by the Open Society Institute in 2002. The work looked at the factors that have hindered British Muslims' integration into the wider society and identified ways on how this difficulty could be addressed by policy makers. It contains the following chapter headings: Executive Summary; Background; Minority Protection: Law and Practice (subheadings include - Protection from discrimination; Protection from religiously and racially motivated violence; and Minority rights); Institutions for Minority Protection; and Recommendations. The work is presented in PDF and would therefore require Adobe Acrobat Reader for access.
http://www.eumap.org/reports/2002/eu/international/sections/uk/2002_m_uk.pdf
 
Immigration, faith and cohesion : evidence from local areas with significant Muslim populations
This website provides the full-text of 'Immigration, Faith and Cohesion: Evidence from Local Areas with Significant Muslim Populations' (ISBN: 9781859356388). The print version of the work was published in 2008 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. This report, which was prepared by Hiranthi Jayaweera (University of Oxford) and Tufyal Choudhury (University of Durham), aimed to explore the factors that affect community cohesion in Britain and the role that faith communities play in this. The study focuses on three local urban areas with high numbers of Muslims living alongside those from other religious traditions namely the Borough of Newham in London, Birmingham and Bradford. The report is presented under these chapter headings: Introduction; Research Methods and Sample Characteristics; Equality and Discrimination; Neighbourhoods, Localities and Interactions; Political and Civic Engagement; Transnational Involvement and Belonging in Britain; Findings from Interviews with Policy-Makers and Practitioners; and Conclusion. The document is presented in PDF and would require Adobe Acrobat Reader for access.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2189-immigration-faith-cohesion.pdf
 
Muslims in the EU cities report : United Kingdom
This website allows readers to access the full-text of 'Muslims in the EU Cities Report: United Kingdom (Preliminary Research Report and Literature Survey)'. It was commissioned by the Open Society Institute's EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP) to provide a review of available research on Muslims in the United Kingdom. The work, which was published in 2007, was prepared by Serena Hussain (University of Leeds) and Tufyal Choudhury (University of Durham). The materials are divided into three parts. Part I looks at the situation of Muslims in Britain and analyses issues like the patterns of Muslim migration in Britain; identity; education; employment; housing; health and social protection; policing and security; and participation and citizenship. Part II examines the perception of Muslims, their potrayal by the British media and the issue of integration. Part III reviews the situation in 6 British cities with a large Muslim constituency namely Cardiff, Glasgow, Leicester, Oldham, Middlesborough and Waltham Forest. The bibliography contains a number of hyperlinks that connect readers to the resources cited. The report is presented in PDF and would require Adobe Acrobat Reader for access.
http://www.eumap.org/topics/minority/reports/eumuslims/background_reports/downlo
 
Muslim Americans : middle class and mostly mainstream
This website allows access to the full-text of 'Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream'. The report was commissioned by the Pew Research Center and was published in 2007. It was led by Scott Keeter and aimed to gather information on the demographics, attitudes and experiences of Muslims in America. The results are presented under the following chapter headings: How many Muslims are there in the United States?; Who are the Muslim Americans? A demographic potrait; Religious belief and practice; The Muslim experience: identity, assimilation and community; The Muslim experience: challenges, worries and problems; Political and social values; Foreign policy, terrorism, and concerns about extremism; and Survey methodology. The report is presented in PDF and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader for access.
http://pewresearch.org/assets/pdf/muslim-americans.pdf
 
Understanding and appreciating Muslim diversity : towards better engagement and participation
This website takes visitors to the online version of 'Understanding and Appreciating Muslim Diversity: Towards Better Engagement and Participation'. The print version of this report was published in April 2008 by the Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo), Futures Institute at the University of Coventry. It was prepared by Nadeem Baksh, Ted Cantle, Judith Lempriere and Daljit Kaur. The work had sought to help local agencies with their social cohesion and inclusion policies by studying the differences between and within the many Muslim communities in contemporary Britain. These include exploration of factors like theological affiliation; ethnicity; national origins; culture; and class and generational issues. The report is organised under the following section headings: Introduction; A Framework for Understanding Diversity; and Policy and Practice at a Local Level: Effective Engagement. It is presented in PDF and would require Adobe Acrobat Reader for access.
http://www.cohesioninstitute.org.uk/resources/Publications/Muslim%20Diversity%20

Muslim women talk Wales project report
This website allows access to the full-text of 'Muslim Women Talk Wales', available in PDF and as a Word document. The report, which was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government, was published on the 11th of July 2006. It investigated the concerns of and issues confronting Muslim women who live and/or work in Wales. In so doing, it had aimed to establish better communications and understanding between them and the government and policy makers in Wales. It aimed also to assist the latter to comply with the spirit and letter of the National Assembly for Wales Race Relations Scheme 2005-2008. The research and report were undertaken by Monica Mahoney and Shahien Taj on behalf of the All Wales Saheli Association.
http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/equality/research/muslimwomen/?lang=en

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