Muslim Integration into Western Cultures: Between Origins and Destinations

39 Pages Posted: 7 Mar 2009

See all articles by Ronald F. Inglehart

Ronald F. Inglehart

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Institute for Social Research (ISR); National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow)

Pippa Norris

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS); University of Sydney

Date Written: March 1, 2009

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Human Rights, Intergovernmental Relations, International Affairs, Globalization, International Development, Political Science, immigration, muslim integration

Suggested Citation

Inglehart, Ronald F. and Norris, Pippa, Muslim Integration into Western Cultures: Between Origins and Destinations (March 1, 2009). HKS Working Paper No. RWP09-007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1354185 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1354185

Ronald F. Inglehart (Contact Author)

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Institute for Social Research (ISR) ( email )

Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248
United States

National Research University Higher School of Economics (Moscow)

Myasnitskaya street, 20
Moscow, Moscow 119017
Russia

Pippa Norris

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-495-1475 (Phone)
617-496-2850 (Fax)

University of Sydney ( email )

University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia

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