Islam and identity: a study among young German-Turks

Abstract

ABSTRACT While religiosity can help immigrants maintain their ethnic identity, some have argued that it can hinder national identification with the host country. This study looks at the relationship of religiosity with both German and Turkish identification among Germans of Turkish descent, the largest minority group in Germany. Adopting a three-dimensional conception of religiosity, it distinguishes between individual, subjective and communal forms. The results of ordered logistic regression analyses underscore a significantly positive relationship between subjective religiosity and Turkish identification. Concerning German identity, the findings do not show, in the full model, any form of religiosity having a significant relationship with German identity. The results demonstrate that not all forms of religiosity are of equal importance for identity formation. Furthermore, the findings also call into question the importance of religiosity on the identity formation of allochthonous groups, especially when compared to other factors.