RELIGION AND THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF EAST AFRICAN PROTESTANT CHRISTIAN IMMIGRANTS IN FINLAND

Abstract

Religion has been highlighted majorly in many scholarly works of sociologists as a key component of social integration. As people migrate from their countries of origin to different countries, they are often faced with difficulties of adapting into the new host society. As much as a lot of emphasis has been put on religion to be a positive influence in the process of social integration, it is not always the case. This article sought to point out the role of religion in social integration of protestant Christian immigrants in Finland as both a facilitator for social integration and a hindrance to social integration with focus on the experiences of East African Protestant Christian immigrants. Religious beliefs of the immigrants from respective countries of origin and the religiosity of the Finnish society serve as a foundation for the immigrant’s settlement and integration into the host society. This study described the process of social integration in a two dimensional approach whereby the first approach focused on the positive role of religion in immigrants integration and secondly the hindrance of religion in social integration. The study found out that religion is a major link in social integration and that it can facilitate social integration and as well hinder social integration, depending on the position it occupies within a host society. Such findings go a way to provide explanations as to why societies are different and why it is easy for religious immigrants to settle in certain societies than others.