Social Openness, Social Control and the Integration of Muslim Immigrants

• Applicant: Dr. Conrad Ziller, since 10/2020
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research ; Political Science
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 439200663

The number of immigrants to Germany has increased substantially during the past years. The public and academic discourse has largely focused on the structural integration of immigrants into educational institutions and the labor market. Cultural integration or acculturation – that is, the adjustment of attitudes and values to the majority population – has received less scholarly attention. Previous research has found systematic differences exist between Muslim immigrants and members of Western host society with regard to average levels of attitudes towards gender roles and pluralism. Empirical studies also find that in the course of integration Muslim immigrants exhibit both tendencies towards more egalitarianism and increasing traditionalism. This polarization can be partly explained by differences in educational levels and detainment in traditional ethnic milieus. However, the effects of social environments in neighborhoods and communities on socio-cultural attitudes of Muslim immigrants have not yet been systematically investigated. The research project “Social Openness, Social Control and the Integration of Muslim Immigrants” examines how neighborhood social control and social openness affect processes of socio-cultural integration among Muslim immigrants, especially with regard to attitudes towards gender equality and pluralism. Building on research on (Muslim) immigrant integration and neighborhood effects, we assume that neighborhoods with a high degree of social control and, at the same time, a high degree of social openness promote acculturation processes. To test these and other assumptions empirically, we will conduct a survey of Muslim immigrants and majority members of the host society in neighborhoods of selected German cities. The survey is designed as a panel study (2 waves), which enables investigating of temporal developments and the estimation of robust empirical relationships. The results will provide information on which neighborhood and community factors promote the integration of immigrants.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Hans-Jürgen Andreß, until 10/2020 (†)