EURISLAM conference Workshop on socio-cultural integration (identification acceptance and perceived out-group distance) 20 June 2012

1. Wednesday 20 June 2012, 14h30-15h30
workshop group 1 (studio 1, Flagey)
Workshop socio-cultural integration:
identification, acceptance and perceived
outgroup distance
Dirk JACOBS
Université Libre de Bruxelles

2. Education and socio-professional inclusion
are key to identification and acceptance
Empirical fact in survey results:
Educational level and socio-professional inclusion are important triggers for
national identification by Muslims in Europe. Furthermore, the lower
educated and jobless among the non-Muslims show less acceptance of
Muslims as fellow citizens.
Challenge:
How can we further stimulate and safe-guard socio-economic and
educational inclusion of both Muslims and non-Muslims in order to
enhance social cohesion, particularly in these times of financial and
economic crisis and state budget cuts?

3. Including the Turkish diaspora
Empirical fact in survey results:
The Turkish Muslims in Europe have relatively lower feelings of identification
to their countries of residence (and higher feelings of identification with
their country of origin) than other groups. This is particularly the case in
Germany.
Challenge:
What role can/should Turkish community organisations play in
strengthening identification to the country of residence?
Should Europe perhaps embrace the Fetullah Gülen mouvement, which
stresses the importance of education and intercultural dialogue?

4. Perceived group distance to out-groups
Empirical fact in survey results:
The distance the four ethnic Muslim groups perceive towards the majority
population, is overall less than the perceived distance the majority
population perceives towards the Muslims groups.
Challenge:
Policies to stimulate dialogue should not only target Muslims, but also the
majority population, since they perceive far more cultural distance than
the Muslim groups.

5. Perceived distance to out-group with regard values taught
to children
Perceived distance to outgroup regarding values taught to children
(score “% quite similar + %very similar”) for different countries
DE CH UK BE
National majority 29,9% 39,9% 22,7% 39,8%
Ex-Yugoslavian 58,0% 60,8% 37,2% 60,4%
Turkish 26,9% 37,6% 32,3% 27,9%
Moroccan 52,2% 39,6% 34,8% 50,6%
Pakistani 45,5% 47,6% 56,1% 45,4%
- The lower the percentage, the higher the perceived cultural difference
- Majority group often perceive more distance than Muslim groups

6. Perceived distance to out-group with regard to division of
labour in the household
Perceived distance to outgroup regarding division of labour in household
(score “% quite similar + %very similar”) for different countries
NL DE CH UK BE FR
National majority
18,7% 11,5% 18,1% 5,9% 12,9% 24,0%
Ex-Yugoslavian
60,9% 54,9% 62,6% 33,8% 55,7% 60,3%
Turkish
47,2% 29,8% 40,5% 32,5% 30,6% 43,2%
Moroccan
52,1% 60,8% 59,0% 37,8% 59,0% 48,0%
Pakistani
40,8% 40,0% 55,6% 19,8% 43,4% 49,6%
- The lower the percentage, the higher the perceived cultural difference
- Majority group often perceive more distance than Muslim groups

7. Perceived distance to out-group with regard to the role of
religion in society
Perceived distance to outgroup regarding role of religion in society
(score “% quite similar + %very similar”) for different countries
NL DE CH UK BE FR
National majority
28,8% 16,2% 22,3% 7,0% 16,5% 29,8%
Ex-Yugoslavian
48,8% 48,5% 50,0% 34,7% 53,4% 56,0%
Turkish
29,1% 14,0% 29,3% 27,6% 16,2% 25,5%
Moroccan
26,6% 31,6% 40,5% 24,3% 31,8% 26,8%
Pakistani
28,4% 22,5% 35,5% 15,4% 28,3% 36,3%
- The lower the percentage, the higher the perceived cultural difference
- Majority group often perceive more distance than Muslim groups (smaller in
France and the Netherlands)

8. Perceived distance to out-group with regard to sex before
marriage
Perceived distance to outgroup regarding sex before marriage
(score “% quite similar + %very similar”) for different countries
DE CH UK BE
National majority group 15,7% 24,9% 5,2% 20,3%
Ex-Yugoslavia group 43,0% 53,4% 36,4% 37,9%
Turkish group 10,9% 24,8% 21,6% 8,1%
Moroccan group 33,2% 34,3% 45,6% 22,1%
Pakistani group 17,1% 25,9% 11,3% 17,7%
- The lower the percentage, the higher the perceived cultural difference
- Majority group often perceive more distance than Muslim groups

9. Perceived distance to out-group with regard to freedom of
speech
Perceived distance to outgroup regarding freedom of speech
(score “% quite similar + %very similar”) for different countries
NL DE CH UK BE FR
National majority group 38,5% 32,1% 38,7% 17,3% 32,2% 45,7%
Ex-Yugoslavia group 53,3% 67,2% 67,9% 43,7% 70,0% 69,3%
Turkish group 43,5% 39,3% 42,5% 40,6% 32,1% 53,0%
Moroccan group 49,2% 64,7% 74,5% 46,6% 63,1% 56,1%
Pakistani group 36,7% 55,7% 64,1% 35,4% 53,5% 57,5%
- The lower the percentage, the higher the perceived cultural difference
- Majority group often perceive more distance than Muslim groups

10. Perceived distance out-group
Perceived distance out-group (OLS)
Ref: B Std. β t Sig. • The higher a regression
France/Majority Error coefficient, the higher the
(Constant) 8,895 0,221 40,233 0,000 perceived distance
United Kingdom 1,148 0,107 0,199 10,752 0,000 • Perceived distance highest in
Belgium 0,763 0,110 0,124 6,959 0,000 UK, followed by the
Netherlands 0,846 0,115 0,131 7,363 0,000 Netherlands, Belgium,
Germany 0,670 0,106 0,116 6,317 0,000 Germany and lowest in
Switzerland and France
Switzerland 0,214 0,108 0,036 1,992 0,046
• Muslim groups preceive less
Ex-Yugoslavian -1,935 0,113 -0,313 -17,090 0,000
distance than the majority
Turkish -0,553 0,108 -0,103 -5,124 0,000 group
Pakistani -0,968 0,121 -0,152 -8,008 0,000 • Men perceive less distance
Moroccan -1,481 0,117 -0,250 -12,657 0,000 than women
Male -0,259 0,062 -0,057 -4,151 0,000 • Higher educated and people in
Age 0,006 0,002 0,041 2,868 0,004 a job perceive less distance
Education in years -0,037 0,009 -0,060 -4,261 0,000 • People with strong religious
(Self)employed -0,091 0,064 -0,020 -1,427 0,154 identification perceive more
Religious difference
identification 0,184 0,029 0,101 6,335 0,000 • Negative experiences lead to
Bridging social higher perceived distance
capital -0,099 0,010 -0,174 -10,399 0,000 • Bridging social capital leads to
Experience less perceived distance
hostilities 0,251 0,069 0,051 3,655 0,000