Secularization or a Return to Religion? The Religiosity of Immigrants and Their Descendants

Abstract

Like most European societies, France has become a predominantly secular country. Moreover, with the affirmation of the political creed of laïcité in the last decade, the expression of religion in public life, Islam especially, is under a strict scrutiny. The trends towards more secularism vary greatly, however, across religious denominations: not only are people educated in a Christian family more likely than the others to report not having a religion, but they also report a lower level of religiosity. Conversely, religious reproduction is more prevalent in Muslim’s families, and levels of religiosity are much higher among self-reported Muslims. This chapter analyses original data from the TeO survey, one of the few French surveys to provide detailed information on religious affiliation and its transmission among families. We compare the situation of Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and non-affiliated people, and discuss trends in religiosity over time. We also cover the specificities of social relations and intermarriage among religious groups, and develop an analysis of the link between religion and experiences of discrimination and exclusion.