Is there assimilation in minority groups' national, ethnic and religious identity?

Abstract

Ethnic and religious minority identity is a subject of intense public debate and academic scrutiny. While assimilation theories anticipate convergence of identity across the generations, discussions of reactive ethnicity, transnational identification and religious revival suggest that there may be a deepening or shifting of minority identity in the second generation. Yet the empirical evidence in support of these different perspectives is far from conclusive. Drawing on a rich data source for the UK, this paper addresses the question of whether minority ethnic groups in Britain show identity assimilation in the second generation. It concludes that both public and private forms of identification with the majority increase across generations, and minority identities tend to become less salient. This is true across ethnic groups, although there are differences in underlying levels and patterns of identity, reflecting variation in contexts of reception and migration.

Keywords:

• ethnicity
• identity
• religiosity
• generation
• UK
• national identity

Notes

1. As the issue of pan-ethnicity is treated in a different chapter in this volume, I do not consider it here.

2. Full tables available from author on request.

3. Full tables available from author on request.

4. Tables available from author on request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lucinda Platt

LUCINDA PLATT is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Quantitative Social Science at the Institute of Education, University of London