This monograph considers the Catholic/Christian religious identity of young immigrants within the migratory diasporas in Southern Europe. It details important ethnographical work on various groups, such as the family, ethnic communities, and peers. The author also considers the role of institutional figures in mainstream society. These include teachers, administrators, and social workers. This valuable research material helps readers to better understand the viewpoint of young people (especially the children of immigration) in relation to various environments which are important in their lives.
The investigation examines theoretical and practical questions regarding the study of relations between religion and migrations. It pays particular attention to both the youth perspective and the effects of the current refugee crisis on the perception of religious diversity and identity. Coverage also looks at similarities and differences between young migrant and their native peers. Inaddition, three case studies further help illustrate the main points of the author's argument.
The book uses preliminary research carried out in Italy. It also features interviews collected in Portugal and Spain. Those interviewed include people with migratory background who are permanent residents, belong to the second generations, or are recently-arrived asylum seekers. Overall, the author provides readers with an interesting and innovative portrait of children of immigrants and their relations with faith in the post-secularized Europe: indeed, by considering both academic debates and original empirical data, the book offers the possibility of reframing the link between migrations and religious identities.
Roberta Ricucci is Associate Professor at the University of Turin, dept. of Culture, Politics and Society, where she teaches Sociology of Inter-ethnic Relations and Sociology of Islam. She is also senior researcher at FIERI - International and European Forum of Migration Research and member of the international networks IMISCOE (international Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion). She has wide and varied experience of research on immigration issues, both at national and international levels. Her recent research has generally been focussed on migration phenomena, immigrant children and second generations, investigating, especially among Muslims, their identity-building process and religiousness.
