Religiously flexible: Acculturation of second-generation Muslims in Europe

Second-generation Muslims who follow their faith and feel discriminated against tend to maintain their heritage culture and distance themselves from the culture of the country where they grew up, setting the conditions for psychosocial maladjustment. Yet some second generation do find ways to adopt the mainstream culture while remaining attached to their heritage culture. To explain these contradictory observations, we investigated how second-generation Muslims manage to be part of both mainstream and heritage culture although their religion is commonly regarded as incompatible with Western values. To do this, we examined the role of flexibility in existential quest (EQ) in the acculturation of second-generation Muslims. Our hypothesis was that second generation integration is fostered by their ability to be flexible on EQ, which allows them to reflect on cultural and religious issues and to create a safe psychological place where they can practice their faith without feeling they need to withdraw from mainstream society. Two samples of second-generation Muslims, one from Italy (N = 240) and one from Belgium (N = 209), completed an online questionnaire. A multi-group structural equation model was tested. Religiosity, perceived discrimination, and sociodemographic variables were also considered. We noted a positive association between EQ and mainstream culture only for the Italian sample. Our findings suggest that flexibility on EQ is one aspect of the acculturation of second-generation Muslims and that it can provide a resource for coping with the challenge of growing up under dual cultural pressures.