Ethnicity and Religion Sociology

The UK is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. Christians represent the biggest religious group, while Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs are also significant in numbers.

Most Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs are from ethnic minority groups, while many Christians are Afro-Caribbean. British Muslims are often of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage, while Sikhs and Hindus are usually of Indian heritage.

There have been many immigrants to the UK from Ireland and Eastern Europe, Poland for example. They are predominantly Roman Catholics and participate in religious activities in high numbers.

O’Beirne (2004) found that Muslims, Hindus, and Black Christians determine religion to be a significant factor in their identity. Muslims regard religion as being equally important in their identity formation as their family, while African-Caribbeans and Black Africans on average cite religion as the third-most significant facet of their identity. In contrast, white Christians rarely attribute any importance to their religion in their identity.

Statistics show that Christianity, the Church of England in particular, is a predominantly white religion. Black Christians are more likely to be active churchgoers than White Christians, and they comprise the majority of Pentecostal church membership. Roman Catholics are often from White Irish or Eastern European backgrounds.

Sociologists argue that there are four main reasons for the higher level of religious involvement among minority ethnic groups. We will look at the relationship and the difference of these explanations.

Steve Bruce (2002) claimed that religion can be a source of emotional support for those who live in an uncertain, often hostile, new cultural environment.

Bird (1999) held that individuals of a cultural minority can find a community and a sense of home through religion. These religious communities provide space for the preservation of the minority culture and language in an oppressive, sometimes racist atmosphere.

Most ethnic minority migrants in Britain came from rather traditional, religious societies; religion has helped these migrants cope with the practical and emotional difficulties of adjusting to a new culture. Religious institutions provide a sense of community and a common cause for all their followers.

According to cultural transition theory, once a community has settled into a new environment, their religiosity gradually decreases. Third and fourth generation immigrants are more integrated and therefore less likely to be as religious as their parents and grandparents.

Max Weber drew a connection between religiosity, ethnicity, and poverty (1920). He claimed that ethnic minorities usually experience higher levels of social and economic deprivation, and living in poverty eventually turns them towards religion. This is because religious faith can provide guidance and support in difficult circumstances.

Neo-Marxists, led by Otto Maduro, claim that religious institutions, thanks to their economic independence, can generate revolutionary change for society's oppressed. Neo-Marxists have observed that the resistance of ethnic minorities to their exploitation was often based in religious institutions. (The Neo-Marxist explanation applies more to the US than to the UK.)