Religion, Migration and Society

Migration has been one of the most powerful forces shaping the religious landscape of modern Britain and other Western societies. The movement of people across national and cultural boundaries brings with it the movement of religious beliefs, practices, and institutions, creating both opportunities for enrichment and sources of tension. The AQA specification requires you to understand the impact of migration on religious diversity, the challenges and benefits of multiculturalism, and the experiences of diaspora communities.

Key Definition: Diaspora — a community of people who live outside their country of origin but maintain connections to their homeland's culture, religion, and identity. Examples include the Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, and Jewish communities in Britain.

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Migration and Religious Diversity in Britain

Britain has a long history of religious diversity, but the major transformation occurred after the Second World War (1945) and accelerated with the arrival of migrants from former British colonies in the Caribbean, South Asia, and East Africa.

Key Waves of Migration

Period	Origin	Main Religions Brought
1940s-1960s	Caribbean (Windrush generation)	Christianity (Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic)
1950s-1970s	South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh)	Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam
1960s-1970s	East Africa (Uganda, Kenya)	Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam
1990s-2000s	Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East	Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox), Islam
2010s-present	Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea (refugees)	Islam, Christianity

The result is that Britain is now one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. According to the 2021 Census, major religious groups include Christians (46.2%), Muslims (6.5%), Hindus (1.7%), Sikhs (0.9%), Jews (0.5%), and Buddhists (0.5%), alongside a significant and growing "No religion" category (37.2%).

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Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is both a demographic reality and a political philosophy. As a philosophy, it holds that cultural and religious diversity should be positively valued and that the state should accommodate different cultural practices, rather than requiring all groups to assimilate to a single dominant culture.

Key Definition: Multiculturalism — the view that a society should recognise, respect, and accommodate the cultural and religious diversity of its members, rather than seeking to impose a single uniform culture.

Arguments For Multiculturalism

• It respects individual and group rights to religious and cultural expression.
• It enriches society through the sharing of different traditions, cuisines, festivals, and perspectives.
• It promotes social cohesion by giving minority groups a stake in society.

Arguments Against Multiculturalism

• Critics argue that it can lead to parallel communities that do not integrate, undermining social cohesion.
• David Cameron (2011) declared that "state multiculturalism has failed," arguing that it had encouraged separatism rather than shared values.
• Trevor Phillips (2005), then head of the Commission for Racial Equality, warned that Britain was "sleepwalking to segregation."
• Some feminists argue that multiculturalism can be used to justify practices that oppress women within minority communities.

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Tariq Modood: Multiculturalism and Integration

Tariq Modood (b. 1952) is one of the most important scholars of multiculturalism and religion in Britain. In Multiculturalism: A Civic Idea (2007), Modood argues for a form of multiculturalism that goes beyond mere tolerance of diversity. He advocates for "multicultural citizenship" — a model in which ethnic and religious minorities are fully included in the public and political life of the nation, while being free to maintain their distinct identities.

Modood distinguishes between:

• Assimilation — minorities abandon their own culture and adopt the majority culture.
• Integration — minorities adapt to the majority culture while retaining key elements of their own.
• Multiculturalism — the majority culture also changes to accommodate minority groups, creating a shared but diverse public culture.