Immigration, Religion and Integration. The case of Sikh and Filipino communities in Lombardy

Journal title EDUCATIONAL REFLECTIVE PRACTICES
Author/s Samuele Davide Molli, Maurizio Ambrosini
Publishing Year 2021 Issue 2021/1Special
Language Italian Pages 23 P. 99-121 File size 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/erp1-special-2021oa12470
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The multireligious transformation of Italy is one of the most important social phenomena following migration flows, as well as one of the most controversial issues. The article elaborates on the new pluralism and discusses the relationship between religious communities re-established by immigrants and the deriving integration processes. After a review of the international literature on the subject, the paper examines two case studies, representative of the types of religious pluralism: the case of the Sikhs in the province of Bergamo and of Filipino Catholics in the city of Milan; it works in a comparative key, and the role of religion is thus analysed for two significant experiences in terms of territorial rootage and economic participation of immigrants in Lombardy. Specifically, in the first place, the processes underlying the development of a new religious geography are reconstructed. Secondly, the different resources that religious participation provides to the Sikh and Filipino faithful are detailed; a series of helps they use in order to face the difficulties deriving from the settlement in a new context. The forms of acceptance towards these types of pluralism are then examined, and finally the civic spirit that these realities have instead developed towards the wider social reality is investigated. The article concludes by showing how religious communities, despite the difficulties encountered about their recognition, are a resource for the integration processes of immigrants, with important social repercussions also for the receiving society.

Keywords: ; Immigration; Religion; Integration; Religious Pluralism; Catholicism; Sikhism

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Samuele Davide Molli, Maurizio Ambrosini, Immigrazione, Religione e Integrazione. Il caso delle comunità sikh e filippine in Lo in "EDUCATIONAL REFLECTIVE PRACTICES" 1Special/2021, pp 99-121, DOI: 10.3280/erp1-special-2021oa12470