Elite and popular religiosity among Dutch-Turkish muslims in the Netherlands

Abstract

The purpose of this study was

to examine and understand the beliefs and practices of Dutch-Turkish Muslims

from the perspective of elite and popular religiosity, exploring the

characteristics of both kinds of religiosity and the various sociological consequences, thereby considering the demographic and socio-economic factors in relation to both in the context of the plural society of the Netherlands. The design of the present study has been shaped by a ‘mixed-methods’ approach, in which quantitative and qualitative methods are merged into one research project. This theoretical and empirical study yielded the result that the forms and motivations of high religiosity vary across different groups. Based on the findings of this study, out of the total group of participants who experienced high religiosity, six out of ten participants experienced popular religiosity, while only two out of ten experienced elite religiosity. I also found that respondents who experienced popular religiosity were less open and friendly towards other religions. Moreover, men who experienced popular religiosity had reduced views on the equality and rights of women compared to men who experienced elite religiosity. It also turned out that participants who experienced popular religiosity expressed more (racial/ethnic) prejudice, and showed more conservative in-group attitudes than participants who experienced elite religiosity.