Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains intergroup relationships between Muslim minorities and natives in Western Europe, also termed social integration. It looks at marital and non-marital relationships and differentiates between relationships with members of different ethnic and religious groups. In order to investigate the role of religion and family for intergroup relationships in Western Europe, the book rely on four datasets: the EURISLAM Survey, the Six Country Immigrant Integration Comparative Survey (SCIICS) survey, Host Culture adoption and Ethnic Retention among Turkish Immigrants and Their Descendants in France, Germany, and the Netherlands and a survey of opinions and attitudes among youth in Brussels. Socio-psychological theories emphasize individual preferences. Here the book encounters the concept of homophily, which assumes that people with similar values and attitudes are likely to become involved with each other.