Integration and Citizenship: Experiences of Dutch Muslim Youth

The purpose of this study is to look into the experience of second generation Muslim youth in the Netherlands to see to what extent they regard themselves as full Dutch citizens, and whether being Muslim acts as barrier to social integration and citizenship. The Study used the “Life Story Interview” method on five second generation Muslim youth to answer the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that the interviewees, who were mostly university students, considered themselves as socially integrated and did not regard their religion to have been an obstacle to social mobility, which they believed is a direct result of educational attainment. Nonetheless, it appears that they did not see themselves to have achieved full Dutch citizenship because they are not recognized as such by some segments of the native Dutch society. These findings lend support to the assertions by the Swiss Muslim theologian, Professor Tariq Ramadan that it is no longer useful to focus on the factor of social integration when dealing with the problems of second generation Muslim youth in Europe, rather, it is more appropriate to focus on creating a sense of citizenship through being a contributing member of society.