This essay examines the role of migrants’ participation in religious rituals within the host society, focusing on its implications for processes of social inclusion and integration. Drawing on the findings of a qualitative empirical study conducted in the Genoa metropolitan area between April and June 2024, based on approximately twenty semi-structured interviews with migrants belonging to different religious denominations, the paper adopts a relational sociological perspective to reconstruct the forms and meanings of social relations generated through religious practice in a migratory context. The study is situated within the broader framework of contemporary migration processes, characterized by growing diversification in both countries of origin and religious affiliations, and it takes into account the main confessional distributions present in Italy. Particular attention is paid to places of worship as relational and socialization spaces, where religious belonging frequently intersects with ethnic and national identities. The analysis shows that the choice of places of worship and the languages used in religious services is far from neutral, responding instead to needs for understanding, recognition, and symbolic protection. These choices significantly affect processes of inclusion within religious groups, while at the same time shaping the degrees of openness toward the surrounding social environment. Empirical findings indicate that participation in religious rituals holds a strong identity-related significance for migrants and often represents one of the main - sometimes the only - arenas of social life beyond family and work. In this sense, religious practice emerges as a key factor of social inclusion, understood as a condition of belonging to a group in which individuals feel welcomed and recognized. In addition to this function, places of worship may operate as material and symbolic resources, fostering support networks, access to information and opportunities, and the formation of social capital. The relationship between religious participation and integration into the host society appears more complex and ambivalent. The article shows that integration depends on a combination of factors, including the degree of openness of religious communities, the role of religious leaders, the presence of social activities alongside purely religious ones, and the ability to establish relationships that extend beyond ethno-religious boundaries. From this perspective, religious contexts may generate both bonding social capital, reinforcing internal group ties, and bridging social capital, facilitating connections with the wider society. Specific attention is devoted to gender differences and to the transnational dimensions of the migratory experience. Women, in particular, emerge as key actors in processes of religious and cultural transmission, while often facing structural constraints in accessing places of worship. Virtual relations, although crucial for maintaining family and friendship ties with countries of origin, appear to play a more limited role in transnational religious practice, which remains largely rooted in the local context of settlement. In conclusion, the article argues that participation in religious rituals responds to migrants’ strong need for social inclusion but does not, in itself, guarantee integration into the host society. Nevertheless, it may represent a significant precondition for broader processes of social integration, provided that religious contexts are themselves inclusive and capable of fostering a dual sense of belonging - both to the religious group and to the pluralistic society in which migrants live.
Il contributo analizza il ruolo della partecipazione dei migranti ai riti religiosi nel contesto della società di accoglienza, interrogandosi sulle sue possibili implicazioni in termini di inclusione sociale e integrazione. A partire dai materiali di una ricerca empirica qualitativa condotta nell’area genovese tra aprile e giugno 2024, basata su circa venti interviste semi-strutturate a migranti appartenenti a differenti confessioni religiose, l’articolo adotta una prospettiva sociologica di tipo relazionale per ricostruire le forme e i significati delle relazioni sociali che si sviluppano attraverso la pratica religiosa in un contesto migratorio. La ricerca si colloca nel quadro dei fenomeni migratori contemporanei, caratterizzati da una crescente diversificazione dei Paesi di origine e delle appartenenze religiose, e tiene conto delle principali distribuzioni confessionali presenti in Italia. L’attenzione è rivolta in particolare ai luoghi di culto come spazi di relazione e di socializzazione, nei quali la dimensione religiosa si intreccia frequentemente con quella etnica e nazionale. L’analisi mette in luce come la scelta del luogo di culto e della lingua utilizzata nelle celebrazioni non sia neutra, ma risponda a esigenze di comprensione, riconoscimento e protezione simbolica, incidendo sui processi di inclusione nei gruppi religiosi e, al tempo stesso, sulle possibilità di apertura verso il contesto sociale circostante. Dalle interviste emerge che la partecipazione ai riti assume per i migranti una forte valenza identitaria e costituisce spesso uno dei principali – talvolta gli unici – ambiti di vita sociale, oltre alla famiglia e al lavoro. In questo senso, la pratica religiosa appare come un importante fattore di inclusione sociale, intesa come appartenenza a un gruppo nel quale è possibile sentirsi accolti e riconosciuti. Accanto a questa funzione, i luoghi di culto possono operare anche come risorse materiali e simboliche, favorendo la costruzione di reti di supporto, l’accesso a informazioni e opportunità e la creazione di capitale sociale. Più ambigua risulta invece la relazione tra partecipazione religiosa e integrazione nella società di accoglienza. L’articolo mostra come tale processo dipenda da una pluralità di condizioni: il grado di apertura dei gruppi religiosi, il ruolo svolto dai leader, la presenza di attività sociali collaterali, nonché la capacità di stabilire relazioni che vadano oltre i confini etnico-religiosi. In questa prospettiva, i contesti religiosi possono generare sia forme di bonding sociale, rafforzando i legami interni al gruppo, sia forme di bridging, favorendo connessioni verso l’esterno. Un’attenzione specifica è dedicata alle differenze di genere e alle dinamiche transnazionali dell’esperienza migratoria. Le donne, in particolare, emergono come figure centrali nei processi di trasmissione religiosa e culturale, pur incontrando limiti strutturali nell’accesso ai luoghi di culto. Le relazioni virtuali, sebbene rilevanti per il mantenimento dei legami familiari e amicali con i Paesi di origine, appaiono meno centrali nella pratica religiosa transnazionale, che rimane prevalentemente radicata nel contesto locale. In conclusione, l’articolo sostiene che la partecipazione ai riti religiosi rappresenta una importante risposta al bisogno di inclusione dei migranti, ma non costituisce di per sé una garanzia di integrazione nella società di accoglienza. Essa può tuttavia diventare una premessa significativa per processi di integrazione più ampi, a condizione che i contesti religiosi siano essi stessi inclusivi e capaci di promuovere una duplice appartenenza: al gruppo religioso e alla società pluralistica nella quale i migranti vivono.
Migranti e partecipazione ai riti religiosi, tra inclusione ed esclusione, isolamento e integrazione: note da una ricerca empirica nell’area genovese
Agostino Massa
2026-01-01
Abstract
This essay examines the role of migrants’ participation in religious rituals within the host society, focusing on its implications for processes of social inclusion and integration. Drawing on the findings of a qualitative empirical study conducted in the Genoa metropolitan area between April and June 2024, based on approximately twenty semi-structured interviews with migrants belonging to different religious denominations, the paper adopts a relational sociological perspective to reconstruct the forms and meanings of social relations generated through religious practice in a migratory context. The study is situated within the broader framework of contemporary migration processes, characterized by growing diversification in both countries of origin and religious affiliations, and it takes into account the main confessional distributions present in Italy. Particular attention is paid to places of worship as relational and socialization spaces, where religious belonging frequently intersects with ethnic and national identities. The analysis shows that the choice of places of worship and the languages used in religious services is far from neutral, responding instead to needs for understanding, recognition, and symbolic protection. These choices significantly affect processes of inclusion within religious groups, while at the same time shaping the degrees of openness toward the surrounding social environment. Empirical findings indicate that participation in religious rituals holds a strong identity-related significance for migrants and often represents one of the main - sometimes the only - arenas of social life beyond family and work. In this sense, religious practice emerges as a key factor of social inclusion, understood as a condition of belonging to a group in which individuals feel welcomed and recognized. In addition to this function, places of worship may operate as material and symbolic resources, fostering support networks, access to information and opportunities, and the formation of social capital. The relationship between religious participation and integration into the host society appears more complex and ambivalent. The article shows that integration depends on a combination of factors, including the degree of openness of religious communities, the role of religious leaders, the presence of social activities alongside purely religious ones, and the ability to establish relationships that extend beyond ethno-religious boundaries. From this perspective, religious contexts may generate both bonding social capital, reinforcing internal group ties, and bridging social capital, facilitating connections with the wider society. Specific attention is devoted to gender differences and to the transnational dimensions of the migratory experience. Women, in particular, emerge as key actors in processes of religious and cultural transmission, while often facing structural constraints in accessing places of worship. Virtual relations, although crucial for maintaining family and friendship ties with countries of origin, appear to play a more limited role in transnational religious practice, which remains largely rooted in the local context of settlement. In conclusion, the article argues that participation in religious rituals responds to migrants’ strong need for social inclusion but does not, in itself, guarantee integration into the host society. Nevertheless, it may represent a significant precondition for broader processes of social integration, provided that religious contexts are themselves inclusive and capable of fostering a dual sense of belonging - both to the religious group and to the pluralistic society in which migrants live.
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