Hostname: page-component-cc8bf7c57-5wl6q Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-11T22:59:48.341Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Does Religious Attendance Increase Immigrant Political Participation?: A Case Study in Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2017

Liang Jiang
Liang Jiang*
Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Liang Jiang, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia. E-mail: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The relationship between religion and immigrant political participation has not been rigorously investigated in the literature set in Australia. In this study, I test whether religious attendance influences electoral and non-electoral participation among immigrants. Drawing on data from the 2013 Australian Election Study, I demonstrate that the impact of religious attendance on political participation may be overstated. I find that religious attendance is not significantly related to electoral and non-electoral participation among immigrants in Australia. This result may relate to three factors: the ability of religious attendance to affect immigrants’ key political resources; competition between religious and secular organizations; and the political salience of particular religious denominations within the Australian context. This study does not provide the much sought-after empirical confirmation to associational theories of political participation, but instead sounds a note of caution about the universal applicability of such theories.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 440 - 460
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

This is a revised version of a paper presented at the 2015 Conference of the Australian Political Science Association, and I would like to thank the participants on our panels at that conference. Thanks to Clive Bean, Christina Ho, and Paul Djupe for very helpful comments. I am also indebted to the anonymous reviewers and editors for their helpful comments and suggestions on the paper.

References

REFERENCES

Allison, L. 2014. “Religion and Politics: Opportunity or Threat?” www.rationalist.com.au/religion-and-politics-opportunity-or-threat (Accessed on April 14, 2016).Google Scholar
Ammann, S. L. 2015. “Is There an Attendance Effect? Examining the Causal Link Between Religious Attendance and Political Participation.” American Politics Research 43:602–624.10.1177/1532673X14533720Google Scholar
Ammerman, N. T. 1997. Congregation and Community. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.Google Scholar
Bean, C. 1999. “The Forgotten Cleavage? Religion and Politics in Australia.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 32:551–568.Google Scholar
Bean, C. 2012. “Democratic Participation in a Globalised World: Immigrants in Australia in the Early 21st Century.” Australian Journal of Political Science 47:115–131.Google Scholar
Bean, C., McAllister, I., Pietsch, J., and Gibson, R. K.. 2014. Australian Election Study, 2013. [Computer file]. Canberra: Australian Data Archive, The Australian National University.Google Scholar
Bilodeau, A. 2008. “‘Immigrants’ Voice through Protest Politics in Canada and Australia: Assessing the Impact of Pre-Migration Political Repression.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 34:975–1002.Google Scholar
Bilodeau, A., McAllister, I., and Kanji, M.. 2010. “Adaptation to Democracy among Immigrants in Australia.” International Political Science Review 31:141–165.Google Scholar
Bouma, G. 2006. Australian Soul: Religion and Spirituality in the 21st Century. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9781139168526Google Scholar
Broughton, D., and ten Napel, H.M. eds. 2000. Religion and Mass Electoral Behavior in Europe. London: Routledge.10.4324/9780203991831Google Scholar
Brown, R. K. and Brown, R. E.. 2003. “Faith and Works: Church-Based Social Capital Resources and African American Political Activism.” Social Forces 82:617–641.Google Scholar
Brown, R., and Wolford, M. L.. 1994. “Religious Resources and African American Political Action.” In National Political Science Review, ed. Holder, Matthew Jr.. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers.Google Scholar
Calhoun-Brown, A. 1996. “African American Churches and Political Mobilization: The Psychological Impact of Organizational Resources.” Journal of Politics 58:935–953.10.2307/2960144Google Scholar
Cavendish, J. 2001. “To March or Not to March: Clergy Mobilization Strategies and Grassroots Antidrug Activism.” In Christian Clergy in American Politics, eds. Crawford, Sue E. S., and Olson, Laura R.. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Dixon, R., Bond, S., Engebretson, K., Rymarz, R., Cussen, B., and Wright, K.. 2007. Research Report on Catholics Who Have Stopped Attending Mass. Fitzroy: Pastoral Projects Office, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.Google Scholar
Djupe, P. A., and Grant, J. T.. 2001. “Religious Institutions and Political Participation in America.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 40:303–314.10.1111/0021-8294.00057Google Scholar
Djupe, P. A., and Gilbert, C. P.. 2002. “The Political Voice of Clergy.” Journal of Politics 64:596–609.Google Scholar
Djupe, P. A., and Gilbert, C. P.. 2006. “The Resourceful Believer: Generating Civic Skills in Church.” Journal of Politics 68:116–127.Google Scholar
Djupe, P. A., and Gilbert, C. P.. 2009. The Political Influence of Church. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Djupe, P. A., and Neiheisel, J. R.. 2012. “How Religious Communities Affect Political Participation Among Latinos.” Social Science Quarterly 93:333–355.Google Scholar
Eggert, N., and Giugni, M.. 2011. “The Impact of Religion on the Political Participation of Migrants.” In Social Capital, Political Participation and Migration in Europe: Making Multicultural Democracy Work? eds. Morales, L., and Giugni, M.. London: Palgrave Macmillam.Google Scholar
Harris, F. 1994. “Something Within: Religion as a Mobilizer for African-American Political Activism.” The Journal of Politics 56:42–68.Google Scholar
Heath, A.F., Fisher, S. D., Rosenblatt, G., Sanders, D., and Sobolewska, M.. 2013. The Political Integration of Ethnic Minorities in Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Jacob, A. 2006. “Asian American Political Participation: Research Challenges for an Emerging Minority.” PS: Political Science & Politics 39:103–106.Google Scholar
Jacobs, D., and Tillie, J.. 2004. “Introduction: Social Capital and Political Integration of Migrants.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 30:419–427.Google Scholar
Jamal, A. 2005. “The Political Participation and Engagement of Muslim American: Mosque Involvement and Group Consciousness.” American Politics Research 33:521–544.Google Scholar
Jiang, L. 2016. “Valence Politics and Immigrant Voting in the 2013 Australian Election.” Australian Journal of Political Science 51:418–435.Google Scholar
Jones-Correa, M. 1998. “Different Paths: Gender, Immigration and Political Participation.” International Migration Review 32:326–349.Google Scholar
Jones-Correa, M. A., and Leal, D. L.. 2001. “Political Participation: Does Religion Matter?” Political Research Quarterly 54:751–770.Google Scholar
Kaldor, P., Bellamy, J., Powell, R., Castle, K., and Hughes, B.. 1999. Build My Church. Trends and Possibilities for Australian Churches. Adelaide: Openbook.Google Scholar
Lam, P. Y. 2002. “As the Flocks Gather: How Religion Affects Voluntary Association Participation.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41:405–422.10.1111/1468-5906.00127Google Scholar
Layman, G. C. 2001. The Great Divide: Religious and Cultural Conflict in American Party Politics. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Leighley, J. E., and Vedlitz, A.. 1999. “Race, Ethnicity, and Political Participation: Competing Models and Contrasting Explanations.” The Journal of Politics 61:1092–1114.Google Scholar
Lien, P.T. 2004. “Asian Americans and Voting Participation: Comparing Racial and Ethnic Differences in Recent U.S. Elections.” International Migration Review 38:493–517.10.1111/j.1747-7379.2004.tb00207.xGoogle Scholar
Lijphart, A. 1979. “Religious vs. Linguistic vs. Class Voting: The ‘Crucial Experiment’ of Comparing Belgium, Canada, South Africa, and Switzerland.” American Political Science Review 73:442–457.Google Scholar
Marschall, M. J. 2001. “Does the Shoe Fit? Testing Models of Participation for African-American and Latino Involvement in Local Politics.” Urban Affairs Review 37:227–248.Google Scholar
McAllister, I. 2011. The Australian Voter: Fifty Years of Change. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.Google Scholar
McAllister, I., and Makkai, T.. 1991. “The Formation and Development of Party Loyalties: Patterns among Australian Immigrants.” Journal of Sociology 27:195–217.Google Scholar
McAllister, I., and Makkai, T.. 1992. “Resource and Social Learning Theories of Political Participation: Ethnic Patterns in Australia.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 25:269–293.Google Scholar
McAllister, I. 2016. “Electoral Politics in the Australian Journal of Political Science: A Review.” Australian Journal of Political Science 50:639–652.Google Scholar
McClerking, H. K., and McDaniel, E. L.. 2005. “Belonging and Doing: Political Churches and Black Political Participation.” Political Psychology 26:721–734.Google Scholar
Myrberg, G., and Rogstad, J.. 2011. “Patterns of Participation: Engagement among Ethnic Minorities and the Native Population in Oslo and Stockholm.” In Social Capital, Political Participation and Migration in Europe: Making Multicultural Democracy Work?, eds. Morales, Laura, and Giugni, Marco. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Olson, L. R. 2000. Filled with Spirit and Power: Protestant Clergy in Politics. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Owen, A. L., Videras, J., and Willemsen, C.. 2008. “Democracy, Participation, and Life Satisfaction.” Social Science Quarterly 89:987–1005.Google Scholar
Pateman, C. 1970. Participation and Democratic Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511720444Google Scholar
Peterson, S. A. 1992. “Church Participation and Political Participation: The Spillover Effect.” American Politics Quarterly 20:123–139.Google Scholar
Peucker, M., Roose, J. M., and Akbarzadeh, S.. 2014. “Muslim Active Citizenship in Australia: Socioeconomic Challenges and the Emergence of a Muslim Elite.” Australian Journal of Political Science 49:282–299.Google Scholar
Rosenstone, S., and Hansen, J. M.. 1993. Mobilization, Participation and Democracy in America. New York, NY: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Saggar, S. 2000. Race and Representation: Electoral Politics and Ethnic Pluralism in Britain. Manchester: Manchester University Press.Google Scholar
Schwadel, P. 2005. “Individual, Congregational, and Denominational Effects on Church Members’ Civic Participation.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 44:159–171.Google Scholar
Sherkat, D. E., Powell-Williams, M., Maddox, G., and de Vries, K.M.. 2011. “Religion, Politics, and Support for Same-Sex Marriage in the United States, 1988–2008.” Social Science Research 40:167–180.Google Scholar
Stolz, J. 2010. “A Silent Battle: Theorizing the Effects of Competition between Churches and Secular Institutions.” Review of Religious Research 51:253–276.Google Scholar
Sobolewska, M., Stephen, D. F., Heath, A. F., and Sanders, D.. 2015. “Understanding the Effects of Religious Attendance on Political Participation among Ethnic Minorities of Different Religions.” European Journal of Political Research 54:271–287.Google Scholar
Tate, K. 1993. From Protest to Politics: The New Black Voters in American Elections. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Tresch, A., and Nicolet, S.. 2010. “Changing Religiosity, Changing Politics? The Influence of Traditional and Post-traditional Forms of Religiosity on Political Attitudes.” In Value Change in Switzerland, eds. Kriesi, H., and Hug, S.. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Verba, S., and Nie, N. H.. 1987. Participation in America: Political Democracy and Social Equality. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago PressGoogle Scholar
Verba, S., Schlozman, K. L., and Brady, H. E.. 1995. Voice and Equality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.10.2307/j.ctv1pnc1k7Google Scholar
Wald, K. D., and Calhoun-Brown, A.. 2014. Religion and Politics in the United States. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Warhurst, J. 2007. “Religion and Politics in the Howard Decade.” Australian Journal of Political Science 42:19–32.Google Scholar
Warhurst, J. 2014. “The Australian Christian Lobby Will Not Go Away.” www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=42235#.Vw9H9fl96Ul (Accessed on April 14, 2016).Google Scholar
Warren, M. E. 2001. Democracy and Association. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Wong, J. S., Lien, P. -T., and Conway, M. M.. 2005. “Group-Based Resources and Political Participation among Asian Americans.” American Politics Research 33:545–576.Google Scholar
Wong, J., Ramakrishnan, S. K., Lee, T., and Junn, J.. 2011. Asian American Political Participation: Emerging Constituents and their Political Identities. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.Google Scholar
Wuthnow, R. 1999. “Mobilizing Civic Engagement: The changing Impact of Religious Involvement.” In Civic Engagement in American Democracy, eds. Skocpol, T., and Fiorina, M.P.. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.Google Scholar
Zingher, J. N., and Thomas, M. S.. 2012. “Patterns of Immigrant Political Behaviour in Australia: An Analysis of Immigrant Voting in Ethnic Context.” Australian Journal of Political Science 47:377–397.Google Scholar