I identify, therefore I participate : How social identification relates to the political participation among Muslim immigrant-origin individuals in Western Europe

The focus of this dissertation is the association between social identification and the political participation of Muslim immigrant-origin individuals in Western Europe. We know that social minority identities can influence one's political participation, but the exact circumstances are not always clear. Identifying with a social minority group (e.g. Turkish, Islamic) does not always affect individuals’ political participation. It also does not affect political participation under all circumstances, for all forms of political participation, or for all groups that are compared. It is therefore all the more important to systematically explore the circumstances under which minority identifications affect political participation of minority groups. The author explores immigrant-origin individuals’ origin country and religious identification, and how these relate to political participation systematically at three levels: micro, meso and macro. Drawing from social-psychology, political science and migration studies, the author creates a comprehensive multidisciplinary theoretical framework. This provides tools to contextualize the link between social identification and political participation and allows to better tease out the exact circumstances under which minority identifications affect political behavior.