Exploring (In)Visible Religious Identities in Multicultural Classrooms: A Qualitative Analysis from Italian Schools

Religion plays a crucial but controversial role in shaping the identities of immigrants, particularly\r\namong immigrant-origin youths, and in influencing interethnic relations in host societies. However, social\r\nsciences have often forgotten and underestimated the religious dimension in understanding intergroup\r\ndynamics. Assuming that education could be a relevant public space to observe and deepen these\r\nprocesses, the study aims at analyzing the complex role of religion in shaping the identities of children of\r\nimmigrants, affecting their free, open, and/or timorous expressions in multicultural, public, and educational\r\nenvironments. The study presents a qualitative analysis of seven focus groups involving seventy-four\r\nadolescents (aged 11–14) in Northern Italy, as a part of a research project promoted by the Università\r\nCattolica del Sacro Cuore. The analysis of these qualitative data allows for the exploration of the collective\r\nstrategies used by students to express (and/or conceal) their religious identity, examining the emergence\r\nof religion as a source of personal and social belonging with an emotional significance. The study aims to\r\nanswer the question: Under what conditions can public education facilitate the expression of religious\r\nidentity as a resource for inclusive education? The analysis suggests that concealing religious identities,\r\navoiding conflicts, or transmitting ambiguous messages about religious identity would not eliminate the\r\nrisk of cultural clashes and violent conflicts. The study posits that public education could benefit from the\r\nstrategy of visibility used by some immigrant-origin students, who employ positive words, good\r\nexperiences, and social emotions to enhance interreligious relationships in multicultural settings.