Late modernity is characterized by a relativized sense of belonging. At the same time, we have seen an increase in religious identification, specifically of identity claims based on religious membership. This paper’s aim is to engage in some introductory reflections to examine the consequences for States' efforts to integrate their citizenry.
Regarding individuals, it will try to see whether a strong identification with a religious community constitutes an obstacle to integration, or, conversely, whether it can promote such integration.
With regards to States, it will examine the degree to which the various contemporary democratic efforts to manage pluralism find themselves threatened by religious identity claims.
We will focus our discussion on the evolution in ‘societies of Republican functioning that share an universalist vision of citizenship.What drew our attention is the way that ‘societies’, and in particular French society, have shifted their ways of reacting to and managing religious identity claims.
