Twelfth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The theory of Moral Cosmology according to Starks and Robinson (2009) explains the formation of political opinions by an individual’s adherence to either religious orthodoxy or modernism. That is their religious beliefs, belongings, and behaviors. This author hypothesizes that the theory of Moral Cosmology under values the role of ethnic attachment or cultural embedded-ness in this process for immigrant groups. This paper offers a theoretical frame from which to view the changes which occur between immigrant generations as an outgrowth of the assimilation process to a new host society. Two theories that of sub-cultural identity formation and intersectionality are offered as explanative constructs for the observed immigrant changes. This paper proposes that what appear to be changes in social identity are, in actuality, changes in value actualized through reprioritizing salient subcultural identities. The accompanying reevaluation of priorities and changes in life values are themselves created by the every- day demands and decisions that the new immigrant faces as they assimilate into a new environment. Although the literature supporting this paper primarily addresses contemporary issues in the west, this author believes viewing immigrant change through these theoretical lenses is relevant to immigrant populations and receiving locations on a global scale.