The Importance of Peers: Assimilation Patterns among Second-generation Turkish Immigrants in Western Europe

The dominant approaches to immigrant assimilation—segmented and ‘new’ assimilation theories—analyse differences in assimilation across immigrant groups. However, neither adequately addresses variation within groups because nearly all the variables usually used to explain variation are best at addressing between-group differences. The exception is family-level variables, specifically parents' educational attainment, income and occupational status. However, it is unlikely family effects on their own can explain assimilation outcomes for individuals. We argue peer effects are an important explanatory variable for cultural and economic assimilation. We examine data from The Integration of the European Second Generation survey, looking at second-generation Turkish immigrants across Western Europe. We find peers substantially affect cultural and economic assimilation, effects not predicted by either dominant theory of immigrant assimilation.