Why size matters: Majority/minority status and Muslim piety in South and Southeast Asia

Abstract

The differences in the socio-economic outcomes of majorities and minorities have been well studied in sociology. This article breaks new ground by investigating the effect on religiosity of majority/minority status in two Muslim-majority and two Muslim-minority countries of South and Southeast Asia. Religiosity is conceptualised as a multidimensional phenomenon. The article critically discusses this conceptualisation through an analysis of survey data. The findings show significant differences in the sociological profiles of religiosity in Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority countries. The architecture of religiosity is significantly more orthodox in Muslim-majority countries. The article co..