Not long ago, the integration of immigrants in host societies was perceived mostly in terms of assimilation, an overly simplistic scenario, based on which immigrants would learn the language and culture of the native population, and the rest would just follow. However, the developments of the past two decades have shown just how complex this process can be. This new book shows the diverse experiences of various groups of immigrants. This book takes a fresh look at the experiences of immigrants to Canada. The contents of the book are based on over five years of research the author has carried out in Canada and elsewhere, using a variety of data sources, from quantitative census data through specially-designed survey information, to materials derived from qualitative research. The book is structured in such a way that it can be beneficial to a wide range of readers: those interested in in-depth examination of immigration issues, those leaning more towards narrative texts, and those looking only for general research trends and theoretical and policy implications. Literature; The Calm Before the Storm: Preparing to Migrate to Canada; Haves and Have-nots: Poverty Experiences of Immigrants; The New Kid in Town: Neighbourhood Poverty and Economic Performance; What You Know, and Who You Know: Human Capital, Social Capital, and Immigrant Life; Wrap-up and Implications; References; Index.

Debates about Islam and Muslim societies have intensified in the last four decades, triggered by the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and, later, by the events of 9/11. Too often present in these debates are wrongheaded assumptions about the attachment of Muslims to their religion and the impossibility of secularism in the Muslim world. At the heart of these assumptions is the notion of Muslim exceptionalism: the idea that Muslims think, believe, and behave in ways that are fundamentally different from other faith communities. In Sacred as Secular Abdolmohammad Kazemipur attempts to debunk this flawed notion of Muslim exceptionalism by looking at religious trends in Iran since 1979. Drawing on a wide range of data and sources, including national social attitudes surveys collected since the 1970s, he examines developments in the spheres of politics and governance, schools and seminaries, contemporary philosophy, and the self-expressed beliefs and behaviours of Iranian men, women, and youth. He reveals that beneath Iran's religious facade is a deep secularization that manifests not only in individual beliefs, but also in Iranian political philosophy, institutional and clerical structures, and intellectual life. Empirically and theoretically rich, Sacred as Secular looks at the place of religion in Iranian society from a sociological perspective, expanding the debate on secularism from a predominantly West-centric domain to the Muslim world.