Some ethnic Swedish students' discourses on religion: secularism par excellence
Having been almost abandoned during the latter part of the 1900s, religion and youth is currently a growing field of research in Europe. Since people thought that secularisation would eradicate religion as a phenomenon, there was obviously no major reason to investigate young people's attitudes...
| Published in: | Journal of Religious Education |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer
[2016]
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| In: |
Journal of Religious Education
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| RelBib Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism AD Sociology of religion; religious policy KBE Northern Europe; Scandinavia RF Christian education; catechetics |
| Further subjects: | B
Sweden
B Students B Religion B Discourses B Youth B Secularism |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | Having been almost abandoned during the latter part of the 1900s, religion and youth is currently a growing field of research in Europe. Since people thought that secularisation would eradicate religion as a phenomenon, there was obviously no major reason to investigate young people's attitudes towards religion. Since that time, the understanding of the world and its complex relationship with religion has changed, and this now attracts much discussion. In Europe, this not only concerns religion and youth among different migrant groups, but also research on religion and youth of those born and raised in Europe itself and integrated into the historic majority. The aim of this paper is to revisit and reanalyse the results of two qualitative research projects based on interviews with young students in schools who identify themselves as Swedish. I analyze their discursive constructions on their own religion and the religions of 'others'. The data point towards a strong secularist discourse, where the Swedish students identify themselves as having a modern and rational worldview. On the other hand, they regard religion and religious people as old-fashioned and irrational. The focus in this article concerns articulations constructing this overarching secularist discourse, which I discuss in light of the contemporary debate on secularisation and secularism. However, most of the young students in the research appreciated the subject of Religious Education in Sweden as a means towards understanding the world. This was especially so in discussions on Religious Education with upper secondary school students, whereas younger students found religion to be more boring and traditional; thus the subject having difficulties in relating to the younger students' experiences. |
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| ISSN: | 2199-4625 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Religious Education
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s40839-017-0036-6 |