The next generation of Assyrians in Sweden: religiosity as a functioning system of meaning within the process of acculturation

For ethnic groups in which religion is an important dimension of culture, attention needs to be paid to religiosity as a system of meaning when studying their process of acculturation. Using a sequential mixed model research approach, where quantitative have preceded qualitative methods, three gener...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mental health, religion & culture
Main Author: Cetrez, Önver Andreas (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Taylor & Francis 2011
In: Mental health, religion & culture
Further subjects:B Sweden
B Acculturation
B Assyrian
B Youth
B meaning system
B Generations
B Religiosity
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:For ethnic groups in which religion is an important dimension of culture, attention needs to be paid to religiosity as a system of meaning when studying their process of acculturation. Using a sequential mixed model research approach, where quantitative have preceded qualitative methods, three generations of the Assyrian population in a Swedish city have been studied concerning their acculturation processes in relation to religious values and practices. The research question guiding this study is: Does religiosity function as a system of meaning among the Assyrian youth in Sweden? The main objective of this study is to highlight the role of religiosity in the process of acculturation. The quantitative questionnaire material shows that religious values and practices decline from the first to the third generation (statistical significance at p < 0.001). The qualitative interview study with members of the third generation shows that religion has been a positive part of childhood. In adulthood, however, other systems of meaning also have become central at the same time as religious institutions and representatives are being criticised. This change needs to be understood against the background of the Swedish cultural context, one of the most secularised in the world.
ISSN:1469-9737
Contains:Enthalten in: Mental health, religion & culture
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2010.484061