Abstract
This chapter presents a meta-ethnographic analysis of qualitative studies of youth activism in organisations where religion plays a crucial role—albeit not necessarily the most important. Taking theories of social capital as a starting point, the chapter explores how young people understand and experience their participation in religion-based organisations, their perception of politics and the political, and the role of religion in their lives and activism. The findings suggest that, although religion and religious capital play a key role in young people’s participation, especially at the start, religious social capital is transformed gradually into social capital. Togetherness and social activism increase in significance for young people over time, leading, in some cases, to religion and religious affiliation becoming of secondary importance in young people’s participation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alexandre, A. (2014). Ethnographic case studies of youth activism: Catholic labour youth (MYPLACE WP7 Report). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.fp7-myplace.eu/documents/D7_1/Cluster%206%20Faith%20based%20organisations/MYPLACE_7.1REPORT_CIES_Catholic%20Labour%20Youth%20(Portugal).pdf.
Bengtson, L. V. (2013). Families and faith: How religion is passed down across generations. New York: Oxford University Press.
Berikishvili, E., Campeau, L.-P., & Zurabishvili, T. (2014). Ethnographic case studies of youth activism: Church choir in Telavi (MYPLACE WP7 Report). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.fp7-myplace.eu/documents/D7_1/Cluster%206%20Faith%20based%20organisations/MYPLACE_7.1REPORT_CRRC_Telavi%20Church%20Choir%20(Georgia).pdf.
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education. New York: Greenwood.
Bruce, S. (2013). Secularization. In defence of an unfashionable theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bruce, S. (2002). God is dead: Secularization in the West. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Chiotaki-Poulou, I., Koronaiou, A., & Sakellariou, A. (2014). Religion. In M. Ellison & G. Pollock (Eds.), Europe wide thematic report on survey findings (MYPLACE WP4 Report). Retrieved October 13, 2015, from http://www.fp7-myplace.eu/documents/D4_6/MYPLACE_d4_6.pdf.
Campbell, B. E., & Yonish, J. S. (2003). Religion and volunteering in America. In C. Smidt (Ed.), Religious social capital: Producing the common good. Waco: Baylor University Press.
Coleman, J. (1990). Foundations of social theory. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Coleman, J. (2003). Religious social capital: Its nature, social location and limits. In C. Smidt (Ed.), Religious social capital: Producing the common good. Waco: Baylor University Press.
Collins-Mayo, S. (2012). Youth and religion: An international perspective. Theo-Web. Zeitschrift für Religionspädagogik, 11, 80–94.
Davie, G. (1994). Religion in Britain since 1945: Believing without belonging. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Ellison, M., & Pollock, G. (2014). Europe wide thematic report on survey findings (MYPLACE WP4 Report). Retrieved October 13, 2015, from http://www.fp7-myplace.eu/documents/D4_6/MYPLACE_d4_6.pdf.
Halbwachs, M. (1992). On collective memory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Hervieu-Leger, D. (2000). Religion as a chain of memory. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Hervieu-Leger, D. (2006). The role of religion in establishing social cohesion. Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2006-08-17-hervieuleger-en.html.
Jouili, S. T. (2015). Pious practice and secular constraints: Women in the Islamic revival in Europe. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Karasek, M., & Kollarova, L. (2014). Ethnographic case studies of youth activism: Christian democratic youth of Slovakia (MYPLACE WP7 Report). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.fp7-myplace.eu/documents/D7_1/Cluster%206%20Faith%20based%20organisations/MYPLACE_7.1REPORT_%20UCM_KDMS%20(Slovakia).pdf.
Kepel, G. (1993). The revenge of God: The resurgence of Islam, Christianity and Judaism in the modern world. Pennsylvania: Penn State University Press.
Lin, N. (2001). Social capital: A theory of social structure and action. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Laudere, M., & Stasulane, A. (2014). Ethnographic case studies of youth activism: Latvia for Tibet (MYPLACE WP7 Report). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.fp7-myplace.eu/documents/D7_1/Cluster%204%20Gender%20and%20Minority%20Rights%20movemnts/MYPLACE_7.1REPORT_DU%20Latvia%20for%20Tibet%20(Latvia).pdf.
Martin, D. (1979). A general theory of secularization. New York: Harper & Row.
Martin, D. (2005). On secularization: Towards a revised general theory. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Nemeth, J. R., & Luidens, A. D. (2003). The religious basis of charitable giving in America: A social capital perspective. In C. Smidt (Ed.), Religious social capital: Producing the common good. Waco: Baylor University Press.
Pickel, G. (2013). Religion monitor: Understanding common ground. An international comparison of religious belief. Gutershol: Bertelsmann Foundation.
Pickel, G., & Gladkish, A. (2012). Religious social capital in Europe. In G. Pickel & K. Sammet (Eds.), Transformations of religiosity: Religion and religiosity in Eastern Europe 1989–2010. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Pilkington, H., & Pollock, G. (2015). “Politics are bollocks”: Youth, politics and activism in contemporary Europe. In H. Pilkington & G. Pollock (Eds.), Radical futures? Youth, politics and activism in contemporary Europe. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell/The Sociological Review).
Priede, J., & Stasulane, A. (2014). Ethnographic case studies of youth activism: Latvian Muslim community (MYPLACE WP7 Report). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.fp7-myplace.eu/documents/D7_1/Cluster%206%20Faith%20based%20organisations/MYPLACE_7.1REPORT_DU_Latvian%20Muslim%20Movement%20(Latvia).pdf.
Putnam, R. (1993). Making democracy work: Civic traditions in modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Putnam, R. (2000a). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Putnam, R. (2000b). Better together: The report of the Saguaro seminar. Cambridge: Harvard University. Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.bettertogether.org/bt_report.pdf.
Sakellariou, A. (2014). Ethnographic case studies of youth activism: Young Greek Evangelicals (MYPLACE WP7 Report). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.fp7-myplace.eu/documents/D7_1/Cluster%206%20Faith%20based%20organisations/MYPLACE_7.1REPORT_PUA_Evangelicals%20(Greece).pdf.
Sharp, M., & Nickelson, D. (2014). Secularizations and their debates: Perspectives on the return of religion in the contemporary west. New York: Springer.
Smidt, C. (Ed.). (2003). Religion as social capital: Producing the common good. Waco: Baylor University Press.
Smidt, C., Green, J., Guth, J., & Kellstedt, L. (2003). Religious involvement, social capital and political engagement: A comparison of the United States and Canada. In C. Smidt (Ed.), Religious social capital: Producing the common good. Waco: Baylor University Press.
Verba, S., Schlozman, K. L., & Brady, H. E. (1995). Voice and equality: Civic voluntarism in American politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Voas, D., & Crockett, A. (2005). Religion in Britain: Neither believing nor belonging. Sociology, 39(1), 11–28.
Wood, R. (2003). Religion, faith-based community organising, and the struggle for justice. In M. Dillon (Ed.), Handbook of the sociology of religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ziebertz, G. H., & Kay, K. W. (Eds.). (2006). Youth in Europe II: An international empirical study about religiosity. Berlin: Lit Verlag.
Ziebertz, G. H., Kay, K. W., & Riegel, U. (Eds.). (2009). Youth in Europe III: An international empirical study about the impact of religion in life orientation. Berlin: Lit Verlag.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sakellariou, A. (2018). Believing in Participation: Youth, Religion and Civic Engagement. In: Pilkington, H., Pollock, G., Franc, R. (eds) Understanding Youth Participation Across Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59007-7_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59007-7_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-59006-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-59007-7
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)