Much more than a negation of religion: a qualitative exploration of the diversity of non-religious identities in England and Wales
Census data for 2011 suggested that around 14.1 million people in England and Wales state that they have no religion and recent survey evidence suggests that the number could be even higher. Drawing on evidence from focus group discussions with people who broadly self-identify with the descriptor ‘n...
| Authors: | ; ; |
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| Tipo de documento: | Recurso Electrónico Artigo |
| Idioma: | Inglês |
| Verificar disponibilidade: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Carregar...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Publicado em: |
Carfax Publ.
2021
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| Em: |
Journal of contemporary religion
Ano: 2021, Volume: 36, Número: 2, Páginas: 329-348 |
| (Cadeias de) Palavra- chave padrão: | B
England
/ Wales
/ Irreligiosidade
/ Pluralismo
|
| Classificações IxTheo: | AB Filosofia da religião AD Sociologia da religião AE Psicologia da religião KBF Ilhas Britânicas |
| Outras palavras-chave: | B
Non-religious
B Belief B Religião B no religion B Identity B Secularism |
| Acesso em linha: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Resumo: | Census data for 2011 suggested that around 14.1 million people in England and Wales state that they have no religion and recent survey evidence suggests that the number could be even higher. Drawing on evidence from focus group discussions with people who broadly self-identify with the descriptor ‘non-religious’, this article examines the diversity of non-religious identities and the interfaces with religion and equalities law. Through analysis of the identity narratives of people who see themselves as non-religious, the findings indicate that people use various conceptualisations of non-religion, belief, and spirituality to describe their identities. Moreover, non-religious people also reported experiences of unfair treatment and discrimination due to their identities. The term ‘non-religious’ can be problematic; it can be homogenising and limit people to identifying themselves in terms of the negation of religion. The findings highlight different non-religious identities and thus bring into question the conceptions, both popular and official, of the category ‘non-religious’ and the wider discourse of non-religion. It can be questioned whether the negative label of being non-religious is fit for purpose. There is a need for a new vocabulary to articulate, describe, and understand non-religious identities and experiences. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9419 |
| Obras secundárias: | Enthalten in: Journal of contemporary religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2021.1936966 |