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...
| Auteurs: | ; ; |
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| Type de support: | Électronique Article |
| Langue: | Anglais |
| Vérifier la disponibilité: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | En cours de chargement...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Publié: |
Carfax Publ.
2021
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| Dans: |
Journal of contemporary religion
Année: 2021, Volume: 36, Numéro: 2, Pages: 329-348 |
| Sujets / Chaînes de mots-clés standardisés: | B
England
/ Wales
/ Irréligion
/ Pluralisme
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| Classifications IxTheo: | AB Philosophie de la religion AD Sociologie des religions AE Psychologie de la religion KBF Îles britanniques |
| Sujets non-standardisés: | B
Non-religious
B Belief B Religion B no religion B Identity B Secularism |
| Accès en ligne: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Résumé: | 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 |
| Contient: | Enthalten in: Journal of contemporary religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2021.1936966 |