Browsing by Subject "Religion"
Now showing items 1-18 of 18
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(2018)This Master’s thesis examines how societal power is exercised and negotiated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the media in contemporary Finnish society. Conducting a critical discourse analysis of Helsingin Sanomat coverage on the Church and Finland’s asylum seekers between August 2015 and September 2017, the three levels of mediatization of religion as presented by Hjarvard (2008) are offered as a potential theoretical framework to capture essential aspects of the media’s ubiquitous impact on institutional religion. The first chapters introduce the research topic and provide contextual understanding of the Church’s position in contemporary Finnish society and media. This is followed by a literature review and the theoretical and methodological frameworks guiding the analysis. The analysis answers to the research question through the three levels of mediatization of religion. The findings demonstrated the usefulness of critical discourse analysis coupled with the mediatization of religion theory, as the research method highlighted the aspects of prevalence and dominance of mediatization. Although the mediatization of religion theory was not found to provide an exhaustive account on the dynamics between Helsingin Sanomat and the Church, the presence of all three levels of mediatization together with the dominance of media discourses and the Church’s subordination to media logic could be discerned. This thesis provides insight into the renegotiation process of the Church’s place and role in Finnish society, a topic that until today has remained understudied. Further, it sheds light on the power of both the media and the Church to steer and maintain discourses. From the perspective of the Religion, Conflict and Dialogue Master’s Degree program, analyzing the theme within the context of the asylum seeker situation can be deemed supportive for purposes of further research on institutional religion’s role in dialogue promotion and bringing about social cohesion.
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(2015)Recent evidence suggests paranormal and religious beliefs may result from cognitive biases that all humans share. People who think in an intuitive manner are supposedly more affected by these biases than analytical people. Consequently, mounting evidence suggests those who endorse intuitive thinking style tend to be more religious and have more paranormal beliefs than people with an analytic thinking style. However, less attention has been paid to people who are highly analytical but nevertheless have supernatural beliefs. Since analytical people should be less susceptible to cognitive biases, other factors such as metacognitive tendencies might account for these beliefs. On the other hand, if intuitive thinking style is a major causal factor behind paranormal beliefs, an intuitive sub-group among sceptics could be considered an anomaly. Metacognitive tendencies could be a potential psychological factor behind scepticism. A sample of nearly 3000 Finnish participants revealed that there was an analytical and intuitive subgroup among the believers and sceptics. Particularly, analytic believers had more cognitive biases and lesser tendency to belief flexibility than analytic sceptics. Intuitive sceptics had more cognitive biases than analytic sceptics but they adhered more to flexible thinking than intuitive believers. The results of this thesis underline the multifarious nature of both paranormal beliefs and thinking styles. Although analytical thinking may help the person to overcome the automatic and often erroneous shortcuts that the mind produces, it may fail to suppress overlearned and reflectively practiced beliefs. On the other hand, an intuitive thinking style and cognitive biases may not necessary lead to paranormal believing, especially if the living environment encourages a sceptic worldview. Future studies should address the mechanisms that lead individuals with similar epistemological tendencies to acquire totally different metaphysical beliefs.
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(2017)Den Europeiska konventionen om skydd för de mänskliga rättigheterna och de grundläggande friheterna tillåter i artiklarna 8‒11 en s.k. ''nationell prövningsmarginal'', där olika faktorer vägs ihop för att avgöra ifall en begränsning av en frihet varit tillåten. Syftet med denna undersökning är att identifiera vad den nationella prövningsmarginalen i EMRK art. 9 (religionsfrihet) innebär samt redogöra för dess tolkning, och att undersöka om det finns någon gemensam europeisk linje på området. Studien har genomförts genom en analys av fyra rättsfall från Europeiska människorättsdomstolen, vissa aktuella ställningstaganden i Finland, och ett förhandsavgörande från EU-domstolen. Undersökningen är alltså av komparativ natur, och baserat på den kan vi konstatera att den nationella prövningsmarginalen är en kombination av en medlemsstats historiska och kulturella bakgrund, existerande europeiska standarder, samt vad som anses vara nödvändigt i ett demokratiskt samhälle. Dessa faktorer granskas separat från fall till fall, och studien visar att det som i en medlemsstat kan anses vara en tillåten begränsning, kanske tolkas som en olaglig begränsning av religionsfriheten i en annan. Till frågan ifall det finns en gemensam Europeisk konsensus på området kan vi genom undersökningen konstatera att det inte ännu kan sägas existera, men att det trots allt finns indikatorer på att en sådan börjar bildas.
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(2015)Recent evidence suggests paranormal and religious beliefs may result from cognitive biases that all humans share. People who think in an intuitive manner are supposedly more affected by these biases than analytical people. Consequently, mounting evidence suggests those who endorse intuitive thinking style tend to be more religious and have more paranormal beliefs than people with an analytic thinking style. However, less attention has been paid to people who are highly analytical but nevertheless have supernatural beliefs. Since analytical people should be less susceptible to cognitive biases, other factors such as metacognitive tendencies might account for these beliefs. On the other hand, if intuitive thinking style is a major causal factor behind paranormal beliefs, an intuitive sub-group among sceptics could be considered an anomaly. Metacognitive tendencies could be a potential psychological factor behind scepticism. A sample of nearly 3000 Finnish participants revealed that there was an analytical and intuitive subgroup among the believers and sceptics. Particularly, analytic believers had more cognitive biases and lesser tendency to belief flexibility than analytic sceptics. Intuitive sceptics had more cognitive biases than analytic sceptics but they adhered more to flexible thinking than intuitive believers. The results of this thesis underline the multifarious nature of both paranormal beliefs and thinking styles. Although analytical thinking may help the person to overcome the automatic and often erroneous shortcuts that the mind produces, it may fail to suppress overlearned and reflectively practiced beliefs. On the other hand, an intuitive thinking style and cognitive biases may not necessary lead to paranormal believing, especially if the living environment encourages a sceptic worldview. Future studies should address the mechanisms that lead individuals with similar epistemological tendencies to acquire totally different metaphysical beliefs.
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(2023)The purpose of this survey was to analyze teachers' perceptions and experiences of the current teaching model for studies in religion and secular ethics in primary school, as well as how it supports the students' identity development and learning. The goal was also to analyze whether the teachers have suggestions for changes to the current teaching model of studies in religion and ethics. Studies in religion and ethics has been a debated topic throughout the existence of primary schools. Previous research has shown that a large proportion of Finns, as well as teachers and principals, would like to see a change to the current model. Previous research has shown that students begin their identity development at a young age. Religion and different worldviews are one of the most important building blocks of identity. This means that both school and religious education have an influence on the students' identity development. The survey was conducted as a qualitative study. The data collection took place through five semi-structured interviews with teachers in Nyland. The data was analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that the majority of teachers are not satisfied with the current teaching model. The teachers believed that an intergrated teaching model, may it be secular ethics or a completely new subject, most benefits the students identity development. Arguments raised for an intergrated model were that it favors the students capacity for emphaty, morality, ethics and understanding of other people, culture and religions. Arguments that the teachers raised agains an intergrated model were that the students with minority religions could feel left out, and lose interest in their own religion.
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(2016)I vår pro gradu-avhandling undersöker vi den Evangelisk Lutherska kyrkans roll i invandrares integration i Helsingfors. Invandringen till Finland har ökat de senaste åren, speciellt efter att situationen i flera områden i Mellanöstern och Nordafrika blivit oroligare. Internationella organisationen för migration (IOM) har uppmanat religiösa organisationer i Europa till en aktivare roll i integrationsarbete, vilket utgör grunden till vår forskning. Religiösa organisationer har möjlighet att stöda invandrares sociala och kulturella integration, medan det statliga och kommunala integrationsarbetet fokuserar på ekonomisk och strukturell integration. Eftersom avhandlingen är ett gemensamt projekt med två författare, undersöker vi ämnet ur två perspektiv. Ida Snellman undersöker vad multikulturellt arbete i den Evangelisk Lutherska kyrkan innebär och hur de anställda upplever att arbetet inverkar på invandrares integration. Amica Richter undersöker hur invandrare upplever att den Evangelisk Lutherska kyrkan inverkar på deras integration och i vilken mån de upplever att kyrkan kan ta del av integrationsarbetet i Helsingfors. Avhandlingen är en kvalitativ studie och materialet är insamlat genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Idas material består av åtta intervjuer med personer som arbetar med multikulturellt arbete inom den Evangelisk Lutherska kyrkan. Amica har intervjuat åtta personer med invandrar bakgrund, som har deltagit i den Evangelisk Lutherska kyrkans aktiviteter. Vi har använt innehållsanalys för att analysera våra material. Vår teoretiska referensram baserar sig på teorier om socialt kapital. Enligt Idas analys kan den Evangelisk Lutherska kyrkans multikulturella arbete delas upp i multikulturellt arbete med religiöst fokus och arbete som går utöver religion. Dessa två delar av det multikulturella arbetet är närvarande i både finskspråkiga och svenskspråkiga församlingar så väl som i församlingar på övriga språk. Arbetet inverkar på invandrares sociala kapital genom att stärka band till andra invandrare, kristna och majoritetsbefolkningen samt genom att bygga broar till lokala församlingar och till det finska samhället. Ur Amicas analys framgår att invandrare upplever den Evangelisk Lutherska kyrkan som stöd för deras sociala integration genom att erbjuda sociala nätverk och spirituellt stöd. Utöver att kyrkan kan fungera som brobyggare till det finska samhället, har invandrare med olik religiös tillhörighet även skapat band till volontärer, församlingsmedlemmar och till anställda i kyrkan. Kyrkan går mot en alltmer volontärbaserad organisationsmodell och i denna utveckling har invandrare möjlighet att inverka positivt. Ett aktivt deltagande i församlingslivet stöder invandrares integration genom att skapa band och bygga broar. Utgående från denna studie upplevs gemenskapen i församlingen och den interreligiösa dialogen som meningsfull av kristna invandrare såväl som av invandrare med annan eller ingen religiös övertygelse.
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(2017)In recent years, differences between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar, particularly between populations native to the state of Rakhine, have developed from intolerance to outright oppression. Historical tensions over identity are threatening the future of the nation; the outlook for the humanitarian crisis is very worrying. Rohingyas, an Islamic ethnic group in Myanmar, have been deemed by the government as “illegal immigrants” and widely perceived as Bangladeshis. The Rohingyas of Myanmar have become a stateless population fighting for their right to stay in Myanmar due to the Buddhist government's nationalist vision to unite and protect the nation from the existential threat posed by non-Buddhist outsiders. The purpose of this thesis is to shed light on the tensions between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar through the discourse and narratives of Rohingyas and Rakhine Buddhists interviewed for this study in 2016 and 2017. This thesis explores how Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar experience belonging to a nation that does not consider them nationals. In other words, how Rohingyas make sense of their feelings of belonging while being told they do not belong. The notion of belonging is central in defining an individual’s social identity. Membership to certain groups is essential in constructing a sense of belonging; bonding through social networks creates a sense of security and acceptance. This study is aimed to unpack the notion of belonging through the key concepts in which Rohingyas anchor their sense of social identity. In other words, through the theoretical lens of cultural belonging – from ethnic boundaries to nationalism – this study interprets Myanmar’s Rohingyas’ sense of belonging through their discourse on nationality and ethnicity. Analyzed using James Scott’s (1985) concept of everyday resistance, the objective is to understand how these markers of belonging translate into the everyday lives of Rakhine’s Muslim and Buddhist populations. The study found that, based on the discourse of the Rohingyas, their sense of belonging is anchored to their nationality and their ethnicity simultaneously. While nationality is unquestionable, ethnicity is more fluid. At first Rohingya participants upheld the notion that their ethnicity is tied to their identity, however if offered nationality without ethnic recognition, the Rohingya would give up their ethnic identity. Understanding how they manage to maintain these feelings while being oppressed and harassed comes down to resistance. Rather than rioting, demonstrating, or violently confronting the state, the participants of this study simply insisted that they are citizens and belong in Myanmar. The reoccurring theme of belonging suggests that nationalism is used as an everyday form of resistance. This practice is a way of attempting to achieve results without the risks of violence. Maintaining a balance between their national and ethnic identities silently resists the state's claims of Rohingyas being illegal migrants or stateless individuals, without adhering to the state's demands of renouncing their Rohingya ethnicity. Unfortunately, recent developments do not promise a brighter outlook for the Rohingya population: resistance has been met with punishment and it is unlikely that everyday resistance will be the sole method of opposition in the future. There is no end in sight to the affliction of the Rohingyas and further violence cannot be ruled out as a possible consequence. Passive resistance has not brought about a solution in the short term, nor has the attempts of the international community. My hope is, that by increasing knowledge about the plight of the Rohingya of Myanmar, this study prompts further research and action.
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(2018)The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established as an official government body to create national reconciliation after apartheid. It provided an arena for the perpetrators and victims to try to understand each other and their actions. Even though the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is studied from various perspectives, the role of religion in it as a transition process has not received much attention. This study is a critical analysis, which examines the role of religion in South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The analysis is supported with the theories of conflict resolution and transitional justice by using the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s reports as primary sources and the previous academic study as secondary sources. The very little investigation of religion that has been conducted in the multidisciplinary field of transitional justice, justifies the relevance of the study. The study begins with an overview of the role of religion in conflict resolution and peacemaking. Reconciliation and truth commissions as mechanisms of transitional justice are examined and analyzed before moving onto the brief historical overview of South Africa and apartheid. The role of religion in the history of South Africa is explained to support historical the perspective of the study. The role of Religion in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is analyzed from several different perspectives to support the argument that religious connotations took place during the Commission’s existence. The results show that religion and especially Christianity played a significant role in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s work. Main reasons for it appear to be the religious historical and cultural notions of the society, and the role of religious leaders as commissioners. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission relied strongly to the ideas of reconciliation and forgiveness which guided its work and eventually swayed religious influence to take place. States that choose reconciliation as an approach to transition to democracy often tend to have strong involvement of religious communities in their society. Even though conflict resolution theories take religion into account, it is very much an underutilized topic in the transitional justice field. With the theoretical ground and the case established, the study shows the importance of understanding religion in conflict resolution and reconciliation processes.
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(2018)The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established as an official government body to create national reconciliation after apartheid. It provided an arena for the perpetrators and victims to try to understand each other and their actions. Even though the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is studied from various perspectives, the role of religion in it as a transition process has not received much attention. This study is a critical analysis, which examines the role of religion in South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The analysis is supported with the theories of conflict resolution and transitional justice by using the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s reports as primary sources and the previous academic study as secondary sources. The very little investigation of religion that has been conducted in the multidisciplinary field of transitional justice, justifies the relevance of the study. The study begins with an overview of the role of religion in conflict resolution and peacemaking. Reconciliation and truth commissions as mechanisms of transitional justice are examined and analyzed before moving onto the brief historical overview of South Africa and apartheid. The role of religion in the history of South Africa is explained to support historical the perspective of the study. The role of Religion in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is analyzed from several different perspectives to support the argument that religious connotations took place during the Commission’s existence. The results show that religion and especially Christianity played a significant role in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s work. Main reasons for it appear to be the religious historical and cultural notions of the society, and the role of religious leaders as commissioners. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission relied strongly to the ideas of reconciliation and forgiveness which guided its work and eventually swayed religious influence to take place. States that choose reconciliation as an approach to transition to democracy often tend to have strong involvement of religious communities in their society. Even though conflict resolution theories take religion into account, it is very much an underutilized topic in the transitional justice field. With the theoretical ground and the case established, the study shows the importance of understanding religion in conflict resolution and reconciliation processes.
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(2022)Forskningen om de faktorer som påverkar politiskt deltagande har flera gånger pekat ut den positiva effekten av religion och religiositet. Denna effekt har också ofta påståtts uppstå från den positiva inverkan som religiositet har på individens känsla av att kunna påverka politiken och sin egen omgivning. Mitt syfte med denna avhandling är att analysera sambandet mellan religion och finska väljares känsla av att vara politiskt inflytelserika, samt avgöra ifall det finska politiska och religiösa klimatet ger upphov till samma resultat som liknande studier på andra håll i världen. Analysen, som fokuserar på religiositet samt frekvensen av både religiöst deltagande och bön, visar att finska väljare, trots sin till stor del lutherska och sekulariserade uppfostran, fortfarande påverkas positivt av religiositet. Dessa resultat uppmuntrar till ytterligare forskning om ovanstående relation i synnerhet i Finland, där behovet av demokrati- och deltagarfrämjande åtgärder växer.
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(2021)Is there a Lockean separation of church and state in contemporary Russia? The answer to this question has, for a long time, been yes, at least on paper. However recent amendments to the Russian secular constitution now include a mention of Russia’s belief in God. This is not the only piece of legislation in Russia that has adopted religious rhetoric. In fact, after a few decades of a complicated relationship, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Russian state have increased their cooperation. Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have declared that Russian Orthodox values, are part of the newly promoted Russian identity. This acceptance of conservative Orthodox values as part of the Russian identity, has had its influence on Russian legislation and thus Russian society. Examples of this are restrictions on abortion, the ban on ‘homosexual propaganda’, the importance of the family and traditional gender role in society etc. This has an influence on the status of the Lockean separation of church and state in Russia. Lockean because this thesis utilizes John Locke’s theory of tolerance, slightly adapted to the modern context, to analyse the status of the separation of church and state in contemporary Russia. A secular state is defined here as a state with not just a separation of institutions, but also one with freedom of conscience based on the idea of tolerance. This policy of tolerance entails that a government 1) cannot deprive any citizen of their civil rights based on their values, 2) they cannot prosecute a citizen based on their values and 3) a government cannot impose a certain belief system on their citizens directly or indirectly. These three criteria form the theoretical framework of this thesis. The case materials of this thesis include the Bases of the Social Concept by the ROC to analyse what values they promote, speeches by Putin that outline foreign and domestic policy to show that the Russian government also promotes Orthodox values, and Russian federal legislation regarding family values to analyse the effect of the values of the ROC on Russian legislation. After studying federal legislation affected by the adoption of Orthodox values this thesis concludes that although criteria 1) and 3) are violated to some extent, there is not enough proof that criteria 2) is affected. Discourse in Russian legislation has gotten more religious, but in practice this religious influence has not led to Russian citizens being prosecuted for things like getting an abortion or falling in love with someone of the same sex. However, an increased cooperation between church and state has led to the dilution of the separation between the religious and the secular, and the Russian government has started using the conservative values of the church as a political tool to suppress those who think differently or are critical of the government.
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(2021)Is there a Lockean separation of church and state in contemporary Russia? The answer to this question has, for a long time, been yes, at least on paper. However recent amendments to the Russian secular constitution now include a mention of Russia’s belief in God. This is not the only piece of legislation in Russia that has adopted religious rhetoric. In fact, after a few decades of a complicated relationship, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Russian state have increased their cooperation. Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have declared that Russian Orthodox values, are part of the newly promoted Russian identity. This acceptance of conservative Orthodox values as part of the Russian identity, has had its influence on Russian legislation and thus Russian society. Examples of this are restrictions on abortion, the ban on ‘homosexual propaganda’, the importance of the family and traditional gender role in society etc. This has an influence on the status of the Lockean separation of church and state in Russia. Lockean because this thesis utilizes John Locke’s theory of tolerance, slightly adapted to the modern context, to analyse the status of the separation of church and state in contemporary Russia. A secular state is defined here as a state with not just a separation of institutions, but also one with freedom of conscience based on the idea of tolerance. This policy of tolerance entails that a government 1) cannot deprive any citizen of their civil rights based on their values, 2) they cannot prosecute a citizen based on their values and 3) a government cannot impose a certain belief system on their citizens directly or indirectly. These three criteria form the theoretical framework of this thesis. The case materials of this thesis include the Bases of the Social Concept by the ROC to analyse what values they promote, speeches by Putin that outline foreign and domestic policy to show that the Russian government also promotes Orthodox values, and Russian federal legislation regarding family values to analyse the effect of the values of the ROC on Russian legislation. After studying federal legislation affected by the adoption of Orthodox values this thesis concludes that although criteria 1) and 3) are violated to some extent, there is not enough proof that criteria 2) is affected. Discourse in Russian legislation has gotten more religious, but in practice this religious influence has not led to Russian citizens being prosecuted for things like getting an abortion or falling in love with someone of the same sex. However, an increased cooperation between church and state has led to the dilution of the separation between the religious and the secular, and the Russian government has started using the conservative values of the church as a political tool to suppress those who think differently or are critical of the government.
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(2023)Kenya’s education system and Kenyan teachers are confronted with growing diversity in classrooms and the hierarchies that come along with it (Möllendorff 2022). As role models for future teachers, a lot of responsibility is placed on the shoulders of Kenyan teacher educators to train pre-service competent to face these challenges and become reflective professionals (see Moloney & Turunen 2019). Religious diversity and religious freedom, in particular, have been a very discussed topic during the last decade. Religious and worldview competence, thus, becomes necessary for teachers. This competence concerns attitudes, knowledge, and skills for encountering and interacting with religious and worldview diversity. The aim of this research is to investigate the religious and worldview competence of the teacher trainers who participated in the TOTEMK-project’s fourth training during winter 2022-2023. My goal is to find out what knowledge, attitudes, and skills in relation to religious and worldview competence the studied teacher trainers have. Additionally, I am interested in finding out how the TOT4 training lectures and materials speak to the model of religious and worldview competence and if the teacher educators share more views related to the theme after the training. The theoretical framework is based on studies addressing religious and intercultural competence. Following Darla Deardorff’s (2006) model of intercultural competence and other studies about religious and worldview competence, I adapted a new model of religious and worldview competence to support the research. The study was conducted following case study strategy (see Yin 2009). The research data was gathered by two questionnaires. The materials of the TOTEMK-training were also used as qualitative data. The data analysis methods were thematic analysis and participant observation. The data reveals that the studied teacher trainers had a lot to say in relation to religious and worldview diversity and they were aware of the issues concerning the theme already prior to the training. Based on the findings, the interlocutors have a good overall knowledge of religious and worldview diversity. The findings suggest that their attitudes generally are quite positive towards religious and worldview diversity, while some interlocutors expressed reserved attitudes towards certain religions and worldviews. Some of the participants were able to express having important skills in relation to religious and worldview competence. According to the analysis, the training presentations reflected well on the model of religious and worldview competence. Based on the teacher trainers’ self reporting, the training enhanced their awareness of religious and worldview diversity and awoke new views concerning the theme. In the future, the findings of the study could be used to create a more profound study for a longer period of time and combining together different versatile study methods such as observation, interviews and self-reporting.
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(2023)Kenya’s education system and Kenyan teachers are confronted with growing diversity in classrooms and the hierarchies that come along with it (Möllendorff 2022). As role models for future teachers, a lot of responsibility is placed on the shoulders of Kenyan teacher educators to train pre-service competent to face these challenges and become reflective professionals (see Moloney & Turunen 2019). Religious diversity and religious freedom, in particular, have been a very discussed topic during the last decade. Religious and worldview competence, thus, becomes necessary for teachers. This competence concerns attitudes, knowledge, and skills for encountering and interacting with religious and worldview diversity. The aim of this research is to investigate the religious and worldview competence of the teacher trainers who participated in the TOTEMK-project’s fourth training during winter 2022-2023. My goal is to find out what knowledge, attitudes, and skills in relation to religious and worldview competence the studied teacher trainers have. Additionally, I am interested in finding out how the TOT4 training lectures and materials speak to the model of religious and worldview competence and if the teacher educators share more views related to the theme after the training. The theoretical framework is based on studies addressing religious and intercultural competence. Following Darla Deardorff’s (2006) model of intercultural competence and other studies about religious and worldview competence, I adapted a new model of religious and worldview competence to support the research. The study was conducted following case study strategy (see Yin 2009). The research data was gathered by two questionnaires. The materials of the TOTEMK-training were also used as qualitative data. The data analysis methods were thematic analysis and participant observation. The data reveals that the studied teacher trainers had a lot to say in relation to religious and worldview diversity and they were aware of the issues concerning the theme already prior to the training. Based on the findings, the interlocutors have a good overall knowledge of religious and worldview diversity. The findings suggest that their attitudes generally are quite positive towards religious and worldview diversity, while some interlocutors expressed reserved attitudes towards certain religions and worldviews. Some of the participants were able to express having important skills in relation to religious and worldview competence. According to the analysis, the training presentations reflected well on the model of religious and worldview competence. Based on the teacher trainers’ self reporting, the training enhanced their awareness of religious and worldview diversity and awoke new views concerning the theme. In the future, the findings of the study could be used to create a more profound study for a longer period of time and combining together different versatile study methods such as observation, interviews and self-reporting.
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(2023)The aim of this study was to examine elementary school teachers’ opinions on education in religion and ethics. How teachers perceive the education in religion and ethics today and how they perceive the thought of a common subject for all religions and ethics. Earlier studies shows that Finland is going more and more towards a multicultural society (Odiah, 2007; Mäkelä et al. 2017). Researchers have found out that the education in religion is not equal and that it is categorizing people into different groups (Salmenkivi & Åhs, 2022). In this master’s thesis I’m going to examine the teachers specific perceives and opinions about the education of religion and ethics today and how they perceive the education in the future. This master’s thesis is a qualitative study with a phenomena graphic approach. Six elementary school teachers from Uusimaa are the study’s informants. The material was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with the class teachers. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of the study showed that there are mainly two different perceptions about the teaching of religion and ethics today. These perceives correlates with how the elementary school teachers perceive the idea of a common subject for all religions and ethics. Five out of six teachers felt that the current model should be changed and perceived a common subject positively, while one out of six teachers was satisfied with the current model and did not consider a need for a common subject. The study resulted in the following themes being highlighted: equality, practical arrangements, overlapping teaching, fear of marginalized religious teaching and community, understanding and world view. These themes were perceived by the majority of teachers as problematic in the current model and as themes that could be improved through a common teaching subject for all viewpoints.
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(2023)The aim of this study was to examine elementary school teachers’ opinions on education in religion and ethics. How teachers perceive the education in religion and ethics today and how they perceive the thought of a common subject for all religions and ethics. Earlier studies shows that Finland is going more and more towards a multicultural society (Odiah, 2007; Mäkelä et al. 2017). Researchers have found out that the education in religion is not equal and that it is categorizing people into different groups (Salmenkivi & Åhs, 2022). In this master’s thesis I’m going to examine the teachers specific perceives and opinions about the education of religion and ethics today and how they perceive the education in the future. This master’s thesis is a qualitative study with a phenomena graphic approach. Six elementary school teachers from Uusimaa are the study’s informants. The material was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with the class teachers. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of the study showed that there are mainly two different perceptions about the teaching of religion and ethics today. These perceives correlates with how the elementary school teachers perceive the idea of a common subject for all religions and ethics. Five out of six teachers felt that the current model should be changed and perceived a common subject positively, while one out of six teachers was satisfied with the current model and did not consider a need for a common subject. The study resulted in the following themes being highlighted: equality, practical arrangements, overlapping teaching, fear of marginalized religious teaching and community, understanding and world view. These themes were perceived by the majority of teachers as problematic in the current model and as themes that could be improved through a common teaching subject for all viewpoints.
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(2018)Peacebuilding today is increasingly guided by the inclusivity norm, which has resulted in a call for participation of a diversity of actors. While religious actors’ and women’s efforts are sought in peacebuilding, the bridging group of actors – women active in peacebuilding on religious basis – has largely remained invisible. The aim of this thesis is to explore if and how women and religion are recognized and described in recent research on the role of religion in peacebuilding and the role of women in peacebuilding respectively. A second aim is to try to understand why women active in peacebuilding on religious basis remain invisible, especially with the recognized need for diversity in the peacebuilding field. In this thesis, quantitative and qualitative analyses are carried out on two sets of literature sources regarding the role of religion in peacebuilding and the role of women in peacebuilding respectively. The literature sets included primary sources such as official United Nations documents and secondary sources with a broad, global research focus. The quantitative analysis indicates that the literature on religious peacebuilding more frequently delved into topics related to women and gender than the literature on women’s peacebuilding does on matters of faith and religion. The qualitative analysis reveals several, at times contradictory perspectives on women and religion. In literature on women’s peacebuilding, religion is portrayed as a hindrance to women’s rights, as a resource for peacebuilding, as extremism and as a reason for conflict. The literature on religious peacebuilding portrays women as suppressed by religion, as empowered by religion, as victims of violence, as religious peacebuilders and as equal to men. The qualitative analysis reveals that identity and agency are important questions when looking at intersections of women, religion and peacebuilding. Both literature sets tend to juxtapose religious identity and gender identity in attempting to determine which one is or should be of greater importance. Both fields could benefit from carrying out an intersectional analysis, creating new possibilities for action in different contexts. Regarding agency, especially the field of women’s peacebuilding could benefit from a broadened view of agency, where it would not only be equated with women resisting religious traditions and leadership. The field of religious peacebuilding, on the other hand, could benefit from broadening the view of women to include the role of agents and not just passive victims. Future research should address the different forms of agency exhibited by religious women engaged in peacebuilding and how religious and/or gender identity can enhance or hinder peacebuilding.
Now showing items 1-18 of 18