Social Compass recent issues

Introduction

Laliberte, A. — 2009-09-21

Secularization Theories and the Study of Chinese Religions

Szonyi, M. — 2009-09-21

The author proposes a dialogue between recent literature on the history of Chinese popular religion and recent sociological debates about secularization theory, asking whether a better understanding of concepts, theories and evidence from one field may be productive in interpreting those of the other. The author suggests on the one hand that certain elements of secularization theory can be useful tools in understanding the modern history of religions in China and on the other that thinking about what secularization has meant in China is crucial to a comparative global history of religion and modernity. He also argues that attention to secularization both as a historical process and as a political ideology may help us to better understand the religious policies of the People’s Republic of China today.

Ritual? What Ritual? Secularization in the Study of Chinese Legal History, from Colonial Encounters to Modern Scholarship

Katz, P. R. — 2009-09-21

The author explores the reasons why scholars have overlooked the importance of judicial rituals in Chinese legal culture and considers this neglect in the light of scholarship on secularization. He explores the issue by analysing the interaction between Chinese and western judicial practices in the colonial histories of the Straits Settlements (now Malaysia and Singapore) and Hong Kong. The concept of secularization appears to be of relevance to the study of Chinese legal culture, given that secularized societies tend to become differentiated into autonomous sub-systems, religion being restricted in influence to its own sub-system. In fact, however, religion has continuously interacted with a range of other sub-systems in China, including legal ones, which indicates that, in modern Chinese legal culture, religion and the law have not evolved into separate sub-systems.

Entre desecularisation et resacralisation: Bouddhistes laics, temples et organisations philanthropiques en Chine

Laliberte, A. — 2009-09-21

L’auteur se penche sur le renouveau de la philanthropie bouddhiste en République Populaire de Chine (RPC) durant la dernière décennie, dans le but d’aborder la problématique plus vaste de l’utilité sociale de la religion aux yeux des autorités politiques et de constater dans quelle mesure les récents débats relatifs à la théorie de la sécularisation peuvent être pertinents vis-à-vis de la réalité chinoise. Un contexte de changements considérables survenus au niveau des conditions politiques, économiques et sociales, caractérisé par un désengagement de l’État dans la prestation de plusieurs services sociaux, révèle l’émergence de la philanthropie bouddhiste. L’auteur décrit quelques organisations qui offrent une assistance aux plus démunis, voire certains services relatifs aux soins de santé et à l’éducation. Cet essor de la philanthropie bouddhiste, cependant, ne peut être interprété comme annonciateur d’un processus de "resacralisation" en Chine, puisque le Parti-État communiste poursuit une politique de sécularisation manifeste.

China Challenges Secularization Theory

Dobbelaere, K. — 2009-09-21

The author proposes a reflection on challenges that the three anthropological articles in this issue present for secularization theory. The first two discuss "performances" of religion in two different Chinese cultural periods: welfare services offered by recognized religious associations in the People’s Republic of China and the judicial rituals in colonial settings. The author suggests similarities with such "performances" in western culture. The second part of the article discusses some issues raised by Szonyi in his comparison of recent social research literature on Chinese religion and sociological literature on secularization: a critique of the concept of "modernity" in relation to secularization; a reflection on the possibility of establishing a secularization theory with universal validity; how to integrate rational choice theory and secularization theory; the validity of secularization in view of individual religious sensitivity; and secularization as an ideology and a discussion of the so-called "privatization of religion" in secularized settings.

Toward a Contextualized Concept of Civil Religion

Luchau, P. — 2009-09-21

A new definition of civil religion is needed because there are almost as many definitions as there are writers on the subject. By combining two existing concepts it can be shown that most existing definitions of civil religion are related. The two concepts are religious pluralism versus monoculture and public versus private religion. The first takes into consideration that civil religion will look different in a mono-religious country than in a multi-religious country. The second makes a distinction between civil religion at a rhetorical level (e.g. speeches) and at a personal level (individual religiosity). Although there are many different definitions of civil religion, the differences can be reconciled if the religious situation and the analytical level are taken into consideration. Hopefully this will make future discussions and analyses of civil religion more comparable.

Migration et plurilinguisme: Parler en langues dans les Eglises africaines en Europe

Fancello, S. — 2009-09-21

Les enjeux liés aux pratiques langagières dans les Églises africaines implantées en Europe sont étroitement liés au type de migration en présence. Le choix des langues liturgiques s’inscrit dans des stratégies de recommunautarisation des migrants en milieu urbain ou de conversion des Européens. L’attention portée aux histoires de vie et aux parcours de conversion vise à dégager les modes d’interaction sociale qui amènent ces migrants à être confrontés à l’usage de la langue française ou anglaise, une situation porteuse de tension avec leur langue d’origine. Dans un contexte plurilingue, le "parler en langues" peut se présenter comme une solution imaginaire aux contradictions de l’unité dans la diversité.

My Body is a Testimony: Appearance, Health, and Sin in an Evangelical Weight-loss Program

Gerber, L. — 2009-09-21

Christian weight loss programs in the United States are significant sites of evangelical negotiation between cultural distinction and cultural participation. First Place, a Christian weight loss program sponsored in churches across the country, both appropriates dominant American concerns about health and fears of obesity, and reinscribes them in a cultural context that gives religious meaning to this seemingly worldly pursuit. The author, basing herself on qualitative research, examines three critical areas in which First Place distinguishes itself from its secular counterparts and renders weight loss a spiritually significant task: motivation for weight loss, the problem of physical appearance, and the question of sin. The author argues that First Place is an example of both evangelical submission to and cultivation of cultural capital and symbolic power.

Livres Recus/Books Received

2009-09-21

Bibliographie/Bibliography

2009-09-21

Introduction

Pace, E. — 2009-05-27

Religion and Gender across Europe

Voicu, M. — 2009-05-27

European societies have experienced a decrease in the social importance of religious issues. Values and attitudes towards gender roles have also changed in the last decades. In European countries, people have become more egalitarian with respect to the position of women in society. The author tries to identify the relationship between secularization and changes in gender values. As a result of secularization, the individual value system has become fragmented and religious values have lost their coordinating role. The investigation employs cross-national and longitudinal analysis of European Values Survey data (1990, 1999), most of the European countries being included in the study. The results indicate the decreasing impact of traditional religious belief on values related to gender roles during the 1990s in Europe and a common pattern of relationships between gender values and religiosity in most European societies.

La mesure de l'appartenance et de la non-appartenance confessionnelle dans les grandes enquetes europeennes

Brechon, P. — 2009-05-27

L'auteur examine les grandes enquêtes européennes portant sur les questions sociales et politiques—en particulier la European Values Survey (EVS), l'International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), la European Social Survey (ESS)—pour y observer comment l'appartenance et la non-appartenance religieuses sont mesurées. Les questions sont-elles similaires d'une enquête à l'autre? Les mesures obtenues les mêmes années avec ces différents outils sont-elles identiques? L'auteur présente les différentes enquêtes disponibles, mais observe aussi les effets de formulation de la question. Il s'interroge aussi sur la fiabilité des réponses (y a-t-il des biais de "désirabilité sociale"?) et souligne, enfin, que ces données très simples permettent d'effectuer des analyses complexes, notamment de repérer des catégories paradoxales, comme celles des "croyants sans appartenance" et des "membres sans croyance", et de dresser des profils assez complets d'attitudes spécifiques à chaque groupe appartenant et/ou croyant.

Towards a New Approach to Secularization: Religion, Education and the State in Denmark, 1721--1900

Reeh, N. — 2009-05-27

The author attempts to develop a new approach to the process of secularization. It is argued that the existing theories of secularization have failed to pay sufficient attention to the state. Here, the state is regarded as an actor with interests among which the maintenance of sovereignty vis-à-vis other states is vital. The author has analysed Danish state policies with regard to the teaching of religion in elementary schools from 1700 onwards. The founding of schools in the early 18th century was crucial to the establishment of the "Sacred Canopy", since schools were almost exclusively devoted to the teaching of religion. These schools had a primarily military purpose. From the 18th century onwards the teaching of religion in Denmark changed according to the external relations of the state and state bodies, i.e. on the primary or vital interests of the state.

Les trois vagues de la secularisation des consciences en Espagne

Perez-Agote, A. — 2009-05-27

Le processus de sécularisation des consciences en Espagne a traversé trois périodes. La première remonte au 19ème siècle et se prolonge jusqu'à la guerre civile (1936—1939). Elle va de pair avec le développement d'une série de mouvements modernes qui luttent contre le monopole de la vérité auquel prétend l'Église catholique. La deuxième vague correspond à la généralisation de la société de consommation; elle débute dans les années 1960 et s'étend jusqu'à la fin des années 1980. Au cours de cette étape, on peut observer une perte d'intérêt pour la religion catholique et pour son Église. L'Espagne, pays traditionnellement catholique, devient progressivement un pays de culture catholique et l'Église perd peu à peu sa capacité de contrôler le comportement social. Une troisième période s'amorce dans les années 1990. La majorité des nouvelles générations perd toute relation avec la religion et l'Église catholiques.

Neutrality of the State and Regulation of Religious Symbols in Schools in Quebec and France

Koussens, D. — 2009-05-27

The difference in attitudes towards the wearing of religious symbols in schools in France and Canada is symptomatic of the respective legal and political definitions of the official neutrality of the school institution and thus of way in which laicism is used to regulate religious pluralism and the "socio-cultural" integration of immigrant populations. In what ways is state neutrality put into practice, in Quebec and in France, as regards the judicial and political treatment of the wearing of religious symbols in public schools? The author proposes to examine the implementation of the liberal principle of neutrality by the French law dated 15 March 2004 on the wearing of religious symbols in public schools and by the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada of 2 March 2006 to allow a young Sikh to wear his ritual kirpan at school.

De l'affliction a la predication: quand les souffrants parlent a la communaute

Monnot, C. — 2009-05-27

Comment les fidèles confrontés à la souffrance peuvent-ils se présenter à leurs coreligionnaires, dans les milieux charismatiques, où prédomine l'idée du juste béni par le bien-être et la santé? C'est ce que l'auteur a entrepris d'élucider au travers d'une enquête ethnographique dans une communauté évangélique charismatique, à Genève. Il a focalisé son attention sur les témoignages de souffrants prononcés lors d'un même culte—la particularité étant de relever les interactions d'individus s'expliquant à d'autres membres dans un contexte habituel. À vrai dire, ces personnes malades, que les prières de guérison n'ont pu aider efficacement, se trouvent dans une position de légitimation difficile face à leur environnement de croyance. L'auteur montre que, au-delà de leur justification, l'argumentaire implique une explication de la souffrance endurée, laquelle provoque du même coup un renversement de statut des intervenants. De stigmatisées, les personnes souffrantes deviennent des figures charismatiques priant pour les autres membres de la communauté.

The Body between Religion and Spirituality

Giordan, G. — 2009-05-27

The distinction between religion and spirituality, as it is increasingly understood in the contemporary sociology of religion, has led to a reconsideration of the relation between the individual and his/her own body. In the Christian ambit, and especially in the Catholic sphere, the traditional religious attitude has always been that of emphasizing the dichotomy between soul and body, setting a hierarchy that puts the soul in a position superior to the body's, according to an ascetic approach that, particularly in the Middle Ages, foresaw the "mortification of the body". In the contemporary spiritualist perspective, body and soul are seen as profoundly united, and the previous dichotomy seems to leave room for a more serene and less conflictual connection with one's body: spirituality relates to the sacred by leaving room for (and deriving from) emotions, feelings, the physical and the sexual, and takes a holistic view of human nature. Such a shift from the religious dimension to the spiritual dimension in the relationship with one's body can be observed not only in popular culture but also within Catholicism itself.

The Nonformative Elements of Religious Life: Questioning the "Sociology of Spirituality" Paradigm

Wood, M. — 2009-05-27

Sociological assertions of religious vitality in Euro-American societies have developed a paradigm of spirituality in which, following earlier studies of the New Age, a distinction is drawn between external authority and self-authority. Methodologically and theoretically problematic, this paradigm diverts attention from people's social practices and interactions, especially in relation to multiple religious authorities. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork with an English religious network, and building upon the work of Pierre Bourdieu, the author considers situations in which multiple authorities tend to relativize each other. Conceptualizing this in terms of "nonformativeness"—the lack of authorities' ability formatively to shape religious identity, habitus, and competition over religious capital—allows a new understanding of individual secularization to emerge that questions assertions of vitality.

Les cultes de langues anglaise et francaise dans les Eglises protestantes de Polynesie: integration des "jeunes" ou pluralisation religieuse?

Malogne-Fer, G. — 2009-05-27

L'auteure met en évidence les enjeux et modalités de création des cultes de langues française (Tahiti) et anglaise (Nouvelle-Zélande) au sein des Églises protestantes dites "historiques", c'est-à-dire implantées dès le 19ème siècle en Polynésie. Ces cultes, créés officiellement à destination des plus jeunes qui ne maîtrisent plus les langues polynésiennes, fonctionnent comme des lieux d'expérimentation de nouveaux modes d'organisation et de célébration du culte particulièrement sensibles aux influences évangéliques et pentecôtistes. Il s'agit donc de montrer comment la question linguistique, élément structurant des clivages intergénérationnels, met au jour la transformation des pratiques religieuses, notamment dans le cas du paysage protestant polynésien. Dans un contexte marqué par la désaffection croissante des jeunes générations vis-à-vis des Églises protestantes "historiques", la question du rôle joué par ces cultes est posée: réaffiliation ou première étape d'une désaffiliation religieuse?

A Market Theory of Religion

Blasi, A. J. — 2009-05-27

References to market phenomena are common enough in the sociology of religion, but despite the proliferation of systems of concatenate propositions that have been tested with survey and church membership data, little has been done to develop the conceptualization of how a religious market works. Consequently there is a significant lack of correspondence in the literature between the role market phenomena play in economics and the role of market-like counterparts in the religious field. While there may be some point to offering a correction to allegedly market-centered research in the sociology of religion, the intent here instead is to take what insights are to be had from the study of economic phenomena and draw out their implications for inquiry into religion.

From Popular Religion to Practices of Sacralization: Approaches for a Conceptual Discussion

Martin, E. — 2009-05-27

The concept of "popular religion" is among the most frequent to arise in debates on religion in social science. Nevertheless, there is often disagreement on the scope of this concept and its definition, which are the result of an implicit and indiscriminate notion of religion. The author identifies three main groups of works that describe and apply different definitions of popular religion. The first, clearly identified with a Catholic matrix, considers popular religion as the religion of the "people". The second focuses on the "functions" that popular religion fulfils among the poorest sectors of the population, as a way of dealing with deprivation. The third group suggests the existence of a "different logic" to analyse religious events. Basing herself on the main literature produced in Latin America on the subject, the author proposes a way round the problems raised by coining and discussing the concept of "practices of sacralization".

American Presidential Rhetoric from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush: Another Look at Civil Religion

Roof, W. C. — 2009-05-27

The period since 1980 in the United States offers an opportunity to reexamine the "American civil religion" hypothesis as put forth by sociologist Robert N. Bellah. In a time of massive changes both domestically and globally, presidential rhetoric on God and country underwent important shifts in substance and style. The author examines several major myths by which Americans have affirmed their identity historically, and how these have informed the rhetoric of presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, William J. Clinton, and George W. Bush. It is argued that popular and highly contested "public faiths" in the United States blending religious and political ideals take diverse forms of expression and vary in the degree to which they approach a civil religion of the sort Bellah imagined. In this recent period, a shift toward religious nationalism is clearly evident.

Livres Recus/Books Received

2009-05-27

Introduction

Roudometof, V. — 2009-02-23

Religiosity and Social Values of the Cypriots

Yesilada, B., Noordijk, P., Webster, C. — 2009-02-23

The authors explore some of the social values and religiosity of the separated Turkish and Greek speaking communities in Cyprus in light of the European Union's objectives of unifying the island, and promoting the social value of tolerance. They find that the two communities are more similar to each other in religiosity than they are to most other European states, but are more similar in formal and personal religiosity to their opposite mainland counterparts. Religion, education, age and political orientation are major indicators of intolerance. The effects of religion, personal and formal religiosity and political orientation are reversed or mediated by the community, providing insight for European Union and Cypriot policy-makers.

Redefinition des frontieres Eglise--Etat a Chypre apres 1878. Perspective historique sur l'Eglise orthodoxe chypriote

Roudometof, V., Michael, M. N. — 2009-02-23

À Chypre, le colonialisme britannique a profondément influencé les relations entre l'Église et l'État. Lors de la période précédente, sous domination ottomane, les membres du haut clergé remplissaient des obligations administratives et politiques, conjuguant ainsi fonctions religieuses et administratives laïques. À partir de 1856, ils obtinrent même davantage de reconnaissance pour leur fonction politique. Pourtant, dès 1878, l'administration britannique considéra l'Église et l'État comme des organes séparés. Cette perspective entraîna inéluctablement une perte d'autorité politique des membres du clergé. Les autorités britanniques refusèrent la reconnaissance du régime traditionnel de l'Église, qui lui accordait des propriétés et privilèges fonciers, ainsi que la jouissance d'une partie de l'impôt. Les auteurs retracent les implications à long terme de cette redéfinition des frontières entre Église et État au sein de l'Église chypriote. Suite à leur perte de légitimité politique, qui s'amorça dès 1878, les ecclésiastiques cherchèrent à infléchir la tendance. Ils se présentèrent ainsi aux élections du conseil législatif local et essayèrent d'obtenir, dans le nouveau système, une voix en tant que représentants populaires. Le discours religieux adopta des caractéristiques nationalistes contemporaines, faisant des hiérarques les représentants privilégiés d'un groupe ethnique national. En cela se trouvaient déjà les germes de l'ethnarchie qui marqua la société chypriote grecque du 20ème siècle.

Islam and the Turkish Cypriots

Yesilada, B. — 2009-02-23

Turkish Cypriots represent some of the most secular Muslims in the world. While they consider themselves as part of the Hanefi school of Sunni Islam and hold strong belief in God, most do not follow a lifestyle that reflects the characteristics of their ethnic compatriots in Turkey. Turkish Cypriots do not seem to be influenced by organized religion, rarely attend mosques, and adhere to a very strict form of secularism (laiklik). The author provides a brief overview of Turkish Cypriots' background and examines their religious values based on the results of the 2006 World Values Survey conducted in Cyprus. The findings show that while almost all of the Turkish Cypriots believe in importance of God in their lives and consider themselves as moderately religious individuals, very few attend regular mosque service. Furthermore, the majority do not believe that religious institutions provide answers to problems individuals face in their personal or societal realms. This rather complex attitude towards religion among Turkish Cypriots raises important questions concerning their cultural background that seem clearly to set them apart from most Turks elsewhere and support the argument that a sizable number of the Turkish Cypriot community are either descendents of Alevi settlers from Anatolia or Bektasi Janissaries, who held religious values that are different from those of their Sunni Ottoman relatives.

Le christianisme orthodoxe au sein de la Republique de Chypre: developpement institutionnel et attitudes religieuses

Roudometof, V. — 2009-02-23

Depuis la proclamation de la République de Chypre en 1960 et sa division en deux parties—grecque et turque—en 1974, la société chypriote grecque s'est fortement urbanisée sous l'effet d'une intense modernisation. Les auteurs s'emploient à reconstituer les grandes étapes liées au développement des structures organisationnelles de l'Église orthodoxe de Chypre (EOC). Dans les années soixante, et surtout après le décès de l'évêque Makarios III (en 1977), le principe chypriote d'ethnarchie sera définitivement abandonné. Contrastant avec cette conception de la gouvernance assurée par une seule personne, les développements structurels de l'Église vont l'acheminer vers un système d'organisation synodal. Depuis les années soixante, cette modernisation a accentué, au sein de la société chypriote, un clivage entre conservateurs religieux et laïcs.

Ethno-Religious Coexistence and Plurality in Cyprus under British Rule (1878--1960)

Dietzel, I., Makrides, V. N. — 2009-02-23

The island of Cyprus is, historically speaking, quite diverse and plural in religious terms. Due to its strategic geographical position in the Eastern Mediterranean and its occupation by several rulers, it is not accidental that various ethno-religious communities (Byzantine and Greek Orthodox, Maronites, Roman Catholics, Muslims, Armenians, Anglicans, Jews) settled at various periods in Cyprus and sometimes acquired firm footholds. This very fact poses the question about their coexistence with the dominant religious institution of the island, namely the Orthodox Church. The authors will assess this issue while specifically taking into consideration the situation under British rule. They look first at the plural religious field in Cyprus and its maintenance, drawing on theoretical as well as historical sources. Second, they focus on the multifaceted factors that substantially affected religious coexistence and tolerance under British rule, including the development of a religiously motivated nationalism among Greek Cypriots. Finally, they explore the role of the Orthodox Church as a factor in both peace and conflict during this period, and its relationship to the religious and cultural plurality on the island.

Passe et futur de la sociologie des religions en Turquie

Akyuz, N. — 2009-02-23

En Turquie, l'intérêt pour la sociologie des religions coïncide, d'une part, avec la traduction d'œuvres majeures dans le domaine et, d'autre part, avec la publication des études de Ziya Gökalp, Selahaddin Asim, Necmeddin Sadak et H. Ziya Ülken. L'année 1949 marque d'ailleurs un tournant, puisqu'à cette date la Faculté de théologie d'Ankara introduisit la sociologie des religions¹ comme nouvelle discipline académique. Dans une approche identique à celle prévalant à l'époque dans les universités occidentales, un important travail en sociologie des religions a alors pu rayonner. Au point qu'à l'heure actuelle, on compte vingt-trois sections de sociologie des religions dans les différentes facultés de théologie du pays. Ce champ peut également compter sur un nombre croissant de recherches dans le domaine pour asseoir son développement. Actuellement, les sociologues turcs du champ religieux tentent d'obtenir des publications, des opportunités de communication et de débats dans les colloques.

God, Gifts and Poor People: On Charity in Islam

Kochuyt, T. — 2009-02-23

Islam asks the faithful to help the poor. Outlining the ideal type of this religious charity—known as the zakat—the author will analyse these alms as gifts. After identifying those who contribute and those who are eligible, he moves on to the beneficial effects of this solidarity. To assess the social mechanisms by which the community of faith is being built, the author refers throughout the article to the writings of Mauss, Sahlins and Bourdieu as regards gift giving and reciprocity. This analytical input permits him eventually to develop a triadic model of religiously-inspired charity that includes the divine protagonist who asks us to be generous.

Cult versus Church Religiosity: Comparative Study of Hare Krishna Devotees and Catholics in Slovenia

Crnic, A. — 2009-02-23

The leading question addressed by the author is whether there are any notable differences between religiosity performed either within cults or within Churches (as ideal types of religious organizations). To find an answer, the author compares the religious practices (and their influence on everyday life of believers) of Slovene adherents of the Hare Krishna movement and Catholics. He presents the results of the systematic case study research into the Hare Krishna movement in Slovenia, and compares them with some results of international surveys (Aufbruch, 1997 and ISSP, 1998). The findings prove that Krishna adherents are considerably more active in their religious activities than Catholics and quite orthodox when it comes to the application of religious rules to everyday life. The differences are sufficient to allow the possibility of distinguishing between two distinctive types of religiosity. But counter to the general conviction this leads neither to noticeable exclusiveness on the part of the Krishna community and its isolation from society, nor to extreme conservatism among its members.

Livres Recus/Books Received

2009-02-23

Erratum

2009-02-23

Introduction

Koenig, M. — 2008-11-24

L'economie miraculeuse de la religion: essai sur le capital social

Lehmann, D. — 2008-11-24

L'expansion rapide des religions fondamentalistes ou prônant la conversion, au sein de populations dévastées par la pauvreté, pose la question de savoir si de tels mouvements peuvent créer du capital social, puisqu'ils semblent souvent constituer les seules institutions, dans un contexte dominé par la méfiance, la politique personnaliste et souvent, aussi, par la violence. Cette question, est étudiée en commençant par une évaluation de l'importance de la vie institutionnelle moderne dans la construction du capital social, et en notant les conséquences de ses variantes "chaudes" et "froides", la première étant plus participative, mais également moins institutionnalisée. L'auteur développe ensuite une version modifiée de l'approche du choix rationnel, qui tient compte des problématiques du pouvoir et de la sorcellerie, pour expliquer pourquoi même des adeptes très pauvres font des dons à leurs Églises. L'auteur montre alors que dans ces mouvements on a plotôt tendòance à observer "bonding social capital", où les personnes en situation similaire sont liées par des liens intimes de dépendance mutuelle, plutôt que "bridging social capital", qui lie des populations variées par des mécanismes institutionnels plus solides. Cela est confirmé par l'engagement limité des pentecôtistes dans la vie politique active, même si les leaders religieux de ces mouvements sont très habiles dans la fourniture de votes quand cela est requis par leurs politiciens préférés.

The Importance of Church Attendance and Membership of Religious Voluntary Organizations for the Formation of Social Capital

Stromsnes, K. — 2008-11-24

The author discusses whether church attendance and membership of religious voluntary organizations contribute to establishing social capital in society, and if so, whether faith, membership, or the level of active involvement is the key factor. She analyses what bearing religious involvement has on a citizen's political involvement, and to what extent religious involvement helps to build social trust and tolerance of other groups in society. Data used is from the 2001 Norwegian Citizenship Survey. The study shows that religious involvement is positively associated with political engagement, social trust and tolerance. It also emerges, after controlling for other background variables, that membership of religious voluntary organizations has no effect on social trust and tolerance of other groups in society.

Les bienfaits pedagogiques de la religiosite parmi les eleves hongrois de trois pays

Pusztai, G. — 2008-11-24

Des études antérieures ont montré que les écoles confessionnelles hongroises influencent favorablement le parcours scolaire d'élèves aux antécédents défavorables. De ces observations, il résulte que ces écoles réduisent l'inégalité de capital culturel, grâce à des relations organiques et à la cohésion dont les parents et enfants de la communauté scolaire font preuve. L'auteure a pour objectif de démontrer que la théorie du capital social permet d'interpréter les différences de réussite entre élèves. Son intérêt se porte sur les structures et sur la teneur des relations entre élèves, dans le cadre de la communauté et des normes de la doctrine religieuse. Son analyse se fonde sur des données recueillies dans les régions frontalières de trois pays d'Europe centrale et de l'est, à savoir la Hongrie, la Roumanie et l'Ukraine.

Religion versus Rubbish: Deprivation and Social Capital in Inner-City Birmingham

Karner, C., Parker, D. — 2008-11-24

In the context of current debates about integration and social cohesion, the authors examine religiously underpinned social capital—capable of both bonding and bridging parts of the community—in a deprived part of inner-city Birmingham. On the basis of a series of qualitative interviews with key social actors and a critical engagement with relevant sociological theory, they demonstrate that an understanding of the locality must encompass the following key dimensions. First, local social capital needs to be understood as a response to social exclusion and infrastructural deprivation. Second, there is evidence of local conflict and interethnic cooperation as well as of a local habitus of shared dispositions and strategies. Third, local, religiously inflected social capital significantly intersects with transnational concerns, connections and movements. Fourth, religion plays a crucial role both in facilitating networks/initiatives and as a key motivational force for local activists.

A Conversation with Thomas Luckmann

Estruch, J. — 2008-11-24

Social Determinants of the Seriousness of Crime: An Examination of a Muslim Sample

Serajzadeh, S. H. — 2008-11-24

It is argued by some scholars that because of the influence of traditional Islamic penal law Muslims are more serious in opposing crime. Islamic societies, however, have been under the influence of modern socio-economic structures, and because of this some modern ideas with respect to crime have developed among them. The aim of the author is, first, to show how serious Iranian students are, as Muslims, in opposing different kinds of crime, and second, to examine the social determinants of crime seriousness perception in an Islamic context. The author uses the data of a social attitudes survey of Iranian university students. The survey was conducted among a sample of 1522 students in 2002. The variables whose effects are examined include some demographic and attitudinal variables, particularly religiosity and its different types.

Les antinomies du port du voile

Dialmy, A. — 2008-11-24

Que signifie le geste de se voiler? Est-ce une observance stricte d'une prescription religieuse? Est-ce le fruit d'une interprétation? Comment le port du voile se situait-il dans une logique endogamique de l'aristocratie citadine avant de devenir le cache-misère des déshérités? Comment dépasse-t-il le statut d'un indicateur de l'appartenance de classe pour atteindre celui de marqueur de l'identité culturelle? Est-il le symbole de la subordination de la femme ou celui d'un féminisme différencié et spécifique? Comment oscille-t-il entre l'islamisme et le soufisme, entre l'arme de combat d'une confrontation culturelle et l'insigne du cheminement spirituel anti-matérialiste? Le geste de se voiler renvoie à toutes ces significations, successives, parfois simultanées, d'où la nécessité théorique de parler du voile en termes de polysémie plurielle et, surtout, antinomique.

The Holiday of Holidays: A Triple-Holiday Festival for Christians, Jews and Muslims

Sharaby, R. — 2008-11-24

Religions differ from each other in their beliefs, customs and holidays. They often ignite wars and create impenetrable boundaries between peoples. Religion becomes the spearhead and driving force for hatred, destruction, and separation from the other. The author will discuss an inter-religion holiday that is exceptional in the Middle East and in the entire world: called the Holiday of Holidays Festival, it unites the holidays of the three monotheistic religions, Christian Christmas, Jewish Hanukkah and Muslim Ramadan, and its logo is three intertwined hands. It takes place during the months of November and December in a mixed neighbourhood in the city of Haifa, Israel. The organizers of this festival try to create an inversion of social reality, representing it in a new and subversive form by blurring the boundaries between holiday and festival, private and public, sacred and secular, local and global, as well as between rival groups.

Livres Recus/Books Received

2008-11-24