Transnational and Local: Multiple Functions of Religious Communities of EU Migrants in Dublin (original) (raw)
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Becoming a ‘real’ Catholic: Polish migrants and lived religiosity in the UK and Ireland
Journal of Contemporary Religion
The effect of migration on religiosity is a well-documented theme in the sociology of religion. Despite the rapid growth in the number of Polish Catholics in the UK and Ireland, little has been written on the spiritual and religious aspects of their journeys. This paper is based on the authors' ethnographic fieldwork with Polish migrants in the UK and Ireland. Drawing on qualitative interviews and participant observation with Polish migrants of various ages and class backgrounds, we identify three possible outcomes for individuals of Catholic faith being transplanted to a secular context: first, Catholic Poles continue to practice in the same way as they did in their home country; second, they begin to question their faith and leave the church altogether; and third, they take the opportunity to explore their faith in a flexible and relatively independent manner. We argue that the final possibility leads to the privatisation and intellectualisation of their Catholicism. Thus, the experience of migration gives some Polish Catholics the freedom and courage to question their beliefs but it does not necessarily make them irreligious. In their own words, they 'believe in the way they have always wanted to but did not dare'. In conclusion, this article highlights the secondary benefits of migration for the personal experience of religious faith.
Women and Irish diaspora identities, 2016
This chapter uses the sociological concept of boundaries to explore the processes through which migrants may be included in or excluded from national, ethnic and religious collectivities. In so doing, the discussion examines how, on the one hand, religion can work as a means of building bridges across communities of insiders and outsiders, overcoming the potential divisions of ethnicity and nationality. However, on the other hand, religion may also be used to build walls, dividing people, emphasising differences and reinforcing processes of exclusion. Thus, using the work of Alba, I will argue that religion can be both a ‘bright’ and a ‘blurry' boundary. As the case study of the Irish in Britain shows, these processes are not mutually exclusive but can occur simultaneously. This paper suggests that religion, ethnicity and nationality intersect in ways that are complex and dynamic and which may also be gendered in particular ways. The chapter draws on oral histories interviews undertaken with Irish women migrants in Britain. All the research participants mentioned religion as a site on which they confronted and negotiated their identity as Irish women in Britain.
BEYOND WELCOMING THE STRANGERS: MIGRANT INTEGRATION PROCESSES AMONG PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN IRELAND
Palgrave, 2012
Dublin, Sunday morning church time. As a migrant it is not easy to choose the right congregation: should I go to the church in my neighborhood? Should I follow my friends? Should I go to a church of my own denomination? At the end I opted for the latter, or for the one closer to it. There is a man at the church entrance greeting newcomers, including myself. The atmosphere is nice and welcoming, and I am impressed by the diversity present in the place; the church is full of people from Asia, Africa, America and Europe. I was trying to experience the worship not only as a migrant believer but also as a researcher, though it was difficult to draw the line between the two. Expectations were high; while waiting for the service to start I looked at the songbook to see if I recognized any of the songs. The liturgy was different from what I was used to in Italy, more dynamic, with elements of various cultural traditions and with different people leading part of the liturgy. At first I felt disorientated and the worship gave me the feeling of fragmentation. Later, however, I realized that these feelings were dictated by the novelty of the experience and by the fact that I did not fully recognize the service. I looked around and at the back of the church the wall was covered with pictures of churchgoers with their names and their position in the church. I noticed immediately that the church council was composed of members from various ethnic groups. The church hosts meetings of different organizations including migrant-led ones and it is actively involved in many outreach activities. How important is religion in migrants' life? Why do migrants choose a particular church? What role does the experience of migration have in making the choice? How easy or difficult is it for migrants to become
Review of Religious Research
Background This article is focused on social activity of Polish migrants in the Republic of Ireland in the context of change in their religiosity after coming to Ireland. Purpose This research applies statistical methods to the study of the impact of change in religiosity going beyond answering the question of whether migration is a disruptive event that either alienates immigrants from religious practices or, instead, ‘theologizes’ them. Methods It statistically verifies the correlation between social activity and change in religiosity and linear regression models of Polish migrants in Ireland and presents the results of a survey on Polish migrants in Ireland based on Respondent-Driven Sampling conducted in 2018 and 2019 (n = 520). Results The results highlight that the process of change in religiosity has two different patterns. The first one concerns both migrants who declare ‘no degree of religious change’ in themselves and these who affirm ‘a decline’ in their religious attitud...
The book investigates the processual nature of one's sense of belonging formed as a result of a dialectics between people's efforts to preserve the boundaries of their culture of origin and the urge to transgress them, detectable in everyday life, religious holidays, and ethnic festivals. The book examines also the role of religion as an important factor shaping ethnic identities of Poles and explores how the 'Polish' self-ascription remains a powerful building block of migrants' identities. The work is based on a rigorous and original ethnographic study of the Polish community in Belfast, Northern Ireland and a review of the existing literature on the topic. Both East Europe specialists and casual readers who are interested in study of migration, identity and religion will find this book invaluable. Whilst it is ethnographic in nature, it also synthesizes the existing literature on the identities and cultures in postmodern world, pointing out to different angles from which these issues have been discussed in anthropological theory.
Negotiated belonging: Migrant religious institutions in Warsaw
Diversity of Belonging in Europe Public Spaces, Contested Places, Cultural Encounters Edited By Susannah Eckersley, Claske Vos. Routledge, 2022
This chapter discusses migrant religious institutions as sites operating within the framework of diverse discourses of belonging and cultural diversity. The significance of a religious site in terms of belonging is usually seen from either a political or a socio-spatial perspective. From a political perspective, the discourse on migrant religious sites in Europe is gaining significance because of growing multiculturalism in the region, on the one hand, and the conflation of faith and political ideologies, on the other (Noble, 2019). Against this background, attitudes towards religious practices in public space play an important role because such practices "set apart, mark the boundaries between 'us' and 'them', and flag internal divides in a given community" (Foret, 2015, p.4). Religious sites attended by migrant communities make differences visible and help to crystallize the discourses of belonging/not belonging to the mainstream culture around them. As such, they have become important instances of the "politics of belonging" (Yuval-Davis, 2006) and a discursive resource for both inclusive multiculturalism and the exclusive politics rooted in essentialist concepts of identity. From a social perspective, migrant religious sites are significant cases of the negotiation of spatially located belonging (Eckersley, 2022). They connect relocalized histories and memories and religious practices in new spatial contexts and social milieus (Hervieu-Leger, 2000). The religious institutions of immigrants do not exclusively serve as places catering for spiritual needs. They also provide their members with social support as well as cultural continuity through multifold connections to their countries of origin (Herberg, 1960; Handlin, 1971; Urbańska, 2018). In many instances, churches, mosques, temples, or pagodas are designed as-or effectively play the role of-"cultural centres", which direct their offers (e.g., language lessons) towards community members as well as members of the host society. As such, they have become instances of the dynamic and dialectical processes of reconstituting the meanings and senses of social belonging. In this chapter, we argue that these two perspectives on belonging-the political discursive approach, which defines belonging as a "discursive resource which
Here I explore how the relatively new field of ‘diaspora religion’ has evolved and developed in the Study of Religion. The chapter begins with some general definitions of ‘migration’, ‘diaspora’ and ‘transnationalism’. My next task is to contextualise the current prominence of Diaspora and Transnational Studies in the academy. While the field has a long history often associated with Judaism, its contemporary high profile is closely linked to recent developments in globalisation and postmodern theory. Whereas, hitherto, there was a focus on the study of migrants and minorities within particular states, the emphasis now is often on the way that diasporas sustain both imagined and actual connections across borders, challenging the very idea of the nation. In terms of beginning to locate the Study of Religion in the context of these developments, Smart (1987) is identified as the first to use the term. However, this should not obscure that the roots of this field can actually be found in initiatives such as the Community Religions Project (1976 - ) at the University of Leeds, UK. The final parts of this chapter return us to an account of some of the main theoretical debates and empirical patterns and trends of the last decade or so. I explore the question of whether ‘religions’ can truly be considered ‘diasporas’, reflecting on the distinctions that are sometimes made between so-called ‘ethnic’ and ‘universal’ traditions. By way of conclusion, I shall be arguing that, in the future, the Study of Religion should pay greater attention to theorising the different types of ‘work’ done by religions in spaces of migration, diaspora and transnationalism.
TRANSLOCAL SPACE ACROSS MIGRANT GENERATIONS: THE CASE OF A GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE UK
Population, Space and Place, 2018
This paper examines the changing importance of translocal space to three generations of Greek-Cypriot migrants in the UK. Focusing on a Greek Orthodox Church, the paper draws upon participant observations and interviews to examine how translocal space is given meaning by migrants and, in turn, how the meaning and use of translocal space is renegotiated and altered by later-generations. Based on this evidence, we argue that translocal space strengthens community ties and offers a way of performing particular ideas of identity and culture. It provides social and cultural links to distant people and places through shared religious practices. Furthermore, an intergenerational perspectives allows us to understand how translocal places are reproduced, challenged and changed by successive generations. In doing so, the paper advances our understanding of translocality, the different ways that translocal space is used by migrant generations and the changing significance of places of worship to migrant identities.
How religion shapes immigrants' integration: the case of Christian migrant churches in Italy
Current Sociology, 2021
This paper investigates the relationship between migrant integration process and religion by the analysis of participation in churches established into the city of Milan. While in Europe most of the public opinion and literature is focused on Islam, and religion is often viewed as an impediment and barrier to integration, this work wants instead to discuss the ways in which religion serves migrants’ needs into receiving society, acting as a social bridge. Combining qualitative data collected in six Christian migrant Churches, three Catholic and three Protestant, the paper explains how religious communities have become significant urban hubs for immigrants, providing opportunities to socialize, developing welfare services, supplying places for family activities, as well as moral guidance in a diverse society. By detailing practical and social functions of churches, this article shows how religion represents an alternative and mediating force, able to support migrants’ integration, a role which is still understudied in Europe.