Research output
Complete citation
Poljarević, Emin, Pia Karlsson Minganti, and Maria Klingenberg. “Religion och samhällsengagemang bland unga svenskar.” In Unga och religion: Troende, ointresserade eller neutrala?, edited by Maria Klingenberg and Mia Lövheim, 165–183. Malmö: Gleerups, 2019.
Status
Published (2019)
Publication type
Peer-reviewed book chapter
Overview
This Swedish-language chapter examines the relationship between religion and civic engagement among young people in Sweden. It challenges the assumption that declining formal religious affiliation necessarily entails social withdrawal or political indifference. Instead, the analysis attends to how religious identities, ethical commitments, organisational settings, and experiences of belonging may shape different forms of participation. Young people’s engagement is approached as varied and context-dependent, ranging from voluntary work and community organisation to public advocacy and informal practices of solidarity. The chapter situates these patterns within a highly secularised society where religion may be socially marginal yet still provide moral language, networks, and motivations for action. Its contribution is to connect youth research and sociology of religion while clarifying how religious commitment can coexist with, and sometimes strengthen, civic participation.
Research question or central concern
How does religion shape civic and social engagement among young people in Sweden, particularly within a society characterised by extensive secularisation?
Main argument, approach, and contribution
The chapter combines youth research with sociology of religion and treats engagement as broader than formal political participation. It argues that religious belonging can provide moral motivations, social networks, and practical settings for civic action, although these effects vary across individuals and organisations.
Keywords
youth; religion; Sweden; civic engagement; social participation; secularisation; civil society
Emin Poljarević 