ERIC Number: EJ1210556
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Apr
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1442-018X
EISSN: N/A
Making Minority Faith (In)Visible through Religious Education: Parents' Experiences of the Identification of Their Children's Orthodox Identity in Finnish Public Schools
Metso, Pekka
Journal of Religious Education, v67 n1 p61-76 Apr 2019
The focus of this article is on parents' experiences with and perceptions of their children's religious education (RE). The data consist of letters from 41 parents of Finnish Orthodox children and youth. In the letters, the parents describe their understanding of minority religious upbringing and how it is affected by different factors like RE. RE is a mandatory subject in Finnish schools, and it is taught in groups consisting of children with the same religious backgrounds. The main questions in this article are (1) how do the parents view the arrangements for Orthodox RE to make their children's minority religious affiliation visible at school, and (2) what is the effect of RE on the formation of their children's minority identity? The analyses show that parents perceive RE as an important factor in their children's identity formation. Despite the sometimes inadequate arrangements for Orthodox RE in school, the parents are mostly happy with the subject and with their children's RE teachers. RE makes the minority religious affiliation of Orthodox children both visible and invisible: their difference from the majority is exposed, but minority RE classes often take place outside of regular school hours and even outside of school premises.
Descriptors: Parent Attitudes, Religious Education, Letters (Correspondence), Minority Groups, Religious Cultural Groups, Religious Factors, Educational Environment, Self Concept, Foreign Countries, Identification, Required Courses, Elementary Secondary Education
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A