Believing in participation: Youth, religion and civic engagement

Abstract

This chapter presents a meta-ethnographic analysis of qualitative studies of youth activism in organisations where religion plays a crucial role-albeit not necessarily the most important. Taking theories of social capital as a starting point, the chapter explores how young people understand and experience their participation in religion-based organisations, their perception of politics and the political, and the role of religion in their lives and activism. The findings suggest that, although religion and religious capital play a key role in young people’s participation, especially at the start, religious social capital is transformed gradually into social capital. Togetherness and social activism increase in significance for young people over time, leading, in some cases, to religion and religious affiliation becoming of secondary importance in young people’s participation.