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Between the Spiritual and Practical: Individual Motives and Collective Experiences Among Catholic Lithuanians in Sweden and Norway

Alekna, Augustas LU (2023) SANM03 20231
Social Anthropology
Department of Sociology
Abstract
Coming from a predominantly Catholic country, Lithuanian immigrants in Scandinavia find themselves in a contrasting Protestant context of the host societies. This ethnographic study of diasporic Lithuanian communities and their transnational Catholic practices aims to understand what motivates immigrant Lithuanians to join the church in Sweden or Norway and whether this foreign environment influences their relation to faith. Participant observation of religious events and rituals highlights the unique role of the church in which spiritual and practical aspirations of immigrants converge and provide ground for (religious) socialisation on individual, familial, and communal levels. Besides, in-depth semi-formal interviews provide a more... (More)
Coming from a predominantly Catholic country, Lithuanian immigrants in Scandinavia find themselves in a contrasting Protestant context of the host societies. This ethnographic study of diasporic Lithuanian communities and their transnational Catholic practices aims to understand what motivates immigrant Lithuanians to join the church in Sweden or Norway and whether this foreign environment influences their relation to faith. Participant observation of religious events and rituals highlights the unique role of the church in which spiritual and practical aspirations of immigrants converge and provide ground for (religious) socialisation on individual, familial, and communal levels. Besides, in-depth semi-formal interviews provide a more nuanced understanding of the individual motives and experiences that define the Catholic affiliations of immigrant Lithuanians. Combined, thematic analysis of qualitative observations and interviews shows how national and religious aspects of identity intersect and continue to shape the everyday lives of Catholic Lithuanians residing abroad. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Alekna, Augustas LU
supervisor
organization
course
SANM03 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Social Anthropology, Migration, Religion, Catholicism, Identity
language
English
id
9135737
date added to LUP
2023-08-31 17:26:41
date last changed
2023-08-31 17:26:41
@misc{9135737,
  abstract     = {{Coming from a predominantly Catholic country, Lithuanian immigrants in Scandinavia find themselves in a contrasting Protestant context of the host societies. This ethnographic study of diasporic Lithuanian communities and their transnational Catholic practices aims to understand what motivates immigrant Lithuanians to join the church in Sweden or Norway and whether this foreign environment influences their relation to faith. Participant observation of religious events and rituals highlights the unique role of the church in which spiritual and practical aspirations of immigrants converge and provide ground for (religious) socialisation on individual, familial, and communal levels. Besides, in-depth semi-formal interviews provide a more nuanced understanding of the individual motives and experiences that define the Catholic affiliations of immigrant Lithuanians. Combined, thematic analysis of qualitative observations and interviews shows how national and religious aspects of identity intersect and continue to shape the everyday lives of Catholic Lithuanians residing abroad.}},
  author       = {{Alekna, Augustas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Between the Spiritual and Practical: Individual Motives and Collective Experiences Among Catholic Lithuanians in Sweden and Norway}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}