TY - JOUR

T1 - Religion and local civil society: participation and change in a post-industrial village

AU - Davis, Howard

AU - Dallimore, David

AU - Mann, Robin

AU - Eichsteller, Marta

PY - 2021/9

Y1 - 2021/9

N2 - The relationship between religion and civil society at the macro level has attracted the attention of sociologists of religion but empirical detail of how religion is connected to the social relations and practices that constitute local civil society is relatively lacking. This article explores the contemporary social and communal significance of the religious dimension in local civil society using the authors’ ethnographic fieldwork and biographical interviews in one post-industrial village in North East Wales. Data on social change and participation in the locality includes evidence of decline in religious affiliation and practice alongside the persistence of religion in the built environment, family ties, memory and sense of belonging. The evidence can be used to inform a number of recent debates in both the sociology of religion and studies of civil society, including (post)secularity, religiously-motivated social action, networks and associations, beliefs and belonging.

AB - The relationship between religion and civil society at the macro level has attracted the attention of sociologists of religion but empirical detail of how religion is connected to the social relations and practices that constitute local civil society is relatively lacking. This article explores the contemporary social and communal significance of the religious dimension in local civil society using the authors’ ethnographic fieldwork and biographical interviews in one post-industrial village in North East Wales. Data on social change and participation in the locality includes evidence of decline in religious affiliation and practice alongside the persistence of religion in the built environment, family ties, memory and sense of belonging. The evidence can be used to inform a number of recent debates in both the sociology of religion and studies of civil society, including (post)secularity, religiously-motivated social action, networks and associations, beliefs and belonging.

KW - Civil society

KW - Wales

KW - Religion

KW - participation

KW - locality

U2 - 10.1080/13537903.2021.1936967

DO - 10.1080/13537903.2021.1936967

M3 - Article

VL - 36

SP - 287

EP - 309

JO - Journal of Contemporary Religion

JF - Journal of Contemporary Religion

SN - 1353-7903

IS - 2

ER -