Leder ungdomars religiösa engagemang till ökad delaktighet och hälsa?

Abstract

Does young people's religious commitment lead to empowerment and health?

One of the major problems in contemporary Swedish society is an increasing proportion of psychologically ailing young people. It is often argued that one of the reasons for this situation is declining possibilities for young people to actively participate and engage in Swedish society. One important area of participation and involvement for young people could be religious organizations. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between young people's religious commitments and their mental wellbeing. The focus of the study is young people who are active in the Church of Sweden in Simrishamn. Theories about modernity, identity construction and the glocal society are used to explain the experiences of these young people and their wellbeing. The study is based on interviews with four members in a youth group and one of their leaders. The young people interviewed expressed satisfaction with their lives and articulated that they experienced active participation in society. They nevertheless mentioned that they appreciated that older people took responsibility for their activities in the youth group. Their involvement in the youth group was primarily due to the group itself, which they experienced as having unique qualities. They pointed out that there was a religious resonance in the group that created a sense of security and trust, that their participation was voluntary and that the activities in the group were well adapted to young people. The results from the study points to a need to more closely investigate the connection between religious involvement and mental wellbeing among contemporary Swedish youth.