Youth and Society 1105HUM

"Belonging"

Impolite Topics?

Traditional Ways of "Belonging"

Religion

Politics

Young people at Church, 1950s, USA

Secularisation

Individualisation

"Believing and Belonging"

Connections made between religious practice and home environment. o Northern Ireland study participants identified most with their religious o
affiliation. Affluent, suburban participants identified least with religious affiliations.

More belief in a "higher order" than interest in religious practice per se. Non-family relationships can lead to religious practices. Former colonization of groups as well as global mobility of people may create pockets of religiosity.

Political Belonging

Participants by-and-large less traditionally political. o general apathy o inaccessible ("Does my opinion count?") o more "individualised" political action. anti-war protests environmental activism "occupy" movements worldwide Wikileaks protests (Brisbane, 2010)

Ethnonational Identities: The Example of Northern Ireland

Catholic = "Irish" or "Republican" Protestant = "British" or "Unionist"

The Role of Critical Moments

Inventing Adulthoods Case Study: Khattab

Identifies as: British citizen, of Pakistani ethnicity, and as a member of the Islam. CRITICAL MOMENT 1: Love of soccer = enthusiastic participation; hopes to be a professional soccer player. CRITICAL MOMENT 2: Knew he couldn't go pro with soccer = intensified religious practices. CRITICAL MOMENT 3: September 11, 2001= Need to be more "out" in his Muslim identity; hopes that people equate Islam with normalcy, not just terrorism.

21 UP!

Please watch the film online. The YouTube URLs will be provided on Learning@Griffith. Please complete the 21 Up! worksheet, which is also found online at L@G so that you can participate in next weeks tutorial discussion.

Discussion Prompts: Week 5

Reading:
How is mobility related to social class and social capital? (p. 102)

Who is the cosmopolitan? How is this type of person described? (p. 102)
Is localism the same thing as lack of mobility? (pp. 102, 106)

Film:
Who are the young people featured in 21 Up? How would you describe each of them? How do you see social capital playing a role in these peoples life decisions? Can you identify specific critical moments in any of the interviewees lives? FOR HD-striving students: You will be able to reflect on 21 Up! in context to week 5s topic of mobility. Additionally, any further reading on the Up! series documentary online, which contributes to your participation and discussion, will be noted.

Sources

Henderson, Sheila et al. (2007). Inventing Adulthoods: A Biographical Approach to Youth Transitions. London: Sage. Swatos, William H. Jr. and Kevin J. Christiano.(1999) Secularization Theory: The Course of a Concept, Sociology of Religion Fall 1999 (online).