Acculturation, Culture, and Religiosity : A Comparative Cultural Analysis of Swedish and U.S. Contexts for Assyrian Youth

• Beginning from the findings of two research studies within psychology and cultural psychology, Assyrian youth and religious participation in Sweden and U.S. are compared. The comparison is set against the respective cultural contexts, which differ vastly on the nature and role of religion in the host culture. Case examples are constructed from the two studies, highlighting Assyrian religiosity and culture respectively and host culture.Similar results found in both populations are higher levels of Assyrian affiliation and lower levels of host society affiliation. Both studies also indicate higher levels for the importance of marrying an ethnic Assyrian, the importance of speaking the ethnic language, and a statistically significant positive correlation between ethnic affiliation and religious participation. However, differing is the religious participation, being stronger among the Assyrian-American youth. A wider cultural analysis of the two host cultures provides a means for explaining this difference.The case example constructions of the two studies allow culture-specific analysis of how ethnic language maintenance and religious participation are important in identity formation. Identity formation is multidimensional, where both Assyrian and host culture play important roles. In both studies, identity is shown to be situational and strategic, although with different behavioural patterns related to the Swedish and American cultural contexts.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Religionsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- Religious Studies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Acculturation

culture

religiosity

youth

Sweden

U.S.

Psychology of religion

Religionspsykologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

pop (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)