Poster Session
Intergenerational Cohesion during COVID-19 and Beyond: Differences Between Christian and Secular Families
Poster Session
Sebastian Schläfli
The impact of the pandemic on intergenerational relationships in families was significant. Some families were forced to live apart and communicate only through digital media, while others experienced more intense face-to-face interaction. These changes affected family cohesion, coping with challenges, mental health and quality of life. Religious families also experienced changes in relationships and family cohesion. Conflicts over policies often erupted along ideological and religious lines. However, early US studies also show that religion could have a positive impact on family relationships during the pandemic. As part of my doctoral research, I am therefore investigating the extent to which intergenerational family cohesion in Christian families in Switzerland differed from that in secular families during the pandemic. As part of my dissertation, I am conducting an exploratory study of older adults (65+) and their intergenerational family contacts outside the household during the pandemic in Switzerland. The target group includes both secular and Christian individuals. 24 adults who are part of an intergenerational couple were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide and elicitation elements such as photographs. The interview transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis with deductive and inductive categories. Preliminary results show that there is no significant difference in family cohesion between Christian and secular families, although religion may strengthen cohesion in Christian families. My dissertation is part of the project 'Intergenerational Cohesion during COVID-19 and Beyond' of the National Research Programme 80 'COVID-19 in Society'.
Featured Fear and Loathing Upstate: New York Evangelicals, Rural Politics, and Imaginaries of the City View Digital Media
Poster Session
Liam Greenwell
Upstate New York has a complicated—even antagonistic—relationship with New York City and the state government in Albany. Aggrieved by policies that many say do not take rural life into account, locals resent what they see as outsized influence of the metropolis over this sparsely populated part of the state. Right-wingers have taken up this feeling: President-elect Donald Trump has described New York City as a “filthy” “city in decline,” while columnists for the right-wing New York Post have fed into narratives around high crime and racial anxieties around migrants. This preliminary study, based on textual analysis and ethnographic fieldwork, frames this local affective orientation in terms of the region’s evangelicals. Christian tradition has deep connections to angst around the influence of cities going back to the Bible and writings of the Church Fathers. Fear of the city has also motivated evangelical conservative politics since the “Fourth Great Awakening” of the 1970s. Evangelicals in New York—which make up around 10% of the population—see themselves as the “tip of the spear” in an “anti-Christian” environment. Some blame local discord and backbiting on the presence of demons. The rural space is, then, a fallen one—what should be a stronghold of traditional values is infiltrated and corrupted by the debaucherous influences of the city and its tentacular influence over the rest of the state. The city, meanwhile, is simultaneously a zone of danger and opportunity—something to be feared while also a place to prove oneself as a true Christian amid various evil influences.
Religiosity and Ethics in the Labor Market: How Faith Shapes Honesty in Job Applications
Poster Session
Liza Zvi
Religiosity, as a key factor in shaping moral judgment, plays a critical role in an individual's ethical framework and decision-making processes. This study explores the relationship between personal religiosity and the propensity to engage in resume deception, as well as how religiosity influences the ethical evaluation of various situations. The study was conducted with Jewish Israeli adults who had submitted a resume for a job within the past 30 weeks. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing resume fraud, attitudes toward unethical and illegal behavior, as well as occupational and demographic characteristics, including religiosity. The findings suggest that religiosity may predict ethical behavior in job searching. Religious individuals reported stronger moral convictions, reflected in lower tolerance for unethical or illegal actions, compared to their secular counterparts. These moral values were associated with a reduced tendency to engage in resume deception. The results are interpreted through the lens of the theory of planned behavior and perceptions of normative beliefs, suggesting that religiosity provides a moral framework that influences behavior in job application processes.
Sacred Masculine and Divine Feminine: The Challenge of Being a Priest of the Goddess in Italy
Poster Session
Emiliano Russo
The project investigates the relationships between masculinity, priesthood, and neopagan spirituality in Italy through an ethnographic study that includes a diverse sample of men (heterosexual, cisgender, queer, and transgender) who serve as priests within various traditions and movements of contemporary Paganism, such as Wicca, Witchcraft, Goddess Spirituality, and Druidry. Grounded in a critical and non-monolithic definition of masculinity, and recognizing that "male" is not synonymous with heterosexual man, the research explores what motivates these men to dedicate themselves to the worship of the Divine Feminine and how this choice impacts their personal and social identities. It pays particular attention to the conditions of marginalization, invisibility, and vulnerability often experienced by male neopagan priests. Through semi-structured interviews, the project narrates the motivations, roles, practices, and lived representations of the priests of the Goddess, analyzing their gender positioning and their relationships with priestesses and their respective communities. Additionally, it addresses the dynamics of media representation and the connection between activism and spirituality, highlighting how these men serving the Sacred Feminine uphold values of equality and inclusion. Through the narratives and life stories of the interviewees, the research amplifies the experiences of men within the context of the Divine Feminine, exploring the challenges and transformations faced by the Sons of the Goddess in their journeys. It investigates whether, in their priestly roles, gender positioning is decisive or secondary, thereby stimulating an open dialogue on gender, spirituality, and media, while promoting a deeper understanding of the intersections between masculine and feminine in all their manifestations.
