Religion and Development: the case of the Catholic Relief Services
Author
Árnadóttir, Ingibjörg Bryndis
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-05-17
Pages
56
Abstract
This thesis examines the relationship between religion and international development. Over the past two decades, some scholars argue that religion has returned to the development field because of world events and renewed attention in development journals (Tomlin, 2015), while others contend that religion never left but has become more visible in public life (Casanova, 1994). To explore this debate, the study presents a case study of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), a US-based faith-based organization (a religiously affiliated NGO). Drawing on CRS reports and documents, it analyzes how ideas about secularism (public life organized without religious authority) and religion shape development work. The study uses Foucault’s discourse analysis, which examines how language, concepts and power relations are built into texts and practices. Through this lens, it traces how CRS has described, negotiated and adapted its religious identity within a largely secular global development system (Berger, 2014) over nearly eight decades, and it identifies broader patterns in how religion is discussed in international development.
Afhandlingen undersøger forholdet mellem religion og international udvikling. I de seneste to årtier har nogle forskere hævdet, at religionen er vendt tilbage til udviklingsfeltet på grund af verdensbegivenheder og fornyet interesse i fagtidsskrifter (Tomlin, 2015), mens andre mener, at religionen aldrig forsvandt, men er blevet mere synlig i det offentlige rum (Casanova, 1994). For at belyse denne debat præsenterer studiet et casestudie af Catholic Relief Services (CRS), en amerikansk trosbaseret organisation (en religiøst tilknyttet NGO). Med udgangspunkt i CRS’ rapporter og dokumenter analyseres, hvordan forestillinger om sekularisme (offentligt liv organiseret uden religiøs autoritet) og religion præger udviklingsarbejde. Afhandlingen anvender Foucaults diskursanalyse, som undersøger, hvordan sprog, begreber og magtrelationer er indlejret i tekster og praksisser. Med dette blik spores, hvordan CRS har beskrevet, forhandlet og tilpasset sin religiøse identitet i et overvejende sekulært globalt udviklingssystem (Berger, 2014) gennem næsten otte årtier, og der peges på bredere mønstre i, hvordan religion omtales i international udvikling.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords