The perception of spirituality in the Brazilian and Danish social contexts - An intergenerational study

Teixeira, Raphaela Oliveira

4. term

Culture, Communication and Globalization, Master

2021

2021-01-04

76

I takt med at færre går i kirke og den formelle religiøse tilknytning falder, vokser interessen for, hvor spiritualitet er på vej hen. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan mennesker i Brasilien og Danmark opfatter og oplever spiritualitet, og om der findes lignende mønstre på tværs af generationer i begge lande. Studiet anvender et tværsnitsdesign, hvilket vil sige, at det indfanger et øjebliksbillede. Data blev indsamlet via et online, selvadministreret spørgeskema. Oprindelsesland og generation fungerer som de vigtigste sammenligningsvariable. Svarene blev analyseret med en kodningsmetode, hvor besvarelserne blev grupperet i forudbestemte kategorier ud fra det teoretiske rammeværk, og analysen er struktureret efter generation. Fire teoretiske spor danner grundlag: spiritualitetens oprindelse og definition; kultur som begreb, inklusive kontekst om dansk og brasiliansk kultur; generationsbegrebet og beskrivelser af de undersøgte generationer; samt globaliseringens begreb og dens indflydelse på kultur. Ved at sammenligne centrale svar fra Brasilien og Danmark identificerer analysen større og mindre generationstendenser i forhold til spiritualitet. Det mest markante mønster i resultaterne er, at mange foretrækker ikke at knytte sig til etablerede religiøse institutioner eller faste betegnelser. I stedet undgår respondenter ofte klassifikation helt eller orienterer sig mod mere fleksible grupper og idéer, som giver plads til at bevæge sig mellem overbevisninger og praksisser.

As fewer people attend church and formal religious affiliation declines, interest grows in where spirituality is heading. This thesis explores how people in Brazil and Denmark perceive and experience spirituality, and whether similar patterns appear across generations in both countries. The study uses a cross-sectional design, meaning it captures a snapshot in time. Data were collected through an online, self-administered questionnaire. Country of origin and generation serve as the main variables for comparison. Responses were analyzed with a coding approach that grouped answers into categories set in advance by the theoretical framework, and the analysis is organized by generation. Four strands of theory guide the work: the origins and definition of spirituality; the concept of culture, including context on Danish and Brazilian cultures; the idea of a generation and descriptions of the generations examined; and the concept of globalization and how it shapes culture. By comparing key answers from Brazil and Denmark, the analysis identifies broader and narrower generational trends related to spirituality. The most prominent pattern in the findings is that many people prefer not to tie themselves to established religious institutions or fixed labels. Instead, respondents often either avoid classification altogether or relate to groups and ideas that are more flexible, giving them room to move between beliefs and practices.

[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]

spirituality ; culture ; brazil ; denmark ; globalization ; generations ; generational ; religion

Download
View record in AAU Student Projects