The Stickiness of Non-Religion? Intergenerational Transmission and the Formation of Non-Religious Identities in Childhood

Abstract

The rapid rise of those identifying as ‘non-religious’ across many countries has prompted growing interest in the ‘religious nones’. A now burgeoning literature has emerged, challenging the idea that ‘non-religion’ is the mere absence of religion and exploring the substantive beliefs, practices and identities that are associated with so-called unbelief. Yet we know little about the micro-processes through which this cultural shift towards non-religion is taking place. Drawing on data from an ethnographic study, this article examines how, when, where and with whom children learn to be non-religious, and considers the different factors that are implicated in the formation of non-religious identities. While research on religious transmission has demonstrated the importance of the family, our multi-sited approach reveals the important role also played by both school context and children’s own reflections in shaping their formation as non-religious, suggesting a complex pattern of how non-religious socialization is occurring in Britain today.

Much more than a negation of religion: a qualitative exploration of the diversity of non-religious identities in England and Wales

“…Research has also found that around one fifth of adults in the UK who state that they are non-religious pray (Sherwood 2018a). There is also research on non-religious identities, childhood, and upbringing, including education (Strhan and Shillitoe 2019;Voas and Crockett 2005;Voas and McAndrew 2012).…”

‘Just leave it blank’ non-religious children and their negotiation of prayer in school

“…The reflections from the children at these fieldsites demonstrate how their everyday engagements with religion and non-religion involved nuanced constructions and reconstructions. Consequently, when considering religious socialization, or non-religious socialization, it is important to consider the different spaces, places and agents that contribute to this, including the agency of children themselves (Kwaku Golo et al 2019;Strhan and Shillitoe 2019). Specifically, when considering the rise of non-religion, it is crucial to pay attention to the everyday and often mundane encounters with religion as experiences that can shape and impact the socialization of non-religious children (Strhan and Shillitoe 2019;Dahl et al 2019).…”

“…Consequently, when considering religious socialization, or non-religious socialization, it is important to consider the different spaces, places and agents that contribute to this, including the agency of children themselves (Kwaku Golo et al 2019;Strhan and Shillitoe 2019). Specifically, when considering the rise of non-religion, it is crucial to pay attention to the everyday and often mundane encounters with religion as experiences that can shape and impact the socialization of non-religious children (Strhan and Shillitoe 2019;Dahl et al 2019). Given that schools often become a particular site of contestation in relation to the place of religion in public life, we need to ensure that children's voices and experiences of religion and non-religion are heard in relation to these debates.…”

“…To date, this research has mostly focused on the experiences and perspectives of children identified as religious. Research on socialization and religion, dominated by quantitative North American studies based on largely Christian samples or surveys of teenagers, has charted the decline of religious identification and belief amongst such populations, with non-religion mostly theorized in terms of a lack (e.g., Smith and Denton 2005, see discussion in Strhan and Shillitoe 2019). The concept of intergenerational transmission (or its lack) is also often used as an explanation for secularizing processes within childhood and adolescence (Voas 2003).…”

“…The Version of Record of this manuscript has been published and is available in Religion http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0048721X.2020.1758230 religious affiliation drops when children reach adolescence and become old enough to complete their own affiliation on censuses. This approach, however, relies on adults' determination of their children as religious or non-religious, and further qualitative work is needed to open up understanding of what it means to be non-religious in childhood (Strhan and Shillitoe 2019).…”