Confessionality and (dis)integration in multiethnic areas

An attempt is made in the text to sketch out the theoretical framework for empirical research into the influence of confessionality on the processes of integration in the multiethnic areas of Croatian society. The currency of Durkheim's thesis on the integrational role of religion in society is...

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Main Author: Željko Boneta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies 2007-12-01
Series:Migracijske i etničke teme
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/34139
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author Željko Boneta
author_facet Željko Boneta
author_sort Željko Boneta
collection DOAJ
description An attempt is made in the text to sketch out the theoretical framework for empirical research into the influence of confessionality on the processes of integration in the multiethnic areas of Croatian society. The currency of Durkheim's thesis on the integrational role of religion in society is considered in the introductory part of the paper. That is followed by analysis of the four modes of influence wrought by the religious on integration and disintegration in modern societies, drawing on Fox's research. The last part of the text examines the significance of religion and the religious in integrational and disintegrational processes in Croatian society. It is established in that context that confessionality – in those multiethnic milieux in which it coincides with ethnicity – has latent potential that can be instrumentalised in the process of homogenisation and mobilisation of ethnic groups. In such cases, confessionality acts in a twofold manner: integrationally on the ethnic group, as its common denominator that overarches the forces that set it apart, and disintegrationally on society, re-enforcing the ethnic distance. The text concludes with two hypotheses: 1) ethno-confessional instrumentalisation was more successful in regions in which the confessional scene was reduced to only two confessions (the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox); 2) milieux at a higher level of modernisation were more resistant to conflicts.
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spelling doaj.art-33ba359d54694463ad7b0b35b9c298dd2024-03-03T00:44:21ZengInstitute for Migration and Ethnic StudiesMigracijske i etničke teme1333-25461848-91842007-12-01234409422Confessionality and (dis)integration in multiethnic areasŽeljko Boneta0Teacher Education Faculty, Rijeka, CroatiaAn attempt is made in the text to sketch out the theoretical framework for empirical research into the influence of confessionality on the processes of integration in the multiethnic areas of Croatian society. The currency of Durkheim's thesis on the integrational role of religion in society is considered in the introductory part of the paper. That is followed by analysis of the four modes of influence wrought by the religious on integration and disintegration in modern societies, drawing on Fox's research. The last part of the text examines the significance of religion and the religious in integrational and disintegrational processes in Croatian society. It is established in that context that confessionality – in those multiethnic milieux in which it coincides with ethnicity – has latent potential that can be instrumentalised in the process of homogenisation and mobilisation of ethnic groups. In such cases, confessionality acts in a twofold manner: integrationally on the ethnic group, as its common denominator that overarches the forces that set it apart, and disintegrationally on society, re-enforcing the ethnic distance. The text concludes with two hypotheses: 1) ethno-confessional instrumentalisation was more successful in regions in which the confessional scene was reduced to only two confessions (the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox); 2) milieux at a higher level of modernisation were more resistant to conflicts.http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/34139confessionalityintegrationdisintegrationmultiethnic milieuCroatia
spellingShingle Željko Boneta
Confessionality and (dis)integration in multiethnic areas
Migracijske i etničke teme
confessionality
integration
disintegration
multiethnic milieu
Croatia
title Confessionality and (dis)integration in multiethnic areas
title_full Confessionality and (dis)integration in multiethnic areas
title_fullStr Confessionality and (dis)integration in multiethnic areas
title_full_unstemmed Confessionality and (dis)integration in multiethnic areas
title_short Confessionality and (dis)integration in multiethnic areas
title_sort confessionality and dis integration in multiethnic areas
topic confessionality
integration
disintegration
multiethnic milieu
Croatia
url http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/34139
work_keys_str_mv AT zeljkoboneta confessionalityanddisintegrationinmultiethnicareas