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Perceptions of Catholicity in a plural society : an ethnographic case study of Catholic secondary schools in England
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Casson, Ann Elizabeth (2010) Perceptions of Catholicity in a plural society : an ethnographic case study of Catholic secondary schools in England. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b2490816~S15
Abstract
This is an ethnographic study of a small sample of Catholic secondary schools in
England evaluating their role within the Catholic faith tradition and their
contribution to community cohesion. The research is firmly based within an
ethnographic framework; it explores the perception of Catholic schools by
members, in particular the young people, of the Catholic school community. The
ethnographic data was collected through semi-structured focus group interviews
and observations. The understanding of religion is developed from the work of
Hervieu-Léger on religion as a chain of memory. The concept of social capital in
the form of bonding and bridging, and both religious and spiritual capital provides
a framework to understand the factors within Catholic schools, which are
perceived to create a Catholic community and those which are perceived to
develop or hinder cohesion in plural society.
The students’ understandings of their Catholic identity were diverse and
fragmentary, with precarious links to the Catholic Church as an institution.
However, there was a valuing of aspects of the Catholic faith tradition which were
used to construct their own understanding of Catholicism, leading to a conclusion
that the Catholic school is a source of spiritual capital for its members. The
participants perceived their schools to have a Catholic nature, a strong ‘sense of
community’. The Catholic schools were good generators of bonding capital,
although this was focused on the school rather than the wider Catholic
community. Perceptions of the boundaries of the school focused on everyday
encounters with outsiders such as ‘the school next door’ rather than members of
other faith communities. This research has implications: for the faith school
debate and issues concerning social cohesion; for the Catholic school’s role in the
transmission of the faith tradition and for an understanding of young people’s
Catholic identity.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity L Education > LC Special aspects of education |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Catholic high schools -- Great Britain, Catholic children -- Religious life | ||||
Official Date: | September 2010 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Institute of Education | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Nesbitt, Eleanor M. ; Francis, Leslie J. | ||||
Sponsors: | Great Britain. Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) | ||||
Extent: | 358 leaves | ||||
Language: | eng |
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