Religion, meaning and masculinities: Religion in the lives of men in Finland

This project explores what religion means to men and how the role of religion is changing among men in Finland. Recent statistical data suggest an increase in religiousness among young men. However, religious change has not previously been analysed from the perspective of men and their religious experience. We focus on three themes: what is religion to men and what role does it play for them; what kinds of continuities and changes in religion exist across generations and over the life course of men; and how are religion, meaning and masculinities intertwined in the lives of men. We approach these questions using with both survey data and qualitative co-research approaches. We study men’s lived religion in life transitions, in faith communities, and beyond religion: in other areas of life in which men seek meaning in their lives. By gaining novel insight into the religious lives of men, we also deepen our understanding of the changing role of religion in the Western world.

Research questions :

This project aims to understand the processes that are linked to the role and meaning of religion in the lives of men in Finland. Through novel data collection using a mixed-methods and co-research approach, we seek to depict the grassroot experience of both ‘hegemonic masculinity’ and its variations, as well as subordinated and alternative masculinities, as they are determined and experienced in different religious contexts across Finland. The geographical focus of our data collection is Finland, but through the analysis of quantitative surveys, multicultural research participants and collaboration with partners we also extend beyond the Finnish context. This also enables us to conduct comparative analysis of continuities and changes in the lived religion of men across different countries.

We explore the intersections of lived religion and masculinities in different contexts. Our analysis is guided by the theoretical discussion on hegemonic masculinities vs. subordinated masculinities, which we do not perceive as binary. Using various data, we seek to approach masculinities as changing in the life course, in a local and societal context, as well as religion as a cultural phenomenon having both traditional and novel meanings in the lives of men.

Our research has three thematic foci in studying lived religion among men:

1. The role of religion: What role does religion play for men across generations in Finland? What is religion to men? Which spheres of life provide existential meaning to men?
2. Continuity and change: What kinds of continuities and changes are there in the meanings and lived experience of religion for men across generations? How does the role and meaning of religion change over the life course of men?
3. Masculinities and meaning: How are religion, meaning and masculinity intertwined in the lives of men? What kind of masculinities are constructed in different religious contexts? What kind of meaning-making processes are relevant for constructing masculine identities?

Work packages:

We analyse religion in the lives of men in the following four work packages:

• WP1: Continuity and change of religion in the lives of men – the big picture
• WP2: Religion, meaning and masculinities in transitions of men’s life
• WP3: Religion, meaning and masculinities in faith communities
• WP4: Masculinities and meaning beyond religion