The Role of Nonreligious Organizations in Managing Individual Nonreligious Identities

• In Event: 262 - Section on Sociology of Religion Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 09. Church and Non-Church Organizations

Abstract

Social research on non-religion, defined in contrast to religion, has grown exponentially in just the past decade. Some of this work has addressed nonreligious organizations, or groups that offer activities and services to individuals who identify with nonreligious labels such as atheist, agnostic, skeptic, freethinker, humanist, or secular. To this point, such organizations have been used primarily as a strategy of sampling for atheists or a context where identity development occurs. However, researchers have not examined closely the nonreligious organizations themselves, or how these formal and informal groups both affect and are affected by the people who join them. For example, non-belief is stigmatized in the United States, and organizations may provide resources to help nonbelievers manage these stigmatized identities. Consequently, as more people begin to participate in such groups, the organizations may evolve in an attempt to reach an even wider audience. This research employs participant observation, in-depth interviewing, and content analysis to explore the relationships between personal, social, and organizational identity. This paper aims to describe the different types of organizations that cater to the nonreligious community, uncover how they help individuals construct and maintain a nonreligious identity, and determine whether organizational involvement encourages nonbelievers to see themselves as part of a cohesive group with collective interests. This study adds to the growing amount of research devoted to non-religion, while contributing to established sociological literature on religion, identity, and organizations.

Author

• Amanda Marie Schutz, University of Arizona