The role of religion in ethnic minority youth's civic agency: theoretical considerations and a case study from Finland

This article discusses the multifaceted relationship between religion and civic agency. We present a conceptual framework representing the individual foundation and social aspects of civic agency. Based on qualitative semi-structured interviews, we investigated how young people and religious communities contribute to civic agency. The findings indicate that participating in religious groups provides pleasant emotional experiences, cognitive opportunities, experimental circumstances, a sense of belonging, engagement with others, and responsibility. However, normative adult - youth hierarchies may compromise young people's agency in everyday decision-making processes. The civic potential of religion for meaning, value, and social relations can be addressed in religious and civic education, and pupils' experiences in their religious communities can be used to enhance civic engagement. Furthermore, education in young people's own religious traditions would give them the tools to negotiate issues in their religious communities.