XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

423

Religion and Diversity: An International Study

RC22 Sociology of Religion (host committee)

Language: French and English

The Religion and Diversity Project (2010-2018) is a major collaborative research initiative involving 37 researchers in 5 countries (Canada, the United States, France, England and Australia) and 24 universities. Situated at the intersection of sociology, political science, religious studies, and law, this programme of research addresses the following central question: What are the contours of religious diversity and how can we best respond to the opportunities and challenges presented by religious diversity in ways that promote a just and peaceful society? The Religion and Diversity Project is organized around four thematic strands: religious identity, defining and delimiting religion in law, gender and sexuality, and alternative strategies in the management of religious diversity. The project provides new data and theoretical articulations concerning religious diversity, which it frames as a resource, and proposes strategies for equality that advance knowledge and enhance public policy decision-making.  This panel highlights some of the innovative initiatives of the Religion and Diversity Project, including the development of new measures of religion and nonreligion, a media study that took ‘An Ordinary Day’ as its beginning point for assessing religion in the media, an exploration of Religion, Youth and Sexuality and the development of a paradigm that moves beyond tolerance and accommodation.