A Sociological Study of Atheism and Naturalism as Minority Identities in Appalachia.

<p>This qualitative study aims to provide a sociological understanding of people who hold minority beliefs about spirituality and religion and to improve our sociological and social-psychological understanding of a-religious and alternatively religious people. Data were collected through indepth interviews with 10 atheist and 11 naturalist respondents. The study examines the religious histories of the respondents, how they left mainstream religion, how they adopted a minority identity with regard to religion/spirituality, and their personal experiences living in a predominately Christian area. I hypothesized that atheists and naturalists would hold minority identities and feel subordinated or oppressed by the dominant group: Christians. Analyses of interviews provided strong support for the idea that the respondents experienced a minority identity in the sociological sense.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MA (Master of Arts)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - unrestricted

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Church-Hearl, Kelly E.

• appalachia
• prejudice
• discrimination
• spirituality
• religion
• identity work
• minority identity
• minority
• naturalism
• atheism
• Demography, Population, and Ecology
• Regional Sociology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Sociology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by the authors.

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1996

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-3348