Secularisation is at the centre of a vibrant debate in the sociology of religion. In the last two decades, literature has started to challenge old predictions and interpretations of the future of religion, but few studies present a detailed contextual examination of religious change in contemporary societies. Offering a comparative analysis of Scotland and Sweden, two nations in the relatively secularised Northern Europe, this thesis argues that diverse historical and political trajectories shape distinct patterns of religious beliefs and practices. Scotland and Sweden are two secularising nations characterised by historically dominant Protestant churches, but which nonetheless differ largely in their experiences of religious decline. In order to discern and differentiate key aspects of religious change in each nation as well as to explore contextual meanings of religion, a mixed methods approach was adopted, comprised of secondary quantitative data analysis as well as in-depth interviews. Data analysis identified and highlighted broader patterns and individual understandings of religious beliefs as well as three dimensions of religious belonging: church attendance, religious identification and membership, and participation in rituals. Results show that on measures of religious beliefs and church attendance, Sweden appears further secularised than Scotland. Arguably, Sweden has seen rapid and relatively early secularisation, with important social structural and political changes that occurred in the second half of the 19th century. With noticeable generational differences, data on Scotland point towards the mid-20th century as a crucial time of religious decline. Additionally, the remaining functions of the national churches differ considerably in the two nations. A majority of Swedes identify with the Church of Sweden, which serves a largely secular purpose as part of a cultural heritage and as a provider of life cycle ceremonies. By contrast, the Church of Scotland has maintained a stronger commitment to religious doctrine in a nation that is more religiously diverse. The findings ultimately draw attention to the importance of context in the study of diverse and complex processes of religious change. As a result, they reveal limitations to attempts in the contemporary sociology of religion set out to generalise and dichotomise European trends of religious belief and belonging.

Community colleges continue to experience high levels of student attrition and low degree/certificate completion rates. Given extant literature, there appears to be a need to reexamine how interactions between students and the institution, and students and institutional agents are taking place, with the aim of identifying institutional practices that deleteriously or positively impact degree completion and thus guide colleges to develop action plans to improve conditions for student success. This study examined how factors such as institutional commitment to students, mattering, sense of belonging, interactions with diverse peers, perceptions of the campus climate, engagement/involvement, socio-academic integrative experiences, and goal commitment collectively affected community college students’ intent to persist to degree completion. The proposed model tested the tenability of seven propositions examining how the above constructs interact to influence intent to persist. The sample consisted of 2,088 multiply diverse community college students. The conceptual model was grounded on Astin’s (1991) Input-Environment-Outcome model and was tested in the context of structural equation modeling. Multiple group invariance analyses for race/ethnicity were conducted. The conceptual model explained 28% of the variance on intent to persist for Asian students, 21% for White students, and 19% for Latino/a students. Results indicated that transition support from family/friends exerted the highest effect on intent to persist across all racial/ethnic groups, followed by engagement/involvement, perceptions of mattering, interactions with diverse peers, GPA, goal commitment, and socio-academic integrative experiences, albeit varying by group. This study was the first in the literature to empirically demonstrate a causal effect between institutional commitment to students and perceptions of mattering. Mattering, in turn, exerted a moderate to strong influence on engagement/involvement, socio-academic integrative experiences, sense of belonging, and indirectly on intent to persist. Evidence in support of an omnibus “student development and success” construct, as alluded to by Wolf-Wendel, et al. (2009) is also presented. Of import to these findings is that while this construct explained a significant proportion of the variance for engagement/involvement, belonging, mattering, and interactions with diverse peers, the individual factors exerted an independent effect on intent to persist. Implications for theory, research, and practice are also discussed.

This doctoral thesis centres on children of immigrant background, who live and go to school in a non-urban community. The emphasis is on their narrated experience of a sense of belonging in and out of school. The study is based on interviews with 13 children at two different schools in two small-sized municipalities, and aimed at identifying the factors in their narratives that impact on their sense of belonging as well as the related conditions and means of action. The interviews were conversational and most of the children were interviewed on three occasions.   Each result chapter analyses a specific dilemmatic space related to a sense of belonging, such as peer relationships, trips to the “home country”, and managing in school. In particular, the emotions related to the children’s narrative positionings are analysed as well as the narrative resources employed in their narration.   The results show that their sense of belonging is produced in the interplay between the conditions of immigration and the socio-cultural conditions in the small-sized community. The children describe extensive relational and emotional work to enter into comradeship. Dimensions of being like and unlike gain importance and involve clothing, height and colour of skin. Several of the children describe how they cope with ‘racifying’ and other excluding processes of ‘othering’ on a daily basis. Trips to the home country emerge as central events in their lives and it is clear that a sense of belonging is connected to place attachment and anchored in embodied sensory emotions. Managing school is important to all the children but is attributed different meanings in the pursuit of the long-term goal of employment.   In conclusion, the children’s experiences are discussed in terms of two interwoven and sometimes separate projects emerging in the children's narratives: the Swedishness project and the family project. / Vad innebär det att vara barn med migrationsbakgrund om man bor och går i skolan på en mindre ort? Vad och hur berättar barnen om sin vardag och sina sociala relationer i och utanför skolan? Om dessa frågor handlar den här avhandlingen och det specifika forskningsintresset är känsla av tillhörighet i och utanför skolan. Denna studie bygger på intervjuer med barn med migrationsbakgrund som bor och går i skolan på två mindre orter i Sverige. De har alla erfarenhet av att antingen de själva eller någon av deras föräldrar har brutit upp från det sammanhang där de tidigare levt. Barnen har därmed ofta erfarenhet av att tillhörighet blir något som utmanas. Resultaten visar hur känsla av tillhörighet formas i samspelet mellan migrationens villkor och villkor på den mindre orten. Barnen beskriver ett omfattande relationellt och emotionellt arbete i berättelser om kamratrelationer, resor till hemlandet och om att klara skolan.   Barnens erfarenheter kan ses som relaterade till två tydliga projekt: svenskhetsprojektet och familjeprojektet. Dessa projekt vävs samman i barnens berättelser och svenskhetsprojektet kan både vara och inte vara en viktig del i ett familjeprojekt.

The purpose of this research was to examine Black STEM students’ sense of belonging. The researcher also sought to understand what factors most contributed to students’ sense of belonging and whether the involvement in a living learning community or summer bridge program had an effect. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used. Participants (N = 89) were administered a revised Psychological Sense of School Membership survey, then were purposively selected to participate in follow-up interviews (N = 8). A principal component analysis, an independent t-test, and a multiple regression analysis were conducted. Results of the principal component analysis identified a two-component model containing 15 items. Survey results indicated that students in a cohort did not differ significantly on their sense of belonging. Sense of belonging was not a significant indicator of academic success. Seven themes emerged during the qualitative phase of the study: (a) student perception of the university; (b) student perception of STEM; (c) individual attributes; (d) family; (e) faculty interaction and support; (f) peer interaction and support; and (g) recommendations. The quantitative and qualitative data provided details regarding students’ perceptions of belongingness. Students highlighted the importance of relationships with others, specifically with faculty and peers, to their belonging and success in the university. This study provided researchers, university administrators, professors, and even students insight into the world of Black STEM students and highlighted the nuances associated with their attendance at a predominately White institution and studying in a White, male dominated field.

This study examined the self-reported perceptions of post-secondary Aboriginal students who were part of a peer mentoring relationship in the Promoting Aboriginal Community Together (PACT) program at the University of Manitoba. PACT supports Aboriginal students transitioning into university life by providing participants with social and academic development, activities, as well as the opportunity to be mentored by an upper-level Aboriginal student. This study asked whether their participation helped them persist in their academic goals and whether peer mentoring as an engagement strategy affects the sense of belonging to the university. The qualitative research design of this phenomenological study permitted a probing of the interview data documenting the experiences of the ten participants, Aboriginal students who had participated in PACT. Among the ways in which participants benefitted from PACT was expressed in themes such as: opportunity to participate in community with other Aboriginal students, networking, overcoming shyness, and getting academic advice. / May 2016

Thesis advisor: Ana M. Martínez-Alemán / College students today are the most connected and social media savvy generation in the history of higher education (Junco & Cole-Avent, 2008) and maintain constant connections to online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (Clem & Junco, 2015). Social media are now understood as a central component of campus and student life across colleges and universities (Martínez-Alemán & Wartman, 2009). Coinciding with the proliferation of social media use has been a rise in racialized hostilities on online settings. These offenses often target racially minoritized students, and scholars have become increasingly interested in understanding the ways this antagonism on social media impacts college student experiences (Tynes, Rose, & Markoe, 2013), including Asian Americans (Museus & Truong, 2013).         This dissertation uses a critical race theory framework to examine the racialized environment on social media, how Asian American college students experience racialized aggressions, and how their sense of belonging is impacted by racially hostile online encounters. This dissertation addresses the following question: How do encounters with racialized aggressions on social media impact Asian American students’ sense of belonging at a PWI? 29 participants from a predominantly white institution, East Oak University, engaged in individual interviews, participant observations, artifact collection, and focus groups as part of this study. The findings of this study suggest that the encounter of racialized aggressions on social media, especially those on the anonymous platform Yik Yak, are detrimental in facilitating positive sense of belonging among Asian Americans at East Oak. These online racialized encounters are asserted to be rooted in the endemic nature of racism at East Oak, and the claiming of social media as a property that enabled Whites to define and dictate campus culture by engaging in racist discourse. The nature of these online communications speaks to the ways that social media is suggested to influence both sense of belonging and institutional racial climates on today’s college campuses. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

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This study seeks to understand ways in which members’ experience a sense of belonging within Sephora’s own commodified community: Beauty Insider. Three research questions are presented, the final one being of highest importance: in which way do members of Beauty Insider experience a sense of belonging? To be able to understand the members, previous research is presented where Muniz & O’Guinn’s (2001) study on Brand Communities is essential, as well as the study conducted by Dholakia et al. (2004) on participation within communities. To better understand what activities members engage in within communities, a theoretical framework based on fan cultures, consumer culture and participatory culture is presented to gain a better understanding of the aspects of a community. This study will approach the research questions mainly using focus group interviews, as well as a necessary description of the discourse content of the platform to better understand the context of the study. The study concludes by presenting a result and an analysis that is, mostly, in line with previous research as well as discovering new aspects of members attitudes towards Beauty Insider and which meaning members experience as a result of participating in different activities within the community.

Thesis advisor: Mary E. Walsh / Gender is an undeniably significant element of human identity, contributing to multiple aspects of development. Previous research suggests that gender typicality, a sense that one is typical for one's own gender category, is associated with positive developmental outcomes among children while a sense of gender atypicality is generally associated with negative outcomes, including lowered self-esteem (Egan & Perry, 2001). This study further investigates the relationship between gender typicality and self-esteem from a developmental-contextual perspective by examining the relationship in the context of various developmental systems (e.g., school, peer group). Positive connections to developmental systems such as peers and school have been found to foster resilience by reinforcing strengths and buffering students from negative outcomes (Masten & Coatsworth, 1998). Therefore, it was hypothesized that classroom social support and school belonging would moderate the relationship between gender typicality and self-esteem by protecting gender atypical children from the negative cost of low self-esteem. Within the current sample, the relationship between gender typicality and self-esteem was more robust than in previous studies. While the moderating hypotheses were not confirmed, gender typicality was found to mediate the relationship between school belonging and self-esteem. The current findings underscore the vital role of gender and gender typicality in children's lives. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts in schools are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

A presente pesquisa objetivou compreender como os idosos significam suas práticas de lazer vivenciadas nos grupos de convivência dos quais fazem parte promovidos pela Prefeitura Municipal de Porto Alegre/RS, desenvolvidos no Parque Alim Pedro. Na busca de alcançar esse objetivo, foi desenvolvida uma etnografia durante os meses de setembro a dezembro de 2017, período em que vivenciei as atividades das modalidades: “REEDUCAÇÃO POSTURAL”, “RITMOS” e “CAMINHADA ORIENTADA”. Juntamente com os idosos e professores participei de diversas atividades que eram realizadas cotidianamente, incluindo as rodas de conversas, as confraternizações, os ensaios e as apresentações. Todas estas vivências foram relatadas nos meus diários de campo. No mês de março de 2018 realizei 27 entrevistas com os idosos participantes destas práticas de lazer e 3 entrevistas com os professores. Após este período de imersão na realidade estudada, os dados empíricos desta pesquisa foram analisados e interpretados e, com isso, desenvolvi as categorias de análise. O universo e contexto do local estudado foram abordados no primeiro capítulo juntamente com a descrição e as características dos três grupos pesquisados. Após essa contextualização descrevo as categorias de análises: A “Adesão às Atividades”, onde os idosos relataram que aderiram as atividades pelos mais variados motivos, dentre eles a prática durante toda a vida, a aposentadoria, o incentivo de amigos ou parentes, a busca por atividades que amenizem os fatores negativos do envelhecimento e recomendação médica. Na segunda categoria, ”Os Cuidados com a Saúde”, pude constatar que a busca e consequentemente, a manutenção da saúde aliada as preocupações com a estética são fatores influenciadores para a permanência dos idosos nas práticas de lazer desenvolvidas no Parque Alim Pedro. Na terceira categoria, “Autonomia e Independência” foi evidenciado que os participantes desta pesquisa associam as práticas de lazer com as melhorias na saúde física, propiciando melhoras na capacidade funcional dos idosos. A quarta, e última categoria, “O Bem-estar e as Práticas de Lazer” os participantes demostraram que as atividades realizadas no Parque Alim Pedro possibilitam maior sociabilidade, favorecendo a noção de pertencimento, o que impulsiona a permanência nas atividades. Diante dessas categorias, finalizo os resultados fazendo uma reflexão acerca de uma possível Necessidade/Obrigatoriedade do Lazer para o público idoso. Frente aos resultados obtidos, na conclusão deste estudo procurei estabelecer um diálogo com algumas concepções do lazer, tendo em vista algo que me pareceu paradoxal: por um lado o lazer é visto como algo distante das obrigações, algo que ‘se escolhe’, por outro, parece existir autoconsciência da necessidade/obrigatoriedade de participação nessas práticas para pessoas dessa faixa etária. Fica, assim, um questionamento: as vivências de lazer, para o público idoso, não acabam por ser ‘obrigatórias/necessárias’? / This research aimed to comprehend how the elderly audience signify their practices of leisure in living groups promoted by the Municipal Administration of Porto Alegre, developed at Alim Pedro Park. Searching this goal, an etnography study was developed from the months of september to december, 2017, in which I watched the activities in this different modalities: “POSTURAL REEDUCATION”, “RHYTHMS” and “ORIENTED WALKING”. Next to the elderly and the teachers I participated from many activities that were accomplished everyday, including the chat circles, the confraternizations, the rehearsals and the presentations. All these experiences were reported on my diaries. During March, 2018, I did 27 interviews with the elderly audience and three interviews with the teachers. After this period of immersion in the reality, the empirical data were analysed and interpreted and, after that, I developed the categories of analyses. The universe and the local context that were studied were mentioned in the first chapter with the description and the characteristics of the three researched groups. After this contextualization I describe the categories of the analyses: The “Accession to the Activities”, where the elderly reported that joined to the activities for many reasons, among them the practice of exercises during all their lives, the retirement, the incentive of relatives or friends, the search for activities that could soften the negative factors of aging and the medical recommendation. In the second category, “The Care with Health”, I could verify that the search and the maintenance of health, allied to the concerns with esthetics are influencers for the permanence of the elderly in the leisure practices developed at Alim Pedro Park. In the third cathegory, “Autonomy and Independence” it was evidenced that the participants of this research associate the leisure practices to the physical health improvements, providing improvements on their functional capacity. In the fourth and last category, “The Wellfare and the Practices of Leisure”, the participants demonstrated that the activities developed at Alim Pedro Park enable a greater sociability, favoring the notion of belonging, which boosts their permanence on them. According to these categories, I finish the results doing a reflexion about a possible Necessity/Obligation of Leisure to the elderly audience. Facing the obtained results, in the conclusion of this study I tried do establish a dialogue with some conceptions of leisure, taking into consideration what seemed paradoxical for me: from one side leisure is viewed like something distant from the obligations, something that “we choose”, on the other hand, it seems to exist self-awareness necessity/obligation of participation on these practicals for people from this range of age. Finally, I conclude this study with the following question: The leisure experiences to the elderly audience do not end up being “obligatory”?