What is religion? That is a question that have been asked and answered over and over again since the invention of the word itself. The definition of religion is still engaging and dividing social science. Despite that, the word has a untaught part of our everyday life. We meet the word on the news, in conversations and in education. What we may not consider is that religion is a product of it’s own history which until today, influences the understanding of it. The definition of it is also produced and reproduced in different contexts. These contexts in which religion is presented and explained imprint thus our understanding of religion. This paper aim to examine what religion is and how it is defined and described in the context of a museum, more particularly the exhibition Nordamerikas indianer at Etnografiska museet in Stockholm, Sweden.

The study of the phenomenon of religion is a field that has many challenges regarding what its object of study is and how to observe and interpret the different religious phenomenon in a way that reflects both its origin and how its practiced. The study is carried out through a philosophical approach. In this essay Lua Nazerian intends to address the four different theoretical perspectives: Critical Religion Theory, Cognitive Sciences of Religion, Positive Psychology and Platonic Idealism. The two former ones are well established theoretical frameworks in the study of religion, while the two latter ones are lend from the field of psychology and philosophy to test whether they could be used as analytical tools in the study of religion. Moreover the perspectives different view on the human nature in particular are further examined through the lens of the subcategories: Materialism, Conceptualism and Realism. Furthermore, by adding the two subcategories of 1) a virtuous life 2) transcendence, the essay examines whether the perspectives touches on these topics which seems to be central concepts in the majority of religious doctrine. Finally, some possible conclusions of the perspectives inherent premises impacting the understanding of religion are carefully examined and presented. Suggested further studies to be done cross-disciplines, such as religious studies, positive psychology and philosophy. Also by a combination of descriptive and prescriptive approach within religious studies.

Multiculturalism and the merging of local communities with immigrants demands glocal policies in various sectors—especially in education. In order to successfully integrate immigrants, language acquisition is oftentimes the first initiative educators and politicians regard as one of the most essential attributes for successful and prompt integration. However, language acquisition cannot be separated from the need to bridge communities and their different values, tradition, ideologies, and identities based on their cultural heritages and religious affiliations. In order to properly respond to newly-emerging glocal dynamics in, for instance, classrooms, it is crucial to understand the shifts in racisms from black versus white to East versus West. Therefore, concepts need to consider different dynamics and embrace issues related to gender, sexuality, skin color, habitus, social, financial, and cultural capital, as well as educational achievement (gaps) on an interdisciplinary level. While seeking to find appropriate adaptations of school curricula, it is necessary to not try to run before one can walk—in other words—to not try to let educators teach before they have been taught cross-cultural communication. In addition, racisms cannot be limited to conflicts between immigrants and non-immigrants; racisms also occur among a homogeneous group. The complexity of reuniting and/or integrating various immigrant, non-immigrant, (Middle) Eastern and Western identities and their (intercultural) belonging is critical because of the various circumstances and settings that need to be considered for responding to linguistic, cultural, social, psychological, educational, and financial matters individually. Although there is not one concrete theoretical framework or outcome that can be applied for integration; this dissertation thesis functions as a roadmap for becoming more aware of regional and international struggles. Despite the multifaceted approaches that need to be combined and implemented in terms of second language acquisition, updated teacher training, cross-cultural policies, access to social services and support systems, etc., the education sector remains the foundation for prospective integration: Integrative and multiculturally-aware education provides the glocal society with intercultural and interdisciplinary-applicable assets and capitals. Such abilities help create a politically, socially, financially, culturally, and educationally responsible future embracing transatlantic intermingling instead of oppressing Otherness. Local and global communities benefit from better-adjusted and well-integrated immigrant families and students. The better societies and politics educate, integrate, and value non-locals, the more societies will benefit culturally, socially, politically, and economically from the glocal population. The newly-introduced PIC SAM guidelines provide, in cooperation with key actors and community-centered programs for immigrants and non-immigrants, a roadmap for combining theory and practice in glocal contexts.:Table of Contents vi List of Figures, Tables, and Illustrations x Chapter One 1 Personal Narrative and Relevance: Education as Powerful Integration Tool 1 Rationale, Overview, and Global Integration and Education 7 Theoretical Framework and Methodological Approaches 14 Terminology 17 Steps for Globally-Adjusted Integration and Education 29 Step 1: Understanding Legal Challenges of Turkish Immigrants 29 Step 2: Understanding that Not Every Middle Easterner is a Muslim 33 Step 3: Starting Successful Integration in Kindergarten 33 Step 4: Nurturing Integration Instead of Oppressing Immigration 36 Step 5: Adapting CRT—From Colorblind to Headscarfblind 39 Step 6: Taking the Education Exit for Integration 43 Step 7: Taking the Education Exit to Integration 44 Step 8: Sprucing Up the Headscarf Image 45 Chapter Two 48 Literature Review 48 Chapter Three 103 “Other” Ideologies and Identities—Theoretical Approaches 103 (1) How to Approach Different Ideologies 103 (2) Reasons for Othering and Biased Headscarf Images 103 (3) Disempowering the Exotic Other 104 (4) The Danger of Ill-Ideologies 106 (5) Ideologies as Utopia and Fantasy 108 (6) Capitalization and Mass Economization of Identities and Ideologies 109 (7) Institutionalization of the ISA (aka the School) 110 Chapter Four 113 Individuals are Always-Already Subjects of Ideology 113 Concepts Creating the Multifaceted Constructions of Ideology 114 (1) Ideology as A-Historical 114 (2) Is Ideology “Real” or an Illusion? 115 (3) Individuals are Always-Already Subjects (of Ideology) 116 (4) Subjects within a Mass-Produced Media (Ill)Ideology 117 (5) Shift: From Dominant via Repressed Ideology to State Apparatus 119 (6) Concluding Thoughts on Ideologies 120 Chapter Five 123 Race as Product of Social, Political, and Educational Thought 123 Chapter Six 128 Shifts in Racisms: Whitewashed—From Black to (Middle) East 128 The Wende within Immigration and Globalization 134 (1) History and Its Effect on Pre- and Post-Activism 134 (2) GDR Museums—(False?) Nostalgia in Times of Globalization 141 (3) Cross-Generational Racisms and Racialized White Others 145 Chapter Seven 149 Different Social and Cultural Capitals: East vs. West (German) Habitus 149 Adapting Bourdieu’s Habitus to Different Contexts 151 Comparative Examples: Disadvantaged Groups in the Education Sector 154 Getting to the Nitty-Gritty: The Case of Oscar 156 Concluding the Nitty-Gritty: Political Trust and Progressive Educators 165 Chapter Eight 170 Reverse Activisms: The Importance of Transnational Post-Activism 170 Tear Down that Church! 173 Transferring Activism from the GDR to the 21st Century 177 From “Teaching” Activism to “Doing” Activism 181 East versus West: Striving for Balanced Activisms 184 Activism, Aktivismus, and Activisme—or Negativism? 187 Chapter Nine 190 Adapting and Diversifying CRT 190 Teaching and Learning German and Intercultural Communication 195 Global and Anti-Racist Pedagogies In- and Outside of Schools 200 Roadmap for Changing (the) Dynamics in Germany’s Education 203 (1) Cross-Language Policies: Bilingualism for Everyone 203 (2) Current Challenges in Germany’s Education System 207 (3) Key Actors and Levels in Addressing the Integration Problem(s) 208 (4) Solution Approaches 210 Chapter Ten 212 Glocal Frameworks: Adding “Bi-Religionism” to Bilingualism & Biculturalism 212 Getting to the Nitty-Gritty: The Case of Mo 215 Educational Policy Recommendations 224 Concluding the Nitty-Gritty 230 Chapter Eleven 233 Outlook and Conclusion: Striving for Glocal Awareness and Activist Change 233 References 243 Endnotes 263