In this essay I aim to identify and explain the ways four young Muslims search for knowledge of Islam by using qualitative research interviews. The questions I intend to answer are: In what ways do young Muslims search for information of Islam? In what arenas do they search for information? And, why does their search for knowledge take these forms?In the light of works by Jonas Otterbeck and using theories put forward by Anthony Giddens and Philip Sutton, Göran Larsson and Ann Frisén I have answered the questions of the study.The results show that the three young men who are actively searching for knowledge of Islam do most of their searching on the internet. They do however consider their parents and close relatives, and the local and foreign imams to be the most reliable sources of information. Two of the young men also consider certain family friends their most important sources. What makes these sources authorities to the young people seems to be their apparent religious knowledge, experience and their religious way of life in general. Two of the young men consider connections to the Muslim world, especially Saudi Arabia, a sign of expertise among their sources.Socialization theory can partly explain why the young men search for knowledge of Islam among their close relatives and family friends. Their choices of authorities as sources may also be explained by a quest for a “true” Islam, which is a phenomenon among young Muslims born or raised in a non-Muslim country.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-51651 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Arenlind, Jonna |
| Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för kulturvetenskaper (KV) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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