Growing up in Affiliation with a Religious Community

How does the religious affiliation of the family affect the growing up process of young people? Religious minority as a socialization context is a scarcely researched topic. However, as a case study setting for examining the experiences of growing up—and bringing up—a relatively cohesive community provides an interesting context. The findings of this study present insights into value education, identity construction, and the negotiations on values and memberships. These are not only of interest for the researchers in the field but also make the book an essential read for the educators working in multicultural, multi-faith settings. The personal experiences presented in the book reveal the sometimes difficult negotiations the youth face in navigating between differentiation and belonging when there is a tension between the values of a minority group and the larger society. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate the diversity within both the majority and the minority communities, as well as exemplify the variety in the paths to a personally meaningful way of belonging. This book was awarded as the Best PhD Dissertation of the Year 2011 by the Finnish Educational Research Association FERA