Studying Religious Diversity in Suriname and Trinidad: Review and Research Design
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Academic Journal of Suriname 2011, 2, 139 – 143 Social Sciences Concepts and comments Studying Religious Diversity in Suriname and Trinidad: Review and Research Design Mirella P. Nankoe 1*, Soulamy A. Laurens 1, Rayah Bhattacharji 1 1Institute for Graduate Studies and Research, Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname, Paramaribo, Suriname Abstract This article reviews the research design of the master thesis “Religious Diversity in Suriname and Trinidad: An Exploration of the Institutional Development of Christianity, Hinduism and Islam” (Algoe 2011). We identified a few limitations in the existing design, concerning: (1) the number, the comparability and the definition of the social spheres, (2) the criteria for selecting the media as a case, (3) the definition of politics and (4) the relationship between religion and ethnicity. Unlike Algoe’s thesis that focused on the institutional development of religions and on interreligious relations, we propose an alternative design with a focus on the sphere of national decision-making in general, and the interaction between the state and religious institutions as part of development in particular. The key questions and concepts of the alternative design would include (a) the vision of colonial and post-colonial government, and Christian and Hindu institutions on religiously diverse societies and the nation, (b) the policy of colonial and post-colonial governments regarding religious diversity, and (c) Christian and Hindu institutions’ interaction with and participation in national decision making processes. The proposed design would be a comparative study between Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago, using a quantitative and qualitative research strategy and mixed methods such as secondary analysis of quantitative data, qualitative content analysis, and interviews. Key words : Religion, diversity, Suriname, Trinidad, research design, (colonial) policy Introduction Table 1: Population by religion in Suriname & Trinidad Suriname and Trinidad are two post-colonial societies in the Caribbean. Historically, both Religion Suriname 2004 Trinidad 2000 societies share a significant similarity in their religious diversity. After slavery, both societies Abs % Abs % received a large influx of East Indian immigrants, Christianity 2007744 40.7% 641930 57.6% bringing new religions (Hinduism and Islam) to the existing Christian landscape. This brought with it Hinduism 98240 19.9% 250760 22.5% specific challenges in harmonizing interreligious relations. Islam 66310 13.5% 64648 5.8% Table 1 indicates that both societies can now None 38076 7.7% 21598 1.9% be characterized as religiously diverse societies, i.e. Other 12255 2.5% 120666 10.8% a society with religious institutions devoted to different faiths (Sacco, 2004). As will be explained Not stated 77204 15.7% 15170 1.4% later in this article, there are different ways of studying the role of diversity in a society and in a Total 492829 100% 114772 100% nation. Source: Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek. Statistical papers 5, 2007; Census reports of Trinidad 2000, compiled by Kirtie Algoe (Algoe, 2011) * Correspondence to: Mirella Nankoe, Institute for Graduate Studies and Research, Leysweg 86, Paramaribo, Suriname, Tel:(597) 490900/ Fax: (597) 491022, E-mail address: [email protected] Available on-line June 23, 2011 Acad J Sur 2011, (2), 139 - 143 140 Studying religious diversity: review & research idea Most academic discourse and research on sphere of politics is also strictly viewed as political diversity is done by academic centers in Western parties, which we consider an impractical limitation, Europe and North America, which show a as we will illustrate later in this article. The study distinctive orientation of diversity as a destabilizing showed that the social sphere in which differences in factor in society. There are not many scholars who colonial policy is most marked, is that of religious reject this point of view and regard diversity as an festivals and practices. In spite of that, the media is asset. A scholar who examined diversity from this still selected as a case, without sufficient other point of view is Algoe (2011). In this area underpinning. research can be designed in many ways. Therefore, in this article we will examine the research design Finally, we agree with the author that the by Algoe and then present an alternative idea for relationship (overlap or lack thereof) between studying the subject. The purpose of this article is to religion and ethnicity is not fully taken into contribute to academic discourse on the design of account. This is especially complicated for Islam in diversity research from a viewpoint in which Suriname, due to the immigration of a large number diversity has a positive feature. This article stems of Javanese Muslims as indentured laborers, joining from an essay assignment given to students for the the already present East-Indian Muslims. Thus, in subject Research Designs for the Masters course in contrast to Hinduism, Islam in Suriname had Research Methods (Nankoe, Laurens & followers from different ethnic groups. In Trinidad, Bhattacharji, unpublished essay, 2011). Muslims were predominantly East-Indian. Since this research design is far too broad, we have Review of existing design decided to limit the perspective of our alternative Algoe (2011) examined interreligious design regarding diversity. relations in Suriname and Trinidad extensively for her Master thesis titled “Religious Diversity in Alternative design Suriname and Trinidad: An Exploration of the In our view the study of religious diversity Institutional Development of Christianity, Hinduism can be conducted from a different approach. In the and Islam”. This thesis examined the factors proposed design the focus is on decision making by influencing the institutional development of these the state in general, including government, three religions in Suriname and Trinidad from 1900 parliament and political parties, because all three – 1945 and from 1945 – 2010 as well as their impact institutions are involved in this aspect. Religious on relations among these religions. She institutions’ participation in and interaction with conceptualized development according to the three each element of the state is different. We also pillars of Sankatsing (participation, sustainability propose to limit the study to Christian and Hindu and concerted diversity) for six social spheres: labor, institutions, because of the larger overlap between religious practices and festivities, education, social ethnicity and religion in these institutions than in services, media, and politics. To illustrate and Islam, and the different ways that Islam occurs in explain differences in relations between the major Suriname and in Trinidad. Ethnic diversity as religions in Suriname & Trinidad, she selected a ‘deciding factor’ then goes more to the background contrasting case study, based on historical analysis and the institutions are easier to compare. through documentary research. The media was selected as a case. In Algoe’s study, a key role was identified for colonial policy. In our research objective the focus Algoe concludes that (colonial) government is more on the interaction between colonial policy policy, responses of religions to this policy, and and religious institutions, rather than the broader relations between religious institutions are the main theme of development of religious institutions. We factors influencing institutional development. This propose to restrict the study to the national decision is most evident in the sphere of religious practices making, because participation in decision making and festivities. She also states that Trinidad (interaction) is critical for the emancipation and experienced more religious tensions between groups development of any religious group. In the than Suriname. theoretical elaboration on the key questions we will explain more about this. Algoe uses a comparative case study design based on documentary research, interviews and The key questions are: participant observation. However, this research a. What were the vision and policy of colonial design has a few limitations. These concern and post-colonial governments on religiously primarily the number, the comparability and the diverse societies and the nation in Suriname definition of the social spheres, as well as the and Trinidad & Tobago? method of case selection. Because of the many b. What was the vision of Christian and Hindu spheres examined, it is difficult to focus in-depth on religious institutions on religiously diverse any of them. Not all spheres are easily comparable societies and the nation in Suriname and across countries, religious groups, and time. The Trinidad & Tobago? Acad J Sur 2011, (2), 139 - 143 M. Nankoe, S. Laurens, R. Bhattacharji 141 c. How did Christian and Hindu religious pluralism 1, defined as “the engagement that creates a institutions interact with and participate in common society from . .diversity. ” (Eck, 1997 national decision making in Suriname and in Sacco, 2004). Trinidad & Tobago? Religious pluralism has four main principles The study would be a comparison between (Eck, 2006). The first principle is that religious Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. A further pluralism is not just diversity, but the engagement breakdown can be made into time periods, separated with diversity. Diversity only implies the presence by milestone events. These events represent of various religions in one society with little important historical