UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Department of Theology History of Religions and Social Scientific Study of Religion E, 30 c. Psychology of Religion. Spring, 2014. Supervisor: Önver Cetrez. Examiner: Valerie DeMarinis. Religiosity and the Development of Ego- Identity – A sequential mixed-methods study of the enculturation and acculturation process of Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden. Victor Dudas
[email protected] 1 Abstract The purpose of the current sequential mixed-methods study is to bring further knowledge to the field of psychology of religion concerning the role of religion for Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden. Guiding the current study are theories concerning enculturation, acculturation, ego-identity, ritualization and communitas. The central research question is: What role does religiosity have for Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden, concerning the development of ego-identity and the practice of ritualization, within a process of enculturation and acculturation? The quantitative phase of the sequential mixed-methods study uses a sample of 244 participants that were part of a previously conducted study. Descriptive statistics, comparing means, correlations, t-tests, and ANOVA are applied to analyze the data retrieved from the questionnaires. The qualitative phase uses a sample of 12 informants collected by a purposive and snowball sampling technique. The methods of data collection are semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. The data collected are analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The results of the quantitative phase show that there is no statistically significant relationship between religiosity and self-perception of ethnicity or self- perception of being a part of the Swedish society. The results, however, show several significant correlations and differences between males and females as well as between generations.