Non-participating Members of the Lutheran Church in Finland Passive Supporters and Critical Seekers NCSR 20.-22.8.2014, Copenhagen PhD Veli-Matti Salminen Church Research Institute, Finland
The structure of the presentation Individual and community-level approaches to participation, membership and social capital Declining institutional religiosity, increasing passive membership in the Church Introducing membership categories defined by degree of participation The values and orientations of passive members Visions for participation the limits of market orientation 2
Participation and individualism Can communities such as folk Churches exist without participation? Communities can exist as imagined communities (Anderson) where a majority of the members do not participate, yet they show abstract trust towards the community But participation without a community is by definition impossible; one of its preconditions is belonging Participation has two dimensions (Kiilakoski): political dimension (decision-making, sharing power, taking part in the process, contributing to change) social dimension (belonging, co-operating, social cohesion, networks, inclusion) 3
Participation, membership and social capital Participation in all kinds of communities has become increasingly short-term, project-based and less devoted the normative approach of social capital (Putnam): both belonging and participation in voluntary organizations increase democratic attitudes and trust What about the members who do not participate? Elaboration of participation and trust (Wollebaek & Selle 2003): the individual impact of participation on democratic attitudes and trust is of little importance when e.g. age, education and socio-economic group are controlled The analytical approach of social capital (Lin; Bourdieu): participation and belonging in a community is also motivated by individual interests and achievement of resources 4
Attendance in religious events: international comparison Philippines Dominican R. Turkey Ireland Mexico South Africa United States Germany Belgium Latvia France Czech Republic Denmark Japan Russia Finland Norway Sweden Attendance (church services, church ceremonies or spiritual events) (ISSP 2008; N = 52647) Minimum once a month Several times a year Once or twice a year More seldom than once a year Never Cannot say/no reply ALL 0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 100 % 5
Declining institutional religiosity As institutional religiosity declines, both trust in the Church and the personal importance of membership in the Church decrease Fuzzy fidelity (Voas): a growing amount of people are neither religious nor irreligious but rather neutral or indifferent Similarly, a majority of the members in the Lutheran Church in Finland are neither active nor totally absent but participating seldom or occasionally Passive membership is not merely manifesting religious individualism but not necessarily religious alienation either what lies within the category of passive members? What are their values, motives, religious interests and expectations like? 6
Membership categories defined by participation in the Church Data set: Gallup Ecclesiastica Survey 2011 Respondents: Finns aged 15 to 75, members of the Lutheran Church (N=3746) Question: How often do you participate or otherwise are involved with your home parish? are Member category Active members: weekly / once a month Social members: Twice a year Ideological members: once a year or less Non-participants: not utilizing the services of the parish 16 % 25 % 48 % 11 % 7
Ideological and non-participating members: background GENDER Not members of the Active members Social members Ideological members Non-participating Church Female 60,9 61,3 46,8 44,1 42,4 Male 39,1 38,7 53,2 55,9 57,6 AGE GROUP Active members Social members Ideological members Non-participating Not members of the Church 15-29 yrs 13,7 14,5 26,7 38,6 22,8 30-39 yrs 13,5 13,3 17,2 20,6 20,9 40-49 yrs 12,5 16,4 19,2 18,2 17,8 50-64 yrs 32,4 36,9 27,1 16,5 29,2 65- yrs 28,0 18,9 9,8 6,1 9,3 EDUCATION Not members of the Active members Social members Ideological members Non-participating Church Basic education 11,4 9,9 16,7 10,3 9,9 Vocational education 12,6 15,9 20,4 17,1 18,1 Student 10,4 9,0 11,5 21,4 15,3 College 22,8 23,2 17,8 14,0 15,4 Lower academic degree 20,2 18,2 18,3 21,5 20,2 Upper academic degree 22,3 23,4 14,9 14,6 19,9 PLACE OF LIVING Not members of the Active members Social members Ideological members Non-participating Church Urban 47,8 49,2 57,8 60,1 66,0 Rural / small town 52,2 50,8 42,2 39,9 34,0 8
The religiosity of Ideological and Nonparticipating members World view and spiritual identities Lutheran Christian I received a religious upbringing in my childhood home 0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 % Mentally oriented person Humanist Believer Ideological members 27% 59% 14% Religious liberal Spiritual person Materialistic person Non-participating members Ideological members Seeker Religious person Agnostic Non-participating members 17% 72% 11% Nonreligious person Atheist 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Yes No I don't know 9
IDEOLOGICAL MEMBERS NON-PARTICIPATING MEMBERS I D E O L O G I C A L M E M B E R S N O N - P A R T I C I P A T I N G M E M B E R S The religiosity of Ideological and Nonparticipating members FAITH IN GOD HOW OFTEN DO YOU PRAY? 7% 7% 15% I cannot say/ do not want to say 34% 9% 23% 25% 21% 40% 9% 18% 19% 7% I do not believe in the existence of God I doubt the existence of God I do not really know whether I believe in God or not I believe in God but very differently than the Church teaches 14% 18% 11% 7% 16% 65% 5% 13% 4% 4% 9% Not at all in recent years Less than once a year At least once a year Once or twice a month At least once a week Daily I believe in God as taught by Christianity 10
The values and orientations of passive members what kinds of value orientations are found within the two member categories? Individual / social aspects? Method: cluster analysis (K-means cluster), 4 clusters, 11 grouping variables, including: Commitment to Church membership, motivation of membership (traditions and culture / moral values) Opinion about the Church defending the marginalized and showing tolerance Personal religiosity and spiritual identity Importance of habits and traditions in Finnish identity Attitudes towards sexual minorities (tolerant/intolerant) 11
The values and orientations of passive members Open-minded (22%) 64% women, majority aged 25-44 yrs Church: weak commitment and trust Pray very seldom, less than half identify themselves as Christian, same amount identify as Agnostic Majority don t know any active parish members Consider it important that the Church defends the marginalized and shows tolerance Traditions and moral values of little importance for Church membership Church supporters (27%) 57% women, majority aged 55-64 yrs or more Church: quite strong commitment and trust Pray actively (52% daily), majority identify themselves as Christian (89%) Almost a half (40%) know one or more active parish members Traditions and moral values of moderate importance for Church membership Critical and detached (23%) 68% men, majority aged 15-35 yrs Church: very weak commitment and low trust Pray seldom or never, less than half identify themselves as Christian, same amount identify as Agnostic Majority do not know any active parish members Consider it least important for membership that the Church defends the marginalized and shows tolerance Consider it important for being a Finn that one knows the habits and traditions Tradition-oriented (28%) 64% men, majority aged 35-54 yrs Church: quite strong commitment, highest trust Pray rather seldom, but mostly identify themselves as Christian (73%) One third knows one or more active parish members Traditions and moral values of great importance for Church membership Consider it important for being a Finn that one knows the habits and traditions 12
Passive members and the motivational types of values (Schwartz) 13
Passive members and the motivational types of values (Schwartz) Church supporters Open-minded Tradition-oriented Critical and detached 14
Visions for participation What could be the possible values converging passive members with Church membership and activity? Open-minded: universalism, the humanitarian mission of the Church Church supporters: benevolence Tradition-oriented: tradition, especially the acceptance of different traditions Critical and detached: stimulation, seeing the opportunities of change The limits of marketing strategies in the Church: It is not only about the brand or image of the Folk Church; a majority of the passive members accept the work and values of the Church (e.g. charity work and maintaining traditions) but they might be of little relevance for them The Church cannot enhance membership without enhancing participation, including also those who are not members 15