Papers by valeria fabretti
This article addresses the way religious diversity is ‘taking place’ in Rome. In particular, it b... more This article addresses the way religious diversity is ‘taking place’ in Rome. In particular, it brings some religious manifestations into a broader understanding of the diversification of religious spaces in the city. Instead of seeing diversity as an unintended consequence of global flows, we trace it back to a sound religious spatial identity. Ever since globalization was set in motion, Rome has functioned as an attracting field of visibility for established religions. At the same time, the city has provided a shared grammar for inflecting diversity into religious idioms. Religious super-diversity as seen in Rome is the combination of a strong local religious identity that acts as a stage where old actors hope to be invited to give new performances and the audience itself is incessantly pushed to tread the boards. The article concludes with a tentative hypothesis that super-diversity may yield to postsecular modes of social life.
Social Compass, 2018
Many European local governments are seeking out ways to encourage interreligious initiatives. Thi... more Many European local governments are seeking out ways to encourage interreligious initiatives. This article focuses on the cases of Barcelona and Turin. Both cities are pioneering new forms of governance of the religious field in Southern Europe, while also being a source of inspiration for other cities. The article traces the genealogy of the institutional collaboration between interreligious actors and local governments, and develops a typology to examine how interreligious groups intervene in both cities’ public sphere. The article shows the crucial role of Catholic intellectuals and also of the celebration of the Olympic Games in fostering local dynamics of cooperation between municipalities and religious actors. The article concludes by arguing that the increasing securitarization of the religious domain in both cities have transformed the active involvement of interreligious groups in local governance into a process of domestication of the religious field.
The Interfaith Movement, 2019
This article addresses the way religious diversity is 'taking place' in Rome. In particul... more This article addresses the way religious diversity is 'taking place' in Rome. In particular, it brings some religious manifestations into a broader understanding of the diversification of religious spaces in the city. Instead of seeing diversity as an unintended consequence of global flows, we trace it back to a sound religious spatial identity. Ever since globalization was set in motion, Rome has functioned as an attracting field of visibility for established religions. At the same time, the city has provided a shared grammar for inflecting diversity into religious idioms. Religious super-diversity as seen in Rome is the combination of a strong local religious identity that acts as a stage where old actors hope to be invited to give new performances and the audience itself is incessantly pushed to tread the boards. The article concludes with a tentative hypothesis that super-diversity may yield to postsecular modes of social life.
Emergent Religious Pluralisms, 2019
Pluralism, as a normative concept, refers to a moral response to the existential fact of diversit... more Pluralism, as a normative concept, refers to a moral response to the existential fact of diversity. With regard to the multiple religious affiliations and groups that populate Western societies, pluralism is intended to be a way of dealing with diversity (Giordan and Pace 2014) that consists of an active and positive embrace inspired by the idea of integration as opposed to segregation.
The central topic of this book, that is, the challenges that new religious diversity is addressin... more The central topic of this book, that is, the challenges that new religious diversity is addressing to prison employees, inmates, and the institution itself all over Europe, is increasingly an issue in Italy. Although the responsiveness to such challenges is still insufficient, the changes in the ethnic, cultural, and religious composition of the inmate population, with almost 35 % of foreign people, as well as the pressure from the European Union for a general enhancement of the recognition of religious rights and pluralism within the member states, represent relevant factors requiring major attention from our country towards the topic. At least partially, a new collective awareness of the need for institutional cultures and practices more sensitive to the issues linked with different religious belongings is arising, and it regards the case of prisons as well as other relevant public spaces (such as schools and hospitals). Although it is beginning to be a field of study for social s...
Many European local governments are seeking out ways to encourage interreligious initiatives. Thi... more Many European local governments are seeking out ways to encourage interreligious initiatives. This article focuses on the cases of Barcelona and Turin. Both cities are pioneering new forms of governance of the religious field in Southern Europe, while also being a source of inspiration for other cities. The article traces the genealogy of the institutional collaboration between interreligious actors and local governments, and develops a typology to examine how interreligious groups intervene in both cities’ public sphere. The article shows the crucial role of Catholic intellectuals and also of the celebration of the Olympic Games in fostering local dynamics of cooperation between municipalities and religious actors. The article concludes by arguing that the increasing securitarization of the religious domain in both cities have transformed the active involvement of interreligious groups in local governance into a process of domestication of the religious field.
In recent years, the question of religion’s role in public life has dramatically reemerged not on... more In recent years, the question of religion’s role in public life has dramatically reemerged not only in Europe but worldwide due to the increasingly multicultural character of contemporary societies in which multiple religious identities coexist with various forms of secularization. As a mirror of society, school is closely involved in this issue, particularly when it touches on minority groups such as Muslims in Europe. Schools have the task of educating future citizens in societies that are more and more heterogeneous and fragmented, yet neither harmoniously integrated nor genuinely pluralistic and inclusive. In addition, religion continues to be a significant source of intra- and infra-group identification processes, individual and collective behaviour and knowledge transmission. Moreover, it cannot be denied that religion is occupying a prominent yet ambiguous place in the public sphere after the turn of the 21st Century despite predictions of religious decline. Conversely, religion in contemporary societies often risks being essentialized as a cultural ‘fact’ and even used to fuel enduring social and political conflicts.
This article addresses the way religious diversity is 'taking place' in Rome. In particular, it b... more This article addresses the way religious diversity is 'taking place' in Rome. In particular, it brings some religious manifestations into a broader understanding of the diversification of religious spaces in the city. Instead of seeing diversity as an unintended consequence of global flows, we trace it back to a sound religious spatial identity. Ever since globalization was set in motion, Rome has functioned as an attracting field of visibility for established religions. At the same time, the city has provided a shared grammar for inflecting diversity into religious idioms. Religious super-diversity as seen in Rome is the combination of a strong local religious identity that acts as a stage where old actors hope to be invited to give new performances and the audience itself is incessantly pushed to tread the boards. The article concludes with a tentative hypothesis that super-diversity may yield to postsecular modes of social life.
The central topic of this book, that is, the challenges that new religious diversity is
addressin... more The central topic of this book, that is, the challenges that new religious diversity is
addressing to prison employees, inmates, and the institution itself all over Europe,
is increasingly an issue in Italy. Although the responsiveness to such challenges is
still insufficient, the changes in the ethnic, cultural, and religious composition of the
inmate population, with almost 35 % of foreign people, as well as the pressure from
the European Union for a general enhancement of the recognition of religious rights
and pluralism within the member states, represent relevant factors requiring major
attention from our country towards the topic. At least partially, a new collective
awareness of the need for institutional cultures and practices more sensitive to the
issues linked with different religious belongings is arising, and it regards the case
of prisons as well as other relevant public spaces (such as schools and hospitals).
Although it is beginning to be a field of study for social sciences, the topic is still
poorly explored. The contributions on the case of prison, in particular, are still few
in numbers. In contrast, a quite consistent tradition of study is taking root, with
regard to the examination of the different systems implemented in other European
countries and their recent inner changes, mostly on the steps of the well-known
first works of Beckford and colleagues (Beckford and Gilliat-Ray 1998; Beckford) et al. 2005). As this volume attests, such studies suggest that despite the differences
between cases, a common attempt is taking place to widen the boundaries between
states and religions, to allow the inclusion of both traditional and “new” denominations, and to make this inclusion compatible with the rooted secularization models of each society and the pursuit of the prisonsʼ own institutional goals.
In other words, the various scenarios drafted by the national reconstructions attested in the past, and still attested in more recent years, that prisons must be considered as exemplary social spaces able to reflect the features of the broader (old and new) relations between the secular and the religious in given societies, on the one hand, and to generate new models through the dynamism of the local level, on the other hand. We approach the Italian case from this starting point and provide
knowledge that will further advance the topic.
In this chapter I briefly clarify, at first, the theoretical frame and design of the
research. Second, and in a more extensive way, I highlight the main findings, with
particular attention to some of the crucial areas of prison life supposed to be engaged with religious issues. To conclude, I attempt to clarify how our findings can
provide a general understanding of the current situation in Italy.
I dedicate this essay to the memory of Massimo Rosati (1969–2014). Massimo was a friend, most of all, and the colleague I had the pleasure of collaborate with at the centre he established at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, the Centre for the Study and Documentation of Religions and Political Institutions in Post-Secular Society (CSPS). Massimo has unexpectedly and suddenly passed away in January 2014, leaving us too soon. His energy, creative ideas, and scientific work have been very inspiring for me and all of us who took part in the CSPS initiatives. The research
project on religious assistance in prisons I am presenting in this chapter developed within the CSPS environment and under Massimo’s direction. Although obviously under my full responsibility, these pages are the fruit of a reflection largely shared with him. To Massimo goes my deepest and endless gratitude.
It aims at studying how different western states in Europe and North America are redefining their... more It aims at studying how different western states in Europe and North America are redefining their relationship to religions, under the challenge of an increasing religious activism in the public sphere, associated with new religious movements and with Islam.
Against the backdrop of the ‘formatting of religions’ thesis, this paper presents the outcomes of... more Against the backdrop of the ‘formatting of religions’ thesis, this paper presents the outcomes of empirical research on religious assistance in ten prisons in the Italian region of Lazio. We construct a typology of the forms of relationships that exist between prisons and religious organisations in an increasingly pluralist context. These relationships can have their bases in (1) misrecognition, which is strictly speaking a form of non-relation; (2) adaptation, with a distinction drawn between instrumental adaptation, on the one hand, and formatting, on the other; (3) conflict; or (4) cooperation and mutual transformation. Each form of relationship is explained and discussed through the experiences of relevant individuals, with stories drawn from interviews conducted during our research. This typology shows that, in the Italian case at least, a context of religious pluralism and the coexistence of religious and secular worldviews and practices in public institutions do not necessarily have a ‘formatting’ effect on religious organisations, nor lead to any form of mutual transformation or ‘complementary learning’ process taking place. This ‘complementary learning’ process has been taken in our research as a working hypothesis. We take the term from the broader theoretical debate about the postsecular, but we want to make the point that the postsecular also has an empirical dimension which can be described and assessed through the kind of sociological research we conduct in this paper. This paper explores why no such complementary learning process has developed between institutions and religious groups in the Italian context, and briefly highlights how, conversely, this kind of postsecular relationship is promoted in the UK. At the same time, it argues that forms of resistance from religious groups to institutional formatting pressures can be observed in both the British context and in the results of our own research.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10767-014-9180-0
Tra presente e futuro (A cura di A. Censi), 2014
The postsecular notion highlights the increasing religious pluralism and the persistent public ro... more The postsecular notion highlights the increasing religious pluralism and the persistent public role of religions in secularized western societies. Besides, the concept recommends a way to deal with differences in social spaces, referring to mutual recognition and to Habermas's idea of complementary learning. Adopting the postsecular frame, the paper focuses on religion and education in public schools. An overview on the European scenario is drowned and solutions for the accommodation of religious plurality inspired by the 'postsecular school' idea are outlined. The paper refers to the concept of 'learning from religion' as not far from the suggested view, since it extends the 'about religions' teachings to what students may learn about themselves and the others through religious studies. However, from the postsecular perspective the 'learning form religions' may also mean the possibility for schools to increase new forms of awareness, reflexivity and innovation implementing practices of cooperation with religious organizations.
Behind the families and communities of many Western countries, pressing politicians to promote a ... more Behind the families and communities of many Western countries, pressing politicians to promote a system of free school choice, one can recognize a criticism towards the idea of uniformity in education and the proposal of a school that is aware and respectful of the specific normative, cultural and religious systems in which students are involved. From this point of view, the issue of secondary school choice reflects in the educational field the wider problem of normative pluralism and the recognition of different identities in society. The paper describes how both European policies and the academic debate have taken account of this particular point, considering the implications of school pluralism with regards to young people’s independence, citizenship and social cohesion. We suggest that by putting the issue in such terms, even before we can draw any conclusions on the best way to regulate the private school sector, we could learn useful “lessons” for rethinking the educational model of state schools. In the Italian case, specially,
the main lesson to be learned seems to be that students’ individual, socio-cultural, ethnic and religious differences ought to be “taken seriously” in order to foster the construction of young people’s identity, autonomy and citizenship.
Books by valeria fabretti
La Roma di oggi è caratterizzata da una varietà di presenze religiose senza precedenti, con le ve... more La Roma di oggi è caratterizzata da una varietà di presenze religiose senza precedenti, con le vestigia dell'antico splendore e i templi sullo sfondo, le chiese monumentali, le originali modalità di aggregazione e i nuovi luoghi di preghiera, di culto, di meditazione.
In un contesto multiculturale e multireligioso come è destinato ad essere sempre più anche quello... more In un contesto multiculturale e multireligioso come è destinato ad essere sempre più anche quello Italiano, il riconoscimento delle diverse appartenenze religiose in carcere e il rispetto del 'diritto al culto' di tutti i detenuti è evidentemente cruciale. Oltre che contribuire a determinare la qualità della vita e l'integrità dei diritti individuali nell'esperienza della detenzione, il trattamento della diversità religiosa nelle carceri riflette significativamente la consapevolezza del ruolo, peso e spazio che le religioni hanno nelle società contemporanee. Ancora poco percorso nel nostro Paese, il tema è in questo libro discusso attraverso gli strumenti teorici e di ricerca della sociologia. Muovendo dall'approfondire come gli operatori del mondo penitenziario considerano la religione 'dietro le sbarre' e categorizzano la diversità dei bisogni religiosi espressi dai detenuti, l'autrice ricostruisce le forme di assistenza religiosa messe in campo negli istituti indagati con attenzione ad alcune aree di particolare rilevanza, come la presenza dei ministri per le varie confessioni, i riti e gli spazi per la preghiera, l'alimentazione, gli oggetti di culto, le cure del corpo.
Come gestire nello spazio pubblico scolastico le differenze religiose, etniche e culturali? Attra... more Come gestire nello spazio pubblico scolastico le differenze religiose, etniche e culturali? Attraverso scuole in sintonia con valori propri di specifiche identità, ma a scapito del dialogo con l’“altro”, o mediante scuole neutrali, ma poco sensibili alle specificità di ciascuno? Analizzando la letteratura specialistica e le più significative esperienze europee, il libro suggerisce una “terza strada”: l’idea di una scuola post-secolare, che reinterpreti neutralità e laicità come spazi aperti e sensibili alle diversità.
How can religious, ethnic and cultural differences be better addressed in schools? Through “denominational” schools, maybe to the detriment of openness to dialogue, or through “neutral” schools, blind to specific world-views? This book, after reviewing the relevant literature and some of the most significant European examples, suggests a “third way”, consistent with the idea of a “post-secular school”, as a space both neutral and fully open towards the recognition of differences.
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Papers by valeria fabretti
addressing to prison employees, inmates, and the institution itself all over Europe,
is increasingly an issue in Italy. Although the responsiveness to such challenges is
still insufficient, the changes in the ethnic, cultural, and religious composition of the
inmate population, with almost 35 % of foreign people, as well as the pressure from
the European Union for a general enhancement of the recognition of religious rights
and pluralism within the member states, represent relevant factors requiring major
attention from our country towards the topic. At least partially, a new collective
awareness of the need for institutional cultures and practices more sensitive to the
issues linked with different religious belongings is arising, and it regards the case
of prisons as well as other relevant public spaces (such as schools and hospitals).
Although it is beginning to be a field of study for social sciences, the topic is still
poorly explored. The contributions on the case of prison, in particular, are still few
in numbers. In contrast, a quite consistent tradition of study is taking root, with
regard to the examination of the different systems implemented in other European
countries and their recent inner changes, mostly on the steps of the well-known
first works of Beckford and colleagues (Beckford and Gilliat-Ray 1998; Beckford) et al. 2005). As this volume attests, such studies suggest that despite the differences
between cases, a common attempt is taking place to widen the boundaries between
states and religions, to allow the inclusion of both traditional and “new” denominations, and to make this inclusion compatible with the rooted secularization models of each society and the pursuit of the prisonsʼ own institutional goals.
In other words, the various scenarios drafted by the national reconstructions attested in the past, and still attested in more recent years, that prisons must be considered as exemplary social spaces able to reflect the features of the broader (old and new) relations between the secular and the religious in given societies, on the one hand, and to generate new models through the dynamism of the local level, on the other hand. We approach the Italian case from this starting point and provide
knowledge that will further advance the topic.
In this chapter I briefly clarify, at first, the theoretical frame and design of the
research. Second, and in a more extensive way, I highlight the main findings, with
particular attention to some of the crucial areas of prison life supposed to be engaged with religious issues. To conclude, I attempt to clarify how our findings can
provide a general understanding of the current situation in Italy.
I dedicate this essay to the memory of Massimo Rosati (1969–2014). Massimo was a friend, most of all, and the colleague I had the pleasure of collaborate with at the centre he established at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, the Centre for the Study and Documentation of Religions and Political Institutions in Post-Secular Society (CSPS). Massimo has unexpectedly and suddenly passed away in January 2014, leaving us too soon. His energy, creative ideas, and scientific work have been very inspiring for me and all of us who took part in the CSPS initiatives. The research
project on religious assistance in prisons I am presenting in this chapter developed within the CSPS environment and under Massimo’s direction. Although obviously under my full responsibility, these pages are the fruit of a reflection largely shared with him. To Massimo goes my deepest and endless gratitude.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10767-014-9180-0
the main lesson to be learned seems to be that students’ individual, socio-cultural, ethnic and religious differences ought to be “taken seriously” in order to foster the construction of young people’s identity, autonomy and citizenship.
Books by valeria fabretti
How can religious, ethnic and cultural differences be better addressed in schools? Through “denominational” schools, maybe to the detriment of openness to dialogue, or through “neutral” schools, blind to specific world-views? This book, after reviewing the relevant literature and some of the most significant European examples, suggests a “third way”, consistent with the idea of a “post-secular school”, as a space both neutral and fully open towards the recognition of differences.
addressing to prison employees, inmates, and the institution itself all over Europe,
is increasingly an issue in Italy. Although the responsiveness to such challenges is
still insufficient, the changes in the ethnic, cultural, and religious composition of the
inmate population, with almost 35 % of foreign people, as well as the pressure from
the European Union for a general enhancement of the recognition of religious rights
and pluralism within the member states, represent relevant factors requiring major
attention from our country towards the topic. At least partially, a new collective
awareness of the need for institutional cultures and practices more sensitive to the
issues linked with different religious belongings is arising, and it regards the case
of prisons as well as other relevant public spaces (such as schools and hospitals).
Although it is beginning to be a field of study for social sciences, the topic is still
poorly explored. The contributions on the case of prison, in particular, are still few
in numbers. In contrast, a quite consistent tradition of study is taking root, with
regard to the examination of the different systems implemented in other European
countries and their recent inner changes, mostly on the steps of the well-known
first works of Beckford and colleagues (Beckford and Gilliat-Ray 1998; Beckford) et al. 2005). As this volume attests, such studies suggest that despite the differences
between cases, a common attempt is taking place to widen the boundaries between
states and religions, to allow the inclusion of both traditional and “new” denominations, and to make this inclusion compatible with the rooted secularization models of each society and the pursuit of the prisonsʼ own institutional goals.
In other words, the various scenarios drafted by the national reconstructions attested in the past, and still attested in more recent years, that prisons must be considered as exemplary social spaces able to reflect the features of the broader (old and new) relations between the secular and the religious in given societies, on the one hand, and to generate new models through the dynamism of the local level, on the other hand. We approach the Italian case from this starting point and provide
knowledge that will further advance the topic.
In this chapter I briefly clarify, at first, the theoretical frame and design of the
research. Second, and in a more extensive way, I highlight the main findings, with
particular attention to some of the crucial areas of prison life supposed to be engaged with religious issues. To conclude, I attempt to clarify how our findings can
provide a general understanding of the current situation in Italy.
I dedicate this essay to the memory of Massimo Rosati (1969–2014). Massimo was a friend, most of all, and the colleague I had the pleasure of collaborate with at the centre he established at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, the Centre for the Study and Documentation of Religions and Political Institutions in Post-Secular Society (CSPS). Massimo has unexpectedly and suddenly passed away in January 2014, leaving us too soon. His energy, creative ideas, and scientific work have been very inspiring for me and all of us who took part in the CSPS initiatives. The research
project on religious assistance in prisons I am presenting in this chapter developed within the CSPS environment and under Massimo’s direction. Although obviously under my full responsibility, these pages are the fruit of a reflection largely shared with him. To Massimo goes my deepest and endless gratitude.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10767-014-9180-0
the main lesson to be learned seems to be that students’ individual, socio-cultural, ethnic and religious differences ought to be “taken seriously” in order to foster the construction of young people’s identity, autonomy and citizenship.
How can religious, ethnic and cultural differences be better addressed in schools? Through “denominational” schools, maybe to the detriment of openness to dialogue, or through “neutral” schools, blind to specific world-views? This book, after reviewing the relevant literature and some of the most significant European examples, suggests a “third way”, consistent with the idea of a “post-secular school”, as a space both neutral and fully open towards the recognition of differences.