Rooms of Silence at three universities in Scandinavia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rooms of Silence at three universities in Scandinavia

AU - Christensen, Henrik Reintoft

AU - Høeg, Ida Marie

AU - Kühle, Lene

AU - Nordin, Magdalena

PY - 2019/8/20

Y1 - 2019/8/20

N2 - In recent decades, a new type of room has been established in public institutions in Europe: the rooms of silence. In this article, rooms of silence at three Scandinavian universities are analyzed with focus on intention, materiality, and use in relation to increased religious diversity in the student population, individualization, and ongoing secularization. This is done by using a typology which distinguishes between individual and collective use and use associated with religious, spiritual, and secular practices. The analyses show that plans and policies for the rooms emphasize stress-reduction and spiritual or secular reflection. The chaplains actively facilitate the shift from collective to more individual use of the rooms. The analyses also show that the restricted materiality of the rooms shapes practices in ways that either hinder collective Muslim prayer or force students to perform prayer as an individual “silent” action.

AB - In recent decades, a new type of room has been established in public institutions in Europe: the rooms of silence. In this article, rooms of silence at three Scandinavian universities are analyzed with focus on intention, materiality, and use in relation to increased religious diversity in the student population, individualization, and ongoing secularization. This is done by using a typology which distinguishes between individual and collective use and use associated with religious, spiritual, and secular practices. The analyses show that plans and policies for the rooms emphasize stress-reduction and spiritual or secular reflection. The chaplains actively facilitate the shift from collective to more individual use of the rooms. The analyses also show that the restricted materiality of the rooms shapes practices in ways that either hinder collective Muslim prayer or force students to perform prayer as an individual “silent” action.

KW - Scandinavia

KW - chaplains

KW - diversity/multiculturalism

KW - religion and the state

KW - space

KW - university

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85071536293

U2 - 10.1093/socrel/sry040

DO - 10.1093/socrel/sry040

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1069-4404

VL - 80

SP - 299

EP - 322

JO - Sociology of Religion

JF - Sociology of Religion

IS - 3

M1 - sry040

ER -