Belonging and Stigma in Religious Communities: A Phenomenological Study of Faith, Family Backgrounds, and Intra-Religious Exclusion/ Dini Topluluklarda Aidiyet ve Damgalanma: İnanç, Aile Arka Planı ve Din İçi Dışlanmaya İlişkin Fenomenolojik Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Bu çalışma, baskın bir dini bağlam içerisinde dini topluluklara mensup bireylerin aidiyet ve damgalanma deneyimlerini nasıl yaşadıklarını incelemektedir. Fenomenolojik nitel araştırma deseniyle yürütülen araştırmada, aile arka planı, eğitim süreci ve sosyal etkileşimlerin dini kimliğin gelişimini ve bireylerin dahil edilme ya da dışlanma algılarını nasıl şekillendirdiği ele alınmıştır. Araştırma verileri, Türkiye’de farklı dini topluluklara mensup yedi katılımcı (üç kadın, dört erkek) ile gerçekleştirilen yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmış ve tematik analiz yöntemiyle çözümlenmiştir. Bulgular, dini kimlik oluşumunun erken dönemde aile içi sosyalleşme ile başladığını, ergenlik döneminde ise bireysel sorgulama, ilişkisel deneyimler ve farklı sosyal bağlamlarla karşılaşma yoluyla yeniden yorumlandığını göstermektedir. Katılımcılar, devralınan dini yönelimlerden daha bilinçli ve disiplinli inanç biçimlerine doğru bir geçiş sürecini deneyimlediklerini ifade etmişlerdir. Dini topluluk üyeliği katılımcılara duygusal güvenlik, ahlaki tutarlılık ve güçlü bir kolektif aidiyet duygusu sağlarken; özellikle yakın aile çevresi ve sosyal ilişkiler içinde sosyal mesafe, gizleme ve damgalanma deneyimlerini de beraberinde getirmiştir. Dikkat çekici biçimde, katılımcıların birçoğu dışlanma ve yargılanma deneyimlerini ahlaki ya da manevi bir sınav olarak yeniden anlamlandırmış; bu süreç, dini bağlılığın derinleşmesine ve grup içi dayanışmanın güçlenmesine katkı sağlamıştır. Çalışma, dini kimlik ve aidiyetin, aynı dini geleneği paylaşan gruplar içerisinde nasıl müzakere edildiğini ortaya koyarak, damgalanmanın dini farklılıktan ziyade toplumsal olarak kabul gören dindarlık biçimlerinden sapma üzerinden üretildiğini göstermektedir. Yöntemsel açıdan ise kapalı ya da inanç temelli topluluklarla çalışırken refleksif ve etik açıdan duyarlı nitel araştırma yaklaşımlarının önemine dikkat çekmektedir. Genel olarak bulgular, çağdaş dini yaşamda aidiyet, damgalanma ve psikolojik dayanıklılık arasındaki karmaşık etkileşimi görünür kılmaktadır.

Keywords

• Dini kimlik
• Aidiyet
• Damgalanma
• Nitel araştırma
• Fenomenoloji

Supporting Institution

Bu araştırma kamu, ticari veya kâr amacı gütmeyen sektörlerdeki herhangi bir fon kuruluşundan özel bir hibe almamıştır.

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma için Kastamonu Üniversitesi Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Kurulu’nun 07.01.2025 tarihli ve 69 sayılı kararıyla etik onayı alınmıştır.

Belonging and Stigma in Religious Communities: A Phenomenological Study of Faith, Family Backgrounds, and Intra-Religious Exclusion/ Dini Topluluklarda Aidiyet ve Damgalanma: İnanç, Aile Arka Planı ve Din İçi Dışlanmaya İlişkin Fenomenolojik Bir Çalışma

Abstract

This study explores how individuals experience belonging and stigma through their membership in religious communities within a dominant religious context. Using a phenomenological qualitative design, the research examines how family background, educational experiences, and social interactions shape the development of religious identity and perceptions of inclusion and exclusion. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven participants (three women and four men) affiliated with different religious communities in Turkey, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicate that religious identity formation begins with early family socialization and is later reinterpreted during adolescence through personal reflection, relational encounters, and exposure to alternative social environments. Participants described a transition from inherited religious orientations toward more consciously chosen and disciplined forms of faith. While religious community membership provided emotional security, moral clarity, and a strong sense of collective belonging, participants also reported experiences of social distancing, concealment, and stigmatization—often within their close family or social networks. Notably, many participants reframed exclusion and judgment as moral or spiritual challenges, which in turn deepened their religious commitment and strengthened in-group solidarity. The study contributes to social and cultural psychology by illustrating how religious identity and belonging are negotiated within shared religious traditions, where stigma emerges not from religious difference itself but from deviations from socially accepted forms of religiosity. Methodologically, the research highlights the value of reflexive and ethically sensitive qualitative inquiry when working with closed or faith-oriented communities. Overall, the findings underscore the complex interplay between belonging, stigma, and resilience in contemporary religious life

Keywords

• Religious identity
• belonging
• stigma
• qualitative research
• phenomenology

Supporting Institution

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for- profit sectors.

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Kastamonu University Social and Human Sciences Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee (Decision No. 69, dated 07.01.2025).

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