Research in Sociology of Religion

Over the past several years, Catalonia’s religious landscape has undergone major transformations. Following the period of National Catholicism and the secularizing processes of the democratic transition, migratory waves that accelerated during the 1990s resulted in a new scenario where religious minorities have taken on increasing importance. Research for the Map of Religious Minorities in Catalonia has developed within this context and aims to bolster our qualitative and quantitative data on religious diversity in the territory.

In order to locate and attain a deeper knowledge of the different religious confessions present in Catalonia, the Catalan government’s Secretary of Religious Affairs (now the General Directorate of Religious Affairs) commissioned ISOR to design a map of religious minorities in 2001. The Catholic Church was not included in the study, as it was already well-known.

The research team, which was first led by Dr. Joan Estruch and later by Dr. Maria del Mar Griera, has dedicated itself to identifying all the centers of worship and entities belonging to religious minorities located in Catalonia with the aim of analyzing distinct aspects of their creation, development, and religious activity.

Places of worship and entities belonging to religious minorities present in Catalonia are the main objects of analysis for this project. On the one hand, this focus has allowed us to limit the scope of the study, making it more manageable. On the other hand, it has allowed us to ascertain the degree of implantation of different religious communities in Catalonia. Since the project aims for comprehensiveness, we have sought to identify all centers of worship and entities catering to religious minorities.

Publications

  • Estruch, J.; Gomez, J; Griera, M.; Iglesias, A. (2004) Les altres religions. Barcelona: Editorial Mediterrània.
  • Fons i Duocastella, C., Luque Capellas, B., & Forteza, M. (2012). El Mapa de minories religioses de Catalunya. Revista de la Societat Catalana de Sociologia, (28), 15–27.
  • García-Romeral, G. (2013). Comunitats islámiques de Catalunya. Desenvolupament comunitari, moviments i organitzacions islàmiques. Diversia, (3), 93–131.
  • Gomez, J.; Griera, M.; Iglesias, A. (2005) “Immigració i Diversitat Religiosa” A:  Nadal, M i Larios, M. La immigració a Catalunya avui. Anuari 2004. Col. Polítiques. Nº 47. Barcelona: Ed. Mediterrània.
  • Griera, M. (2013) “New Christian geographies: Pentecostalism and immigration in Barcelona”. A: Mapril, J. and Blanes, R. (Eds.) Sites and Politics of Religious Diversity in Southern Europe. Brill: Leiden/Boston.
  • Griera, M. (2008) “Secularització i diversitat religiosa a Catalunya”. A: Montagut, T. (coord.) Societat Catalana 2008. Associació Catalana de Sociologia: Barcelona.
  • Griera, M. i Garcia-Romeral, G. (2009) “Immigració i comunitats religioses”. A: Estanyol, M. J. (coord.) Immigració, religions i societat. Barcelona: PPU.
  • Griera, M. (2008) “D’afinitats electives: pentecostalisme i immigració”. Revista Catalana de Sociologia, 28. 59-77.
  • Martínez Ariño, J, Griera, M., García-Romeral, G., & Forteza, M. (2011). Inmigración, diversidad religiosa y centros de culto en la ciudad de Barcelona, (30), 101–133.