From 19 to 24 September a series of workshops with participation of researchers from the “Sociology of Religion” Laboratory (PSTGU) took place at the University of Bern (Switzerland). These seminars were organized in the framework of a joint Russian-Swiss project about the influence of religion on the models of social and economic organization. The project is supported by the RFH (grant No. 16-23-41006).
The Swiss side was represented by Dr. Stefan Huber, Michael Hainz, and Karin Mykytjuk-Hitz.
The Russian side was represented by Ivan Zabaev, Elena Prutskova, Daria Oreshina, Anna Zueva, and Kirill Markin.
After two workshops in Russia that took place this summer, with participation of Dr. Stefan Huber and Dr. Michael Hainz, during which the context of contemporary theoretical models of economic relations (market, redistribution, reciprocity) [Polanyi, 1977], as well as religiosity at the individual and social levels were discussed, both Russian and Swiss working group developed the operationalization of these concepts.
During the first two days in Switzerland, each working group presented its vision of relations between the forms of socio-economic integration and some aspects of religiosity. Several disputed and unclear points in the research program have been agreed upon during the discussion. As a result of this work seminar participants came to the decision that the relationship of religion and economic attitudes of the studied members of Christian denominations should be considered through the prism of such concepts as calling (vocation) and humility. The next two days were devoted to the discussion of the content of these concepts, the analysis of their interaction and mutual influence. Religiosity measurement issues were also discussed. The Swiss side proposed the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) [Huber, Huber, 2012] adapted for this project. The Russian side proposed scales which measure the social component of religiosity. Several already existing scales to measure calling (vocation) and humility were examined, but after a long discussion it was decided to develop new instruments due to the fact that the options considered do not satisfy the research objectives. Considerable time was devoted to discussing the research method.
A significant part of organizational issues have been solved solved, and the field research plan, as well as the project schedule for this year have been agreed upon during the last meeting.
