Zaag, van der, Marijn
(2019)
Secular Conditions of Plurality in Environmental Conflicts: an Analysis of the Dakota Access Pipeline Protest Movement'.
Master thesis, Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation.
Abstract
Philosopher Charles Taylor argues that modern secularism is characterized by the emergence of conditions of plurality. This means that people can choose between many possibilities with regards to what they believe, including religious beliefs. Contrary to many academic discussions, which present secularism as religion’s “other,” Taylor’s definition shows how religion and secularism are not separate entities. The aim of this thesis is to analyze how the public discourse surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protest movement manifests the secular conditions of plurality that Taylor describes. For this purpose, I introduce two ideal types within Taylorian secularism: the enchanted and the disenchanted mindset. My argument in this thesis is that within the public discourse of the DAPL protest movement, one can find both an enchanted and a disenchanted mindset that operate within secular conditions of plurality. This differs from the modern debate on secularism because within the movement the secular-religious distinction does not exist. There are two plausible reasons for this. First, the tribe’s spirituality is not highly institutionalized. Second, the tribe’s ideals align with secular ideals. My findings matter because these secular conditions of plurality enable co-operation within (environmental) protest movements. It enables groups with different beliefs to recognize and acknowledge each other and to join forces to protest.
| Type: |
Thesis
(Master)
|
| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Schewel, B.B. | B.B.Schewel@rug.nl | | | | Tarusarira, J. | J.Tarusarira@rug.nl | | |
|
| Degree programme: |
Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation |
| Academic year: |
2018- 2019 |
| Date of delivery: |
28 Jun 2019 |
| Last modified: |
28 Jun 2019 07:54 |
| URI: |
https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/507 |
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