Breaking Up with Religion. The Experience of Deconversion from Catholicism to “No Religion” Among Polish Adolescents

Based on qualitative research with 22 former Polish Catholic adolescents aged 14 to 19, this study takes a constructivist approach to understanding the process of leaving religion by examining deconversion narratives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using themat...

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Détails bibliographiques
Autres titres:Leaving Religion
Auteurs: Grupa, Michał (Auteur) ; Zarzycka, Beata 1974- (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
Vérifier la disponibilité: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Publié: 2026
Dans: The international journal for the psychology of religion
Année: 2026, Volume: 36, Numéro: 1, Pages: 169-187
Accès en ligne: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Résumé:Based on qualitative research with 22 former Polish Catholic adolescents aged 14 to 19, this study takes a constructivist approach to understanding the process of leaving religion by examining deconversion narratives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The following six themes emerged: (1) avoiding peer exclusion as a pathway to deconversion (100%), (2) not seeing the value or practicality of religion (68%), (3) disillusionment with the religious leaders (77%), (4) freeing oneself from obligations (91%), (5) regaining space in life (82%), and (6) nothing terrible will happen if you go (77%). The results show deconversion as a process of social integration into the peer community, combined with a rejection of the constraints of religion, which appear incomprehensible to young people. Additionally, religious offerings are viewed as simplistic, and the functioning of religious institutions is seen as leaving much to be desired.
ISSN:1532-7582
Contient:Enthalten in: The international journal for the psychology of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2025.2497132