How should we deal with religious diversity in the public sphere of liberal-democratic societies? And more specifically, what does ‘good citizenship’ mean, and which forms of religion and secularity are appropriate in contexts of religious diversity? In order to answer question such as these, I analyse recent controversies about religious issues, for instance:
I approach such controversies from a political philosophical perspective that is informed by current research in anthropology, history, political theory, religious studies and sociology. I am particularly interested in how normative principles such as freedom of religion and moral and political equality are invoked, and how they actually function in liberal-democratic and pluralistic societies. Moreover, I inquire which formal and informal institutions, norms, values and sensibilities enable or hamper people with different religions to fully participate in social and political interactions.
The final aim of this research is to provide a political philosophical theory that includes a concept of citizenship on the one hand, and a critical theory of religion and secularity on the other hand. This will allow us to better understand conflicts such as those mentioned above, and to develop even-handed solutions for societies that aspire to be open and resilient with respect to the challenges resulting from religious diversity.
The media have recently reported on several cases involving minority families in which youth care agencies intervened because the emotional and physical development of childresn was at stake. The dominant secular societal and legal norms concerning the development of children into balanced individuals appear to clash with religious and cultural norms. Preliminary research has confirmed that childcare workers and judges lack an evaluative framework through which to determine how the interests of society and parents should be weighed against interests relating to the future identity of the child. This multidisciplinary research project investigates the way(s) and extent to which state agencies should take account of religious and cultural influences upon the development of children's identities when taking child protection measures. The aims are twofold. Firstly, to establish building blocks for a framework that enables professionals in the field to identify and understand the multiple components that constitute the complex cases involving minorities in which child protection measures are considered. Secondly, to provide a solid foundation for future research into the legitimacy of state interventions in cases concerning child protection in today's pluralistic European societies.