Junior College, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
J Relig Health. 2020 Jun;59(3):1161-1174. doi: 10.1007/s10943-020-01006-7.
This paper emphasises the important role that place has in determining how religious social processes operate and impact on health and wellbeing. It draws upon evidence through qualitative in-depth interviews with families (both parents and children) living in two deprived neighbourhoods in Malta, a 'traditional' and a 'modern' one. It emerged that religious faith and practices can generate normative and resource-based social capital which can positively impact on health and wellbeing. However, some individuals found this social capital constraining and this had detrimental effects on their wellbeing. The context, composition, history and norms of the place emerge as highly important. This study emphasises that religious social processes operate in a highly complex manner, and 'adherents' and 'disaffiliates' are likely to enjoy positive or negative health and wellbeing according to where they live and according to important persons living in the neighbourhood such as the parish priest. This study contributes to the research gap between religion, social capital and health and the complex, social processes that operate at the local level of place.
本文强调了场所在决定宗教社会过程如何运作以及对健康和幸福产生影响方面的重要作用。它通过对居住在马耳他两个贫困社区（一个“传统”社区和一个“现代”社区）的家庭（父母和孩子）进行的定性深入访谈，提供了证据。研究结果表明，宗教信仰和实践可以产生规范和资源为基础的社会资本，从而对健康和幸福产生积极影响。然而，一些人发现这种社会资本具有限制作用，对他们的幸福感产生了不利影响。场所的背景、组成、历史和规范显得非常重要。本研究强调宗教社会过程以高度复杂的方式运作，“信徒”和“非信徒”根据他们居住的地方以及居住在附近的重要人物（如教区牧师），可能会享受到积极或消极的健康和幸福。本研究有助于弥合宗教、社会资本和健康之间的研究差距，以及在地方层面运作的复杂社会过程。
