MACAO’S RELIGION AND SOCIETY澳門的宗教及社會
The article argues that religion constitutes one of the structuring axes of Macanese society, functioning as "intangible heritage" of the territory and as a cultural language that articulates plurality, sociability, and associations over more than 450 years. Drawing on a historical-ethnographic anth...
Saved in:
| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
2016
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40052/2227 |
| Summary: | The article argues that religion constitutes one of the structuring axes of Macanese society, functioning as "intangible heritage" of the territory and as a cultural language that articulates plurality, sociability, and associations over more than 450 years. Drawing on a historical-ethnographic anthropological approach, the author mobilizes comparative evidence (including fieldwork in family households and analysis of previous research) and resorts to documentary observations and conceptual discussions on the difficulties of translating "religion" into Chinese categories (for example, the tensions between religion and culture and the limitations of self-reporting). Methodologically, the text employs a questionnaire administered to 100 Chinese residents of Macau, supported by research in over 200 families, to sustain the centrality of associations as a cultural marker, as well as to problematize the apparently low "religiosity" expressed by part of the interviewees.
Among the main conclusions, the historical "peaceful and harmonious" coexistence between religious systems and community practices stands out, along with the persistent presence of temples and churches as spaces of collective memory, and the role of religious and charitable associations in social organization. The article further proposes that Chinese religion in Macau may have roots in earlier fishing groups (such as the Tanka), while Catholicism, although less numerous among the Chinese, continues to perform relevant religious, cultural, and social functions. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |