OH, TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO LAY MY HEAD: AFRO-CARIBBEAN TRADITIONS, DIGITAL RELIGION, AND THE CREATION OF SACRED SPACE

Back to Page Authors: Alexandra Sullivan

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Keywords: Religion, Digital Religion, African Traditional Religion, Diaspora Studies, Afro-Caribbean, Rootwork, Santeria, Pagan, Eclectic Paganism, Digital Studies, Anthropology, ---

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Abstract: This project puts digital religion, the remaking of faith, and minority religious traditions in conversation with one another, connecting three related topics directly one another in the age of social media. The thesis studies members of ethnic minority communities and how they create sacred space on the internet, connecting through online expressions of spiritual and ritual life in ways that affect their lived experiences in the physical world. In effect, we look at how efforts by these online groups work to revamp and recreate their faith community. This work shows that sacred space created in the digital commons is a relatively new but uniquely important space for this community to thrive within, using qualitative data analysis and scraping of social media feeds, as well. Most importantly, this work aims to bring thorough understanding of the role digital religion plays for one ethnic minority community as its members work to redefine their culture in a postcolonial age.

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