Prof. Lori Beaman, PhD

The core question of my research is: how do we live well together in diverse societies? Many Western countries are becoming more religiously diverse while simultaneously experiencing a rapid rise in nonreligion. In my research, which sits at the intersection of sociology, law, and religious studies, I seek to understand these dynamics and explore strategies for creating just and inclusive societies. My current research includes the Nonreligion in a Complex Future Project, my work analyzing the transformation of majoritarian religion into “culture” and “heritage”, and my original concept of deep equality.

I am currently the Principal Investigator of the Nonreligion in a Complex Future (NCF) project, an international research project which examines the social impact of nonreligion in Canada, Australia, the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland), the United States, the United Kingdom, and Latin America (Brazil and Argentina). The project focuses on five main areas where we observe the impact of nonreligion, namely health, law, education, the environment, and migration. How, for example, has the rise of nonreligion affected the way we think about delivering end-of-life care? How do assumptions about the religion of refugees inform policies toward them? In what ways do religion and nonreligion shape how we relate to the environment?

This growing (non)religious diversity creates challenges for religion’s place in the public square. Analyzing legal cases involving crucifixes in government buildings or prayers before public meetings, for example, I have shown how social actors have attempted to transform these religious symbols and practices into “culture” and “heritage” as a means to protect their place in the social order. Such a discursive move sidesteps state neutrality on religion and potentially marginalizes those who do not identify with the majoritarian religion. It also erases the diversity many countries have historically experienced, presenting a monolithic conceptualization of the ‘us’.

This new diversity ultimately raises important questions about how we can and should live together. I developed the concept of deep equality in response to top-down approaches to religious diversity, such as tolerance and accommodation, which reinforce social hierarchies between the “tolerating” and “tolerated.” Deep equality is a strengths-based approach that maps the ways people successfully navigate diversity in their everyday lives through strategies including caring, friendship, and respect.