The RelEx Team — Photo: Sonja Siikanen, Sapfograf

RelEx | Religion and Social Exclusion

A Cross-Cultural Approach and New Methodology

RelEx investigates how socially excluded people view and relate to religion on a cross-cultural scale using a new mixed-methods framework specifically developed for this purpose. Research is conducted in Ghana, Finland, India, Peru, and the Philippines. In each context, our empirical research focuses on the religious views of persons subjected to three particular forms of social exclusion related to:

For further information visit “about the project”. 

RelEx is the third Centre of Excellence in our research programme, which focuses on critically expanding the conceptual and methodological toolbox of the study of religions, especially with regard to contemporary forms of religiosity, including spiritual and non-religious expressions. The previous CoE:s were “Post-Secular Culture and a Changing Religious Landscape” (2010-2014) and “Young Adults and Religion in a Global Perspective” (2015-2018).

Funder information: RelEx is an ÅAU Centre of Excellence funded by the Åbo Akademi University Foundation during 2024–2028.

Project Highlights

RELEX focuses on four ethnic minorities and/or indigenous groups that are each associated with particular forms of religion and that each face several types of context-dependent social exclusion. These groups are the Sámi, the Fulani, the Awajún, the Santal, and the Batak.

RELEX conducts empirical research among incarcerated people in a number of both male and female low and medium-security prisons in each country included.

LGBTQI+ communities have historically experienced several forms of social exclusion and discrimination. While the situation nowadays differs notably from one cultural context to another, the social exclusion of LGBTQI+ persons has often been justified on religious grounds, as sexual and gender non-conformity have been deemed incompatible with religious mores. Attitudes towards LGBTQI+ persons vary decisively between Finland, Ghana, India, Peru, and the Philippines. While a fair amount of research exists on LGBTQI+ and religion in Western contexts, less is known about the situation in most other parts of the world and research combining and comparing several contexts is rare.

Reflecting on the RelEx Winter Workshop – March 10-16, 2025

The Religion and Social Exclusion (RelEx) project recently hosted an intensive workshop that brought together researchers from the project’s national teams in Finland, Ghana, India, Peru, and the Phillippines. 

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Panel Discussion on Social Exclusion with Hilary Silver and Aminkeng A. Alemanji

On Friday, March 14th, the Religion and Social Exclusion (RelEx) project organized a panel discussion on social exclusion, featuring Hilary Silver and Aminkeng A. Alemanji. The event brought together students from the Social Exclusion Master’s program, offering them the opportunity to engage with leading scholars in the field.

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Peter Nynäs Presents RelEx at the SSSR Conference in Pittsburg

Peter Nynäs participated in the SSSR conference in Pittsburgh with a presentation on the background of RelEx.

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RelEx Presents at the EASR in Gothenburg, Sweden

On 23rd  August 2024 Relex researchers Marcus Moberg, Linda Annunen, and Karoliina Dahl presented the RelEx-project at EASR 2024 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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Upcoming Events

Internal Workshop – June 4, 2025

The RelEx core team will gather for an internal workshop focused on developing and sharing individual research plans. Whether connected to the RelEx project or beyond, participants are encouraged to present ideas that expand their research profiles and contribute to future collaborations and funding opportunities.

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