In and out of the broom closet : an inquiry into pagan identity management

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Holly Brown (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Steve Kroll-Smith

Abstract: Contemporary Paganism is an umbrella term that covers a diverse set of religious and spiritual orientations that exclude mainstream Abrahamic faiths and major Eastern Religions. Paganism is often negatively stereotyped and misunderstood by mainstream society. Pagan practitioners often face stigmatization and discrimination. Due to this, Pagans often hide their stigmatized identity from others which is known as being in the Broom Closet. Currently there is limited academic research that addresses how Pagans manage their stigmatized identities and navigate the Broom Closet. This study uses a targeted life history approach grounded in phenomenology to capture how Pagans perceive the Broom Closet and what factors determine how they disclose their highly suspect identities to outsiders of their religion. Interviews were conducted with six participants who self-identified as Pagan. Findings support existing literature concerning Pagans and provides additional detailed accounts of Pagan experience in and out of the Broom Closet

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 2022
Keywords
Discrimination, Identity, Paganism, Stigmatization
Subjects
Neopaganism $x Social aspects
Neopagans $x Psychology
Neopagans $x Interviews

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