On this page we will share some of the insights and findings from the field, and give religious leaders and other interested readers an impression of this part of the research. Religion often plays an important role in the ways people shape their lives and the choices they make concerning sexuality and sexual well-being. Therefore, people may draw on teachings in their religious institutions as sources of guidance and inspiration, and contact their religious leader for counselling and advice. Religious leaders are often dedicated to offer teaching and advice, but may also find themselves in a position of lacking knowledge and expertise that is required.
What are themes and questions related to sexual well-being that are relevant to African-Dutch people in the Netherlands? How do religious leaders understand and approach sexual well-being in their congregations? Which methodologies are reported as fruitful? Which challenges are experienced and how are these challenges navigated by religious leaders? By presenting stories here we set out to provide some tentative answers to such questions.
The project team of ‘Religion, Sexuality and Secularism’ has been working hard to develop a freely accessible 4-week internet course: ‘Religion and Sexual Wellbeing: Pleasure, Piety and Reproductive Rights’, starting on 2 May. Debates featuring sexuality, gender, and reproduction often showcase two clear voices: conservative voices often associated with religion, and liberal voices often associated […]
What makes sex something extraordinary for people, and how do people experience the extraordinary amidst the familiair and the everyday? How is this connected to peoples experiences of the transcendent? These questions were taken up by members of our project team. Following the initiative of Jelle Wiering, we presented our insights from the Cultural Encounters […]
Brenda Bartelink wrote a report for the Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion & Diplomacy (TPNRD) in which she translates the insights from the Cultural Encounters project to inform diplomats and people working in international relations. The rapid growth of Pentecostalism is having a significant impact on individuals, communities, and indeed entire nations—especially in Africa and […]
Tekst uitgesproken bij de bijeenkomst: Rutgers dialoog: de strijd om seks, Den Haag 3 oktober 2019 Dr. B.E.Bartelink, Centrum voor Religie, gezondheid en welzijn, Universiteit Groningen Ik hoef u hier niet te vertellen dat de polarisatie rondom seksualiteit een realiteit is. Wat u waarschijnlijk ook wel weet is dat religie in deze polarisatie wordt […]
Which assumptions and stereotypes around religion and migration influence sexual health care for (African) migrants in the Netherlands? In this blogpost Brenda Bartelink and Kim Knibbe investigate health disparities in the Netherlands against the background of approaches to religious and cultural diversity. A girl comes home and asks her mother: “What is sex?” Her […]
Which assumptions and stereotypes around religion and migration influence sexual health care for (African) migrants in the Netherlands? In this blogpost Brenda Bartelink and Kim Knibbe investigate health disparities in the Netherlands against the background of approaches to religious and cultural diversity. A girl comes home and asks her mother: “What is sex?” Her […]
On September 19th the Cultural Encounters team will present a research Report and Policy Brief during a Policy Briefing organized at the Dutch Institute for Demographics (NIDI) in The Hague. Prof. Dr. Agyemang, Professor of Migration and Health at the Amsterdam Medical Center, Dr. Marianne Cense of Knowledge Centre Sexuality Rutgers will give […]
PolicyBrief_Seksueelwelzijn_CulturalEncounters De Policy Brief legt uit welke kansen en uitdagingen er zijn in de benadering van gezondheid en seksueel welzijn onder mensen met een Afrikaanse achtergrond, in bijzonder wat betreft de rol die religie daarin speelt. De Policy Brief behandelt drie thema’s • Van seksuele gezondheid naar seksueel welzijn • Normativiteit • Diversiteit en inclusieve […]
De Universiteit Groningen en het NIDI nodigen u van harte uit voor een Policy Briefing Cultuur Sensitieve (Seksuele) Gezondheidszorg in Nederland, op 19 september a.s. van 15:00 – 17:00 uur. Onderzoekers in het project Cultural Encounters in the African Diaspora in the Netherlands zullen hier het rapport Seksueel Welzijn in de context van Culturele en […]