The place of religion : Spatialised subjectivities of Muslims, Sikhs and Christians in Southampton
The place of religion : Spatialised subjectivities of Muslims, Sikhs and Christians in Southampton
Based on qualitative research in Southampton, this thesis considers the intersections of religion, subjectivities and space. It focuses on two particular issues: firstly the creation of sacred space, shown in the planning and building of two new Muslim mosques: and secondly the conversion of sacred space, with the unique example of a consecrated Church of England building, St. Luke's, now in use as a Sikh gurdwara, the Singh Sabha Gurdwara. I start from the premise that religious places of worship are meaningful, and identify some of the ways in which these places of worship are made meaningful by those who make use of them, including what marks out places of worship to distinct to other places. I unravel the myriad experiences, memories, and senses of sanctity held and inspired by existing buildings and in plans for new buildings, and reflect on how these are gendered.
I contend that highly visible places of worship figure in the geographical imaginations of many who live and work in the city, and not just those who use the places as centres for meeting and worship. Changes in the city skyline in terms of new and converted places of worship over the past two decades have not been welcomed by all, and have caused some controversy. I show how these tensions, often sparked by racism, can be spatially embedded, permeating the processes of creating and converting sacred space. Yet many people in Southampton are pleased by the increasingly visible inscribing of the multi-faith dimension of the city into the urban fabric. It is hoped that with increasing visibility will come increased opportunities for dialogue, and this is to be grasped if existing stereotypes are to be challenged, and coalitions developed between those of differing beliefs and none.
These issues are examined at different scales, since the significance of these places of worship extends well beyond Southampton.
University of Southampton
1999
Legg, Kristina Louise
(1999)
The place of religion : Spatialised subjectivities of Muslims, Sikhs and Christians in Southampton.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
Based on qualitative research in Southampton, this thesis considers the intersections of religion, subjectivities and space. It focuses on two particular issues: firstly the creation of sacred space, shown in the planning and building of two new Muslim mosques: and secondly the conversion of sacred space, with the unique example of a consecrated Church of England building, St. Luke's, now in use as a Sikh gurdwara, the Singh Sabha Gurdwara. I start from the premise that religious places of worship are meaningful, and identify some of the ways in which these places of worship are made meaningful by those who make use of them, including what marks out places of worship to distinct to other places. I unravel the myriad experiences, memories, and senses of sanctity held and inspired by existing buildings and in plans for new buildings, and reflect on how these are gendered.
I contend that highly visible places of worship figure in the geographical imaginations of many who live and work in the city, and not just those who use the places as centres for meeting and worship. Changes in the city skyline in terms of new and converted places of worship over the past two decades have not been welcomed by all, and have caused some controversy. I show how these tensions, often sparked by racism, can be spatially embedded, permeating the processes of creating and converting sacred space. Yet many people in Southampton are pleased by the increasingly visible inscribing of the multi-faith dimension of the city into the urban fabric. It is hoped that with increasing visibility will come increased opportunities for dialogue, and this is to be grasped if existing stereotypes are to be challenged, and coalitions developed between those of differing beliefs and none.
These issues are examined at different scales, since the significance of these places of worship extends well beyond Southampton.
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Published date: 1999
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Local EPrints ID: 464044
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/464044
PURE UUID: 70867f22-ac6d-4f0c-97e7-746116e3a1f6
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 21:01
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 21:01
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Author:
Kristina Louise Legg
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