Oförklarliga fenomen och religiositet. Om hur tro på oförklarliga fenomen kan belysa religiositet bland unga människor i ett sekulariserat senmodernt samhälle.

Sammanfattning: This is a study about unexplainable phenomena and religiosity in a secular late modern society, more exactly among youth in the southwest of Sweden. The study problematizes the difficulty of measuring religiosity, specifically with quantitative methods, and tries out new questions and formulation of questions regarding beliefs in unexplainable phenomena. The purpose is to find more nuanced and inclusive ways of measuring religiosity using a non-institutional language applicable to religiosity also outside institutional religion. A web-based survey was sent to students of the third year at upper secondary school, most of them studying humanities or social science programs. Totally 91 students answered the survey in four places in the southwest of Sweden. Theories used in the study when analyzing the material are at a macro level and include Steve Bruce’s secularization theory, Paul Heelas’ subjectivizing theory, Peter Berger’s and Thomas Luckmann’s socialization theories as well as Ronald Inglehart’s theory of a silent revolution. Luckmann’s theory of invisible religion have also been useful as well as Meredith McGuire’s theory of meaningsystems at a micro level. The deduction of this study is that significant religiosity in forms outside institutional religion are found using unconventional questions and formulation of questions of unexplainable phenomena in a non-institutional language appropriate to contemporary society in Sweden. I suggest that this could be a better way to capture religion, specifically regarding youth in Sweden of today, since it also includes unofficial religion and spirituality.