Deliberationens baksida? En kvantitativ studie om deliberativ demokrati och kristnas upplevelser av marginalisering inom den svenska offentligheten

Abstract

This study examines whether deliberative democracy, both as a normative democratic model and as a practical framework within Sweden, may contribute to experiences of exclusion, marginalization and polarization among Christian groups. Focusing on Christians in the Gothenburg area, the study investigates how respondents perceive their position within contemporary public discourse and democratic participation. The thesis further seeks to contribute to the understudied intersection between religion and deliberative democratic theory, particularly regarding pluralism, inclusion, and democratic legitimacy. The study adopts a deductive and quantitative research design grounded in the theories of Jürgen Habermas and John Rawls, alongside Chantal Mouffe’s critique of deliberative democracy and her theory of agonistic pluralism. Empirical data was collected through a web-based survey distributed among Christians from various denominations in Gothenburg and surrounding municipalities. The findings indicate that a majority of the respondents experience a sense of marginalization and limited legitimacy within the Swedish public sphere. Results further suggest that deliberative democratic ideals emphasizing rational consensus may, in practice, contribute to the exclusion of perspectives perceived as deviating from dominant secular norms. Although the study finds only limited evidence of a direct relationship between marginalization and reduced democratic trust, the results nevertheless highlight tensions between deliberative ideals and religious pluralism in contemporary Sweden.