1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This chapter addresses the ways that Pentecostal Congolese youth negotiate their status of double minority in the social and political context of their host country [Québec, Canada]. […] I will examine their relationship to their home country by describing specifically their representations and practices regarding marriage and sexuality, as these combine customary traditions and Christian mandates.» (p. 148)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
L’échantillon est composé des pasteurs de dix églises pentecôtistes fréquentées par les populations immigrantes d’Afrique centrale et de dix membres de cette communauté religieuse à Montréal. L’auteure de base également sur les discussions informelles avec d’autres membres des congrégations et sur l’observation de plusieurs cérémonies, sermons du dimanche et activités organisées par les membres.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

Results show that «through matrimonial politics, […] reconfiguration of ethnic identity is best illustrated. In Christian congregations, marriage is based on the free choice and consent of partners, as well as on mutual exclusiveness. As a consequence, leaders vehemently criticise customary practices such as polygamy or arranged unions. They often lead special seminars focused on issues such as ‘how to select a partner’ so as to transmit Christian behavioural codes and moral frameworks to members. […] As they face key decisions for choosing a partner and starting a sexual life, most of them negotiate between the cultural practices transmitted through family, on the one hand, and the host country in which they are immersed, on the other. For instance, the relevance of maintaining the practice of dowry, which is part of African custom, is frequently debated in Montreal-based Congolese churches. Meanwhile, other seminars revolve around issues relating to virginity before marriage and abstinence. Such models represent ethical alternatives to the ethos usually transmitted by traditional institutions such as family, kinship network or cultural communities.» (p. 152-153)