Generation Z (‘Gen Z’) is the generation of people born approximately between 1995 and 2010 as the children of Generation X (‘Gen X’) who were born between 1965 and 1980. Gen Z is the youngest generation with the older members of its group working in society after finishing formal education. This paper addresses the religious aspects of the Gen Z culture, focusing on the issues of worldview, plausibility structure, and worldview education. It is based on an empirical research project conducted in South Korea in 2020. The research methodology used was a constructivist grounded theory approach involving interviews of 30 people who were either Gen Zers or their religious educators. The study suggests three points concerning the ontological reflection of worldview, epistemological identification through contact points, and educational bridge-making in the mission of worldview education that is devoted to teaching the core and fundamental Christian doctrines about the world and life. First, Christian educators can understand the phenomena of syncretistic scientism among this new generation well when they approach them with faith and respect. It is important to make an ontological differentiation between the two generations that are different and heterogeneous at the worldview level. In contrast to the Gen X worldview that seems to be a mixture of modern scientism and a pre-modern tradition, the Gen Z worldview is a mixture of modern scientism and postmodern deconstructionism. Second, dissonant plausibility structures need epistemological contact points, which can be identified among cross-generational norms and values. Moving beyond identifying epistemological contact points, it is crucial to pursue an incarnational identification and find relevant ways to deliver a meaningful message to Gen Z in their preferred language of plausibility structure. Third, the relevant worldview education needs an educational bridging with a spirit and message of love. Christian educators need to teach the message of love in the spirit of love in order to be heard and help transform Gen Z’s worldview. The above three points are essential Christian teachings and cross cultural and generational barriers because they are shared as common virtues between the two generations. The bridge-making for worldview education is possible when Christian religious educators properly understand and recognize the issues of syncretistic worldview orientations, dissonant plausibility structures, and creative educational approaches based on love. This needs a spirit and message of faith, hope, and love to be relevant in ministry.
| Published in | Humanities and Social Sciences (Volume 9, Issue 1) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13 |
| Page(s) | 14-26 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Generation Z, Worldview Education, Religious Education, Worldview Transformation, Korean Studies
| [1] | For a generational distinction in the United States, please refer to Pew Research Center. (2014). Religious Landscape Study. https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/. |
| [2] | Samjong KPMG. (2019). Samjong Insight 66, 1-36. |
| [3] | Lee, G. and S. Park. (2018). Social Big Data Ro Bon Z Sedae. Card Business Brief by BC Card Digital Research Institute. 1-6. |
| [4] | Shin, J. (2019). Millenial Sedae wa Z Sedae Media Iyong. KISDI STAT Report 19 (03), (15.02.2019). 1-9. |
| [5] | Please refer to Clifford Geertz’s explanation about the concept of worldview. Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures, Basic Books, 1973, p. 127. |
| [6] | Kearney’s notion of worldview universals advanced the method of researching worldviews empirically to a significant degree. Michael Kearney, World View. Novato, CA: Chandler and Sharp Publishers, 1984, pp. 65-108. |
| [7] | Hiebert’s explanations on methods of analyzing worldviews are helpful and comprehensive. Paul G. Hiebert, Tranforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008, pp. 89-104. |
| [8] | Peter L. Berger, The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion. New York: Anchor Books, 1967, pp. 61-69, 189. |
| [9] | Lesslie Newbigin, Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1986, pp. 10-11; Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989, pp. 8-11. |
| [10] | Barna Group and Impact 360 Institute, Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation, 2018. |
| [11] | The author understands that the concept of plausibility structure is not merely epistemological. However, for the sake of a cognitive approach in the initial stage, this study starts by analyzing the epistemological issues, and then moves on to incorporate other related social realities comprehensively in the final analysis. |
| [12] | Kathy Charmaz, Constructing Grounded Theory, 2nd Edition. LA: SAGE, 2014. pp. 109-224. |
| [13] | James Emery White, Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2017, pp. 38-39, 51. |
| [14] | It is interesting to note that Peter L. Berger also considered the phenomenon of the limited plausibility structure within the boundary of a nuclear family. Berger pointed out that the plausibility structure of a fragmented world can in some cases be no larger than the nuclear family. Please refer to Peter L. Berger, The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion. New York: Anchor Books, 1967, p. 168. |
| [15] | Richard Dool & a team of Gen Z co-authors, How Generation Z Wants to Be Led. Published by Richard Dool, 2019, pp. 141-142. |
| [16] | Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace Seemiller, Generation Z Learns: A Guide for Engaging Generation Z Students in Meaningful Learning. Independently published, 2019, pp. 46-49. |
| [17] | Mark Beal, Decoding Gen Z: 101 Lessons Generation Z will Teach Corporate America, Marketers & Media, 2018, p. 1. |
| [18] | It is interesting to note that Peter Berger has pointed out that as the plausibility structure disintegrated, and traditional religious contents can only be maintained in consciousness as “opinions” or “feelings”. Peter L. Berger, The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion. New York: Anchor Books, 1967, p. 187. |
APA Style
Steve Sang-Cheol Moon. (2021). Syncretistic Scientism and Dissonant Plausibility Structure: An Analysis of Worldview Orientation Among Generation Zers in South Korea. Humanities and Social Sciences, 9(1), 14-26. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13
ACS Style
Steve Sang-Cheol Moon. Syncretistic Scientism and Dissonant Plausibility Structure: An Analysis of Worldview Orientation Among Generation Zers in South Korea. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 2021, 9(1), 14-26. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13
AMA Style
Steve Sang-Cheol Moon. Syncretistic Scientism and Dissonant Plausibility Structure: An Analysis of Worldview Orientation Among Generation Zers in South Korea. Humanit Soc Sci. 2021;9(1):14-26. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13
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author = {Steve Sang-Cheol Moon},
title = {Syncretistic Scientism and Dissonant Plausibility Structure: An Analysis of Worldview Orientation Among Generation Zers in South Korea},
journal = {Humanities and Social Sciences},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {14-26},
doi = {10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hss.20210901.13},
abstract = {Generation Z (‘Gen Z’) is the generation of people born approximately between 1995 and 2010 as the children of Generation X (‘Gen X’) who were born between 1965 and 1980. Gen Z is the youngest generation with the older members of its group working in society after finishing formal education. This paper addresses the religious aspects of the Gen Z culture, focusing on the issues of worldview, plausibility structure, and worldview education. It is based on an empirical research project conducted in South Korea in 2020. The research methodology used was a constructivist grounded theory approach involving interviews of 30 people who were either Gen Zers or their religious educators. The study suggests three points concerning the ontological reflection of worldview, epistemological identification through contact points, and educational bridge-making in the mission of worldview education that is devoted to teaching the core and fundamental Christian doctrines about the world and life. First, Christian educators can understand the phenomena of syncretistic scientism among this new generation well when they approach them with faith and respect. It is important to make an ontological differentiation between the two generations that are different and heterogeneous at the worldview level. In contrast to the Gen X worldview that seems to be a mixture of modern scientism and a pre-modern tradition, the Gen Z worldview is a mixture of modern scientism and postmodern deconstructionism. Second, dissonant plausibility structures need epistemological contact points, which can be identified among cross-generational norms and values. Moving beyond identifying epistemological contact points, it is crucial to pursue an incarnational identification and find relevant ways to deliver a meaningful message to Gen Z in their preferred language of plausibility structure. Third, the relevant worldview education needs an educational bridging with a spirit and message of love. Christian educators need to teach the message of love in the spirit of love in order to be heard and help transform Gen Z’s worldview. The above three points are essential Christian teachings and cross cultural and generational barriers because they are shared as common virtues between the two generations. The bridge-making for worldview education is possible when Christian religious educators properly understand and recognize the issues of syncretistic worldview orientations, dissonant plausibility structures, and creative educational approaches based on love. This needs a spirit and message of faith, hope, and love to be relevant in ministry.},
year = {2021}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Syncretistic Scientism and Dissonant Plausibility Structure: An Analysis of Worldview Orientation Among Generation Zers in South Korea AU - Steve Sang-Cheol Moon Y1 - 2021/01/25 PY - 2021 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13 DO - 10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13 T2 - Humanities and Social Sciences JF - Humanities and Social Sciences JO - Humanities and Social Sciences SP - 14 EP - 26 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2330-8184 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20210901.13 AB - Generation Z (‘Gen Z’) is the generation of people born approximately between 1995 and 2010 as the children of Generation X (‘Gen X’) who were born between 1965 and 1980. Gen Z is the youngest generation with the older members of its group working in society after finishing formal education. This paper addresses the religious aspects of the Gen Z culture, focusing on the issues of worldview, plausibility structure, and worldview education. It is based on an empirical research project conducted in South Korea in 2020. The research methodology used was a constructivist grounded theory approach involving interviews of 30 people who were either Gen Zers or their religious educators. The study suggests three points concerning the ontological reflection of worldview, epistemological identification through contact points, and educational bridge-making in the mission of worldview education that is devoted to teaching the core and fundamental Christian doctrines about the world and life. First, Christian educators can understand the phenomena of syncretistic scientism among this new generation well when they approach them with faith and respect. It is important to make an ontological differentiation between the two generations that are different and heterogeneous at the worldview level. In contrast to the Gen X worldview that seems to be a mixture of modern scientism and a pre-modern tradition, the Gen Z worldview is a mixture of modern scientism and postmodern deconstructionism. Second, dissonant plausibility structures need epistemological contact points, which can be identified among cross-generational norms and values. Moving beyond identifying epistemological contact points, it is crucial to pursue an incarnational identification and find relevant ways to deliver a meaningful message to Gen Z in their preferred language of plausibility structure. Third, the relevant worldview education needs an educational bridging with a spirit and message of love. Christian educators need to teach the message of love in the spirit of love in order to be heard and help transform Gen Z’s worldview. The above three points are essential Christian teachings and cross cultural and generational barriers because they are shared as common virtues between the two generations. The bridge-making for worldview education is possible when Christian religious educators properly understand and recognize the issues of syncretistic worldview orientations, dissonant plausibility structures, and creative educational approaches based on love. This needs a spirit and message of faith, hope, and love to be relevant in ministry. VL - 9 IS - 1 ER -
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