MEDIA, RELIGION AND DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION - COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION IN ZIMBABWE AND NORWAY

How do people's references to religion and media shape democratic part icipation in small-scale communities? This research question is applie d to pilot case studies across two continents, namely the growth point of Tsanzaguru in Zimbabwe and the municipality of Sor-Aurdal in Norwa y. In each community, ten 'general influential opinion leaders' were i nterviewed ahead of the 1995 elections. 'Religious belonging' (i.e. af filiation to various Christian groups) was applied as a main variable. Sor-Aurdal offers an opportunity to study the contrast between 'churc h' and 'sect', while Tsanzaguru displays a more pluralistic pattern of 'denominations' and African 'charismatic collectivities'. In these ca ses, it appears that religious belonging does have a bearing on how pe ople do or do not engage with the processes of democratic participatio n and on the ways that people use the media for such purposes.