A study on fluid society and the religious orientations of youth

The subject of this research is religious manifestations or orientations in fluid society. The fluid society conceptualization belongs to Zygmunt Bauman. In Bauman's sociology, "fluidity" has a central function. According to the fluidity approach, all solid realities in society are in motion to become liquid. In this context, it is extremely important to reveal what form religion takes in a society where everything is liquefied or ceases to be solid and stable. In this context, examining how the religious orientation, religious identity and religious life, which includes fixed belief realities, are shaped and flowed in a fluid society, constitutes the main subject of the research. The aim of this thesis is to reveal the structure/characteristics of the fluid society and how the religious orientations in the fluid society are. This study was carried out based on literature review. In the thesis study, the relationship between fluid society and religion is discussed in order to make sense of the world we live in and to understand the position of religion in this new world. In this thesis, it has been argued that in a fluid society, religious interest and orientation can change and take new forms. In other words, radical changes have occurred in the relations of young people with religion in a fluid society. As a result of the erosion of the religious values and institutions of the liquid society, the stable and stable religious structures in the society are faced with disintegration, which may cause a decrease in religious interest and orientation. In today's fluid society, young people may be more likely to display a constantly changing trend instead of maintaining permanent and long-term relationships, belief forms and commitments. This may lead to the belief that it will pose a serious threat to the long-term existence of religion. It is a fact that the obscurity of social cultural rules and religious values will render existence and daily life meaningless, and this may lead to identity crises from time to time. However, due to its fluidity, it is a fact that religious constants become slippery and universally accepted religious truths gain a volatile nature, which will not only invalidate religious forms, but also trigger people's tendency to seek universal, stable truth and meaning. In this sense, identity crises in a fluid society can increase the interest in religion as well as accelerate the escape from religion. This will vary according to the nature of the structures that the liquid society has made problematic, the extent to which religion has been affected by liquid developments, and the attractive preferences that religion has created and responded to the problems created by the liquid society. Key words: Fluid Society, Religion, Youth, Religion Orientation.