Labor Culture and Religious Discourse in Different Communities of Georgia

10 Oct 2013

This analytical report is a study on the meaning of work across different religious traditions. The aim of the study is to ascertain the interrelation between religious values and work ethics of Orthodox and non-Orthodox (in particular Catholic and Protestant) Christians and Muslims, as well as non-believers.

The empirical data and information presented in the analytical report have been obtained through qualitative sociological research. The methodological framework of sociological research is case study. This implies the combined use of the following specific methods: desk research (literature review), expert interviews, focus groups and in-depth interviews. The field-work covered both rural and urban communities of Georgia (Summer, 2012).

The main findings can be structurally broken down into two parts: a) A Doctrinal basis of religious denominations in terms of work ethics b) Religious communities’ practices, beliefs and attitudes in terms of work ethics and economic behavior. In the first case, research was based on literature reviews and expert interviews, whereas in the other case, it relied on the data obtained through group discussions, in-depth interviews and the file sorting method.