Managing stress and conflict in a foreign culture: A possible role for religious practice among Brazilian Catholic Students in Dublin

Abstract

Exploring the conflict management strategy into Dispute Resolution, the present study aims to understand the negative impacts of BCS living in Dublin, a foreign culture, and whether their religious practice could work as a coping strategy to manage stress and conflict in that new context. The objectives are to evaluate the correlation between religious practice and mental health, assess when the religious practice may become an obstacle to deal with stress and conflict, understand how religious practice could work as a coping resource, and provide recommendations to new BCS in Dublin concerning adaptation and maintain mental health. Through a grounded theory methodology, in a qualitative approach, this research concludes that BCS in Dublin undergo four nature of negative impacts, which are cultural, personal, psychological, and social. Further, religious practice is highly considered a coping strategy to cope with stressful and conflictual circumstances and significantly correlate to students' mental health. However, this research presents that, to some degree, a religion's practice may become a barrier to manage stress and conflict when there is misunderstanding towards the faith. Notwithstanding, religious practice has been found to work as behavioural and psychological support to BCS, where BCC's presence in Dublin is crucial for them. Therefore, this study can afford relevant recommendations to BCS in Dublin intending to adapt to the new culture and continue mentally healthful.