Understanding Unbelief in a Catholic School Setting: A Qualitative Inquiry Among Selected Disaffiliated Gen Z Students

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences of Generation Z unbelievers studying within Catholic high schools in the Philippines, where religious identity is deeply intertwined with moral formation and daily institutional life. Despite the dominance of Catholic practices such as mandatory prayers, theology classes, and school rituals, a number of students quietly diverge from theistic belief. Using a qualitative inquiry approach, the research investigates how these unbelieving students construct meaning, negotiate moral values, experience psychosocial and cultural costs, and cultivate well-being outside religious frameworks. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, prolonged onsite classroom observations, and three months of online observation in Facebook groups for unbelievers. Guided by Social Interactionism Theory, Stigma Theory, and Multiple Secularities Theory, the study reveals that participants form meaning and ethical frameworks through critical thinking, academic exposure to philosophy and world religions, digital information-seeking, and reflective engagement with diverse belief systems. Although they retain certain moral lessons from their religious upbringing, they rebuild these within secular, humanistic, and rational orientations. Findings also show that unbelieving students experience varying degrees of stigma, concealment, and identity tension, shaped by family religiosity, school norms, and societal expectations. Despite these challenges, they cope through online communities, peer support, and personal autonomy. By highlighting the nuanced negotiations of belief and identity within a faith-centric environment, the study fills a significant gap in Philippine scholarship and contributes to broader discussions on youth religiosity, secular identity formation, and the evolving landscape of meaning-making in contemporary Filipino society.