AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme Conference

“New Forms of Public Religion”The Divinity School, St John’s

College, Cambridge5–7 September 2012

Robert Jackson, Elisabeth Arweck, Leslie J Francis

Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, UK

Young People’s Attitudes toYoung People’s Attitudes toReligious Diversity ProjectReligious Diversity Project

IntroductionIntroduction

Robert JacksonRobert Jackson

Building on REDCo Framework 6 Building on REDCo Framework 6 Project involving 8 European Project involving 8 European countriescountries

Whole UK covered (England, Wales, Whole UK covered (England, Wales, Scotland, N. Ireland) + London as a Scotland, N. Ireland) + London as a ‘special case’‘special case’

Mixed methods study, starting with Mixed methods study, starting with qualitative and using findings in qualitative and using findings in questionnaire designquestionnaire design

PhD student attached to the projectPhD student attached to the project

Using qualitative methods, what Using qualitative methods, what are the key issues 13-16 year old are the key issues 13-16 year old students identify with religious students identify with religious diversity and how do they diversity and how do they respond to these?respond to these?

  Using quantitative methods, how Using quantitative methods, how widespread are the responses widespread are the responses identified by the qualitative identified by the qualitative methods?methods?

Main Research QuestionsMain Research Questions

Drawing on insights from individual Drawing on insights from individual differences psychology, how far can differences psychology, how far can quantitative approaches, using recognised quantitative approaches, using recognised measures of personality and other individual-measures of personality and other individual-level variables (emotional intelligence, self-level variables (emotional intelligence, self-concept and empathy), concept and empathy), explain attitudes explain attitudes towards religious diversity?towards religious diversity?

Drawing on insights from social psychology,Drawing on insights from social psychology, how far canhow far can social and contextual factors social and contextual factors (school, family, media and local (school, family, media and local neighbourhood) explain individual neighbourhood) explain individual differences in attitudes toward religious differences in attitudes toward religious diversitydiversity??

Further Research QuestionsFurther Research Questions

Drawing on insights from empirical Drawing on insights from empirical theology, how far can religious theology, how far can religious affiliation, beliefs, practices and affiliation, beliefs, practices and views of transcendence, explain views of transcendence, explain individual differences in attitudes individual differences in attitudes toward religious diversity?toward religious diversity?

  Drawing on insights from Drawing on insights from qualitative research, how can qualitative research, how can attitudes toward religious diversity attitudes toward religious diversity be more adequately operationalised be more adequately operationalised in quantitative studies?in quantitative studies?

Further Research QuestionsFurther Research Questions

Young People’s Attitudes toYoung People’s Attitudes toReligious Diversity ProjectReligious Diversity Project

Quantitative PhaseQuantitative Phase

Leslie J FrancisLeslie J Francis

StructureStructure::• sources of theorysources of theory• an empirical traditionan empirical tradition• methods of measurementmethods of measurement• instruments of measurementinstruments of measurement• data collectiondata collection• descriptive analysesdescriptive analyses• model building analysesmodel building analyses• publications publications

Part OnePart OneSources of theorySources of theory

Sources of theorySources of theory::

• the qualitative projectthe qualitative project• psychology of religionpsychology of religion• empirical theologyempirical theology

The qualitative projectThe qualitative project::

• what matters to young peoplewhat matters to young people• how young people express themselveshow young people express themselves• a rich and deep tapestrya rich and deep tapestry

Psychology of religionPsychology of religion::

• Argyle (1958)Argyle (1958)• Argyle and Beit-Hallahmi (1976)Argyle and Beit-Hallahmi (1976)• Beit-Hallahmi and Argyle (1997)Beit-Hallahmi and Argyle (1997)• Hood, Hill and Spilka (2009)Hood, Hill and Spilka (2009)

Empirical theologyEmpirical theology::

• Hans van der VenHans van der Ven• Journal of Empirical TheologyJournal of Empirical Theology• International Society for Empirical International Society for Empirical

Research in Theology Research in Theology

Part TwoPart TwoAn empirical traditionAn empirical tradition

An empirical traditionAn empirical tradition::

• Teenage Religion and Values ProjectTeenage Religion and Values Project• Assessing Attitudes towards ReligionAssessing Attitudes towards Religion• Outgroup Prejudice ProjectOutgroup Prejudice Project

Teenage Religion and ValuesTeenage Religion and Values::

• survey of 34,000 13- to 15-year-old pupilssurvey of 34,000 13- to 15-year-old pupils• England and WalesEngland and Wales• diversity of schoolsdiversity of schools

Assessing AttitudesAssessing Attitudes::

• Francis Scale of Attitude towards ChristianityFrancis Scale of Attitude towards Christianity• Kutz-Francis Scale of Attitude towards JudaismKutz-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Judaism• Sahin-Francis Scale of Attitude towards IslamSahin-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Islam• Santosh-Francis Scale of Attitude Santosh-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Hinduismtowards Hinduism

Outgroup Prejudice ProjectOutgroup Prejudice Project::

• York St John UniversityYork St John University• Dr Andrew VillageDr Andrew Village• Dr Adrian BrockettDr Adrian Brockett

Part ThreePart ThreeMethods of measurementMethods of measurement

Methods of measurementMethods of measurement::

• fixed choicefixed choice• binary optionsbinary options• Likert scalingLikert scaling

Methods of measurementMethods of measurement::

Are you?Are you?

• malemale 11• femalefemale 22

Binary optionsBinary options::

Do you like going out a lot?Do you like going out a lot?

• yesyes• nono

Likert scalingLikert scaling::

I find life really worth livingI find life really worth living

• agree stronglyagree strongly• agreeagree• not certainnot certain• disagreedisagree• disagree stronglydisagree strongly

Levels of measurementLevels of measurement::

• nominalnominal• ordinalordinal• intervalinterval• scaledscaled

Part FourPart FourInstruments of measurementInstruments of measurement

Instruments of measurementInstruments of measurement::

• psychological constructspsychological constructs• religious constructsreligious constructs• openness constructsopenness constructs

Psychological constructsPsychological constructs::

• Eysenck Personality Questionnaire RevisedEysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised• self esteemself esteem• empathyempathy

Religious constructsReligious constructs::

• affiliationaffiliation• practice (public)practice (public)• practice (personal)practice (personal)• beliefbelief• attitudeattitude

Openness constructsOpenness constructs::

• a lot of good is done in the world by..a lot of good is done in the world by..• I have friends who are..I have friends who are..• I am interested in finding out about..I am interested in finding out about..• a lot of harm is done in the world by..a lot of harm is done in the world by..• I would not like to live next door to..I would not like to live next door to..

Part FivePart FiveData CollectionData Collection

Data collectionData collection::

• pilot studypilot study• main studymain study• interim analysesinterim analyses

Pilot studyPilot study::

• questionnaire included variantsquestionnaire included variants• one school intensive examinationone school intensive examination• cognitive testingcognitive testing• quantitative testingquantitative testing• leads to shorter revised leads to shorter revised questionnairequestionnaire

Main studyMain study::

Five nations of the UK:Five nations of the UK:• EnglandEngland• Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland• ScotlandScotland• WalesWales• LondonLondon

Main studyMain study::

2000 pupils from each nation:2000 pupils from each nation:• 50%50% religious character religious character• 50%50% secular secular

Part SixPart SixDescriptive analysesDescriptive analyses

Example 1Example 1::

Females onlyFemales only

• no affiliation, no attendanceno affiliation, no attendance• Christian, no attendanceChristian, no attendance• Christian, with attendanceChristian, with attendance

I am interested in finding out about I am interested in finding out about Muslims:Muslims:

• no religionno religion 27 %27 % • nominal Christiannominal Christian 40 %40 % • practising Christianpractising Christian 55 %55 %

• χ² = χ² = 59.559.5• p<.001p<.001

Muslims should be allowed to wear Muslims should be allowed to wear the headscarf in schools:the headscarf in schools:

• no religionno religion 60 %60 % • nominal Christiannominal Christian 59 %59 % • practising Christianpractising Christian 79 %79 %

• χ² = χ² = 40.240.2• p<.001p<.001

Example 2:Example 2:secularsecular religiousreligious % % % %

• EnglandEngland• N IrelandN Ireland• ScotlandScotland• WalesWales• LondonLondon

Studying religion at school helps me Studying religion at school helps me understand people from other religions:understand people from other religions:

secularsecular religiousreligious % % % %

• EnglandEngland 79 79 80 80• N IrelandN Ireland 83 89 83 89• ScotlandScotland 68 71 68 71• WalesWales 77 77 82 82• LondonLondon 85 85 86 86

I would be happy about a close relative I would be happy about a close relative marrying someone from a different faith:marrying someone from a different faith:

secularsecular religiousreligious % % % %

• EnglandEngland 66 66 55 55• N IrelandN Ireland 69 73 69 73• ScotlandScotland 53 65 53 65• WalesWales 59 59 61 61• LondonLondon 57 57 66 66

Part SevenPart SevenModel building analysesModel building analyses

Model buildingModel building::

• testing scalestesting scales• establishing correlationsestablishing correlations• multivariate modelsmultivariate models

Scale reliabilitiesScale reliabilities::

• DiversityDiversity .89.89

Correlations with diversityCorrelations with diversity::

• sexsex .24.24++++++

• ageage -.06-.06 +++ +++

• schoolschool .01.01

Partial correlations with diversityPartial correlations with diversity::

• extraversionextraversion -.04-.04• neuroticismneuroticism .08.08 +++ +++

• psychoticismpsychoticism -.32-.32 +++ +++

• lie scalelie scale .12.12 +++ +++

Partial correlations with diversityPartial correlations with diversity::

• empathyempathy .36 .36 +++ +++

• self conceptself concept .21.21 +++ +++

Partial correlations with diversityPartial correlations with diversity::

• theismtheism .22 .22• God imageGod image .27.27

Regression model: beta weightsRegression model: beta weights::• sexsex .12.12 +++ +++

• ageage -.04-.04++ • extraversionextraversion .00 .00 • neuroticismneuroticism .07.07 +++ +++

• psychoticismpsychoticism -.27-.27 +++ +++

• lie scalelie scale .03.03• theismtheism -.01-.01• God imageGod image .20.20 +++ +++

Part EightPart EightPublicationsPublications

Publication 1Publication 1

Young People’s Attitudes to Young People’s Attitudes to Religious Diversity Project: Religious Diversity Project: quantitative approaches from quantitative approaches from social psychology and empirical social psychology and empirical theologytheology

Journal of Beliefs and ValuesJournal of Beliefs and Values

Publication 2Publication 2

Religious diversity, empathy and Religious diversity, empathy and God images: Perspectives from the God images: Perspectives from the psychology of religionpsychology of religion

Journal of Beliefs and ValuesJournal of Beliefs and Values

Publication 3Publication 3

Christian affiliation, Christian Christian affiliation, Christian practice, and attitudes to religious practice, and attitudes to religious diversity: A quantitative analysis diversity: A quantitative analysis among 13- to 15-year-old female among 13- to 15-year-old female studentsstudents

(under review)(under review)

Publication 4Publication 4

Exploring young people’s attitudes Exploring young people’s attitudes to religious diversity in Walesto religious diversity in Wales

(under review)(under review)

Publication 5Publication 5

Schools with a religious character Schools with a religious character and preparation for life in a and preparation for life in a religiously diverse society: An religiously diverse society: An empirical enquiry among 13- to 15-empirical enquiry among 13- to 15-year old students in England and year old students in England and WalesWales

(under review)(under review)

AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme Conference

“New Forms of Public Religion”The Divinity School, St John’s

College, Cambridge5–7 September 2012

Robert Jackson, Elisabeth Arweck, Leslie J Francis

Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, UK