Negotiating Identity: young people's perspectives on faith values, community norms and social cohesion

宗教多样性社区的青年人可能会感到受到各种相互竞争的影响和压力。一方面，他们可能会感到被期望遵循父母的信仰传统。另一方面，他们可能通过友谊团体和网络、在学校和闲暇时的相遇以及通过媒体受到其他宗教和世俗的影响。全球范围内的亲属关系和宗教团体也会对他们产生影响。这项研究将着眼于年轻人如何科普如此多样的压力，以及宗教对他们的重要性。它将询问他们的宗教特性和行为，以确定这些特性和行为是如何谈判和发展的。一个关键的问题是，是什么区分了那些追随和不追随父母宗教脚步的人。重要的是个人特征，如性别、阶级和性取向，还是更多地与朋友、他们居住的地方以及他们所接触到的更广泛的文化影响有关？这项研究将研究不同宗教的模式是否相似，并询问家庭在英国生活的时间长短是否会有所不同。它还将审查宗教特性和行为与青年人的态度和更普遍的愿望之间的联系。 研究的一个重要目的是研究宗教是一种积极力量的方式，以及它可能成为问题的方式。宗教给年轻人的生活带来了哪些好处，又有哪些条件帮助不同宗教背景的年轻人沿着？宗教能否成为鼓励和/或阻止极端主义和激进化的力量？有关这些问题的资料将直接从青年人那里收集。首先，将在学校和中六学院对13至18岁的学生进行大规模问卷调查。第二，将与通过宗教或非宗教团体确定的一小部分青年人进行更深入和更长时间的面对面接触。第三，将使用移动的青年巴士或其他方法，鼓励相对“难以接触”的年轻人分享他们的经验和观点。在所有阶段都将充分遵守所有道德要求。该项目的一个特点是成立一个多信仰青年研究员小组，就研究进程的所有方面提供咨询意见，包括收集对青年人有吸引力的信息的方法。当地社区的合作伙伴也将促进和协助数据收集工作。这项研究将在四个不同的地方进行两年多，显示出不同的宗教代表模式：伦敦的哈罗、希灵登和纽汉，以及约克郡的基斯利/内布拉德福德地区。伦敦行政区都表现出高度的多样性，但宗教成分却相当独特，而布拉德福德地区则表现出较少的多样性，但两个主要宗教团体之间的两极分化更为严重。奥地利和丹麦亦计划以自费伙伴的身份参与研究，研究结果会透过学术刊物、报告和简报广泛公布，供社会人士、专业人士或决策人士参阅。将建立一个专门网站，报告其调查结果。此外，还将与青年研究员小组合作，计划为研究地点不同背景的青年人举办一次“青年问题会议”，通过研究，将更好地了解宗教多样性社区中的青年生活，并了解青年人的宗教身份、经历和态度的最新概况。也将有促进社会和社区凝聚力的经验教训。学校现在有义务制定和展示促进来自不同信仰团体的年轻人之间凝聚力的方法，研究的一个重要目标是帮助他们完成这项任务。

Young people in religiously diverse communities can feel exposed to a range of competing influences and pressures. On one hand they may feel expected to follow in the faith traditions of their parents. On the other they may be drawn by other religious and secular influences through friendship groups and networks, encounters at school and at leisure, and via the media. Kinship and religious groups more globally can also impinge upon them.The research would look at how young people cope with such varied pressures, and the importance of religion to them. It would ask about their religious identities and behaviours to determine how these are negotiated and developed. A key question would be what distinguishes those who do and do not follow in the religious footsteps of their parents. Is it personal characteristics, such as their gender, class and sexuality, that are important, or is it more to do with friends, the places they live in, and the broader cultural influences they are exposed to? The research would look at whether patterns are similar for different religions, and ask if the length of time families have lived in Britain can make a difference. It would also examine links between religious identity and behaviour, and young people's attitudes and aspirations more generally. An important aim of the research is to look at the ways in which religion is a positive strength as well as the ways in which it can be problematic. What advantages does religion bring to young people's lives, and what are the conditions that help young people from different religious backgrounds to get along? Can religion act as a force to encourage and/or discourage extremism and radicalisation? Information on these questions would be collected directly from young people. First, a large-scale questionnaire survey would be carried out at schools and sixth form colleges with 13 to 18 year-olds. Second, more intensive and prolonged face-to-face contact would be made with a smaller group of young people identified through faith or non-faith groups. Third, a mobile youth bus, or other methods, would be used to encourage relatively 'hard-to-reach' young people to share their experiences and views. All ethical requirements would be fully observed at all stages. A particular feature of the project would be a multi-faith Young Researcher Group to advise on all aspects of the research process, including ways of collecting information that are attractive to young people. Partners in the local communities would also facilitate, and assist in, the data collection. The research would be carried out over two years in four diverse locations showing distinct patterns of religious representation: Harrow, Hillingdon and Newham in London, and the Keighley/inner Bradford area in Yorkshire. The London boroughs all show high levels of diversity but yet quite distinct religious compositions, while the Bradford area shows less diversity but more polarisation between the two main religious groups. Austria and Denmark also plan to participate in the study as self-funded partners.Findings from the research would be widely publicised through academic publication and reports and presentations for community, professional or policy-making audiences. A special website would be set up to report on its findings. A 'Youth Issues Convention' would also be planned, in conjunction with the Young Researcher Group, for young people from diverse backgrounds across the study locations.Greater understanding of young lives in religiously diverse communities, and an up-to-date profile of young people's religious identity, experiences and attitudes, will emerge from the research. There will also be lessons for promoting social and community cohesion. Schools are now obliged to develop and demonstrate ways of promoting cohesion between young people from different faith gruops, and an important goal of the research is to help them in this task.