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

宗教多元化社区的年轻人可能会感受到一系列相互竞争的影响和压力。一方面，他们可能觉得应该遵循父母的信仰传统。另一方面，他们可能被其他宗教和世俗的影响所吸引，通过友谊团体和网络，在学校和休闲时的相遇，以及通过媒体。更全球化的亲属关系和宗教团体也会对他们产生影响。研究将着眼于年轻人如何应对这些不同的压力，以及宗教对他们的重要性。它将询问他们的宗教身份和行为，以确定这些是如何谈判和发展的。一个关键问题将是，如何区分那些追随和不追随父母宗教足迹的人。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、他们所在的地方以及他们接触到的更广泛的文化影响有关？这项研究将考察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产生影响。它还将审查宗教认同和行为之间的联系，以及年轻人的态度和愿望。这项研究的一个重要目的是研究宗教在哪些方面是一种积极的力量，以及在哪些方面会出现问题。宗教给年轻人的生活带来了哪些好处，帮助不同宗教背景的年轻人相处的条件是什么？宗教能起到鼓励和/或阻止极端主义和激进主义的作用吗？关于这些问题的信息将直接从年轻人那里收集。首先，将在13至18岁的学校和中六学院进行大规模的问卷调查。第二，将与通过信仰或非信仰团体确定的一小部分年轻人进行更密集和更长时间的面对面接触。第三，将使用流动青年巴士或其他方式，鼓励相对难以接触到的年轻人分享他们的经验和观点。所有道德要求将在所有阶段得到充分遵守。该项目的一个特点是成立一个多信仰青年研究人员小组，就研究过程的所有方面提供建议，包括收集对年轻人有吸引力的信息的方法。当地社区的合作伙伴也将为数据收集提供便利和协助。这项研究将在四个不同的地点进行，为期两年，显示出不同的宗教代表模式：伦敦的哈罗、希灵顿和纽汉市，以及约克郡的凯斯利/内布拉德福德地区。伦敦区都表现出高度的多样性，但宗教构成却截然不同，而布拉德福德地区的两个主要宗教团体之间的多样性较少，但两极分化更严重。奥地利和丹麦也计划以自资伙伴的身份参与这项研究，研究成果将通过学术出版物、报告和面向社区、专业人士或政策制定者的演示文稿广泛宣传。将建立一个专门的网站来报告其调查结果。此外，我们亦会与青年研究小组合作，为来自不同研究地区的年青人策划一项名为“青年问题会议”的活动，让他们更好地了解不同宗教社区的年青人的生活，以及对年青人的宗教身份、经历和态度有更新的认识。还将提供促进社会和社区凝聚力的经验教训。学校现在有义务开发和展示促进不同信仰群体年轻人之间凝聚力的方法，这项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.