AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme Conference “New Forms of Public Religion” The Divinity School, St John’s College, Cambridge 5–7 September 2012 Robert Jackson, Elisabeth Arweck, Leslie J Francis Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, UK

Young People’s Attitudes to Religious Diversity Project Introduction Robert Jackson

Building on REDCo Framework 6 Project involving 8 European countries Building on REDCo Framework 6 Project involving 8 European countries Whole UK covered (England, Wales, Scotland, N. Ireland) + London as a ‘special case’ Whole UK covered (England, Wales, Scotland, N. Ireland) + London as a ‘special case’ Mixed methods study, starting with qualitative and using findings in questionnaire design Mixed methods study, starting with qualitative and using findings in questionnaire design PhD student attached to the project PhD student attached to the project

Using qualitative methods, what are the key issues year old students identify with religious diversity and how do they respond to these? Using qualitative methods, what are the key issues year old students identify with religious diversity and how do they respond to these? Using quantitative methods, how widespread are the responses identified by the qualitative methods? Using quantitative methods, how widespread are the responses identified by the qualitative methods? Main Research Questions

Drawing on insights from individual differences psychology, how far can quantitative approaches, using recognised measures of personality and other individual-level variables (emotional intelligence, self-concept and empathy), explain attitudes towards religious diversity? Drawing on insights from individual differences psychology, how far can quantitative approaches, using recognised measures of personality and other individual-level variables (emotional intelligence, self-concept and empathy), explain attitudes towards religious diversity? Drawing on insights from social psychology, how far can social and contextual factors (school, family, media and local neighbourhood) explain individual differences in attitudes toward religious diversity? Drawing on insights from social psychology, how far can social and contextual factors (school, family, media and local neighbourhood) explain individual differences in attitudes toward religious diversity? Further Research Questions

Drawing on insights from empirical theology, how far can religious affiliation, beliefs, practices and views of transcendence, explain individual differences in attitudes toward religious diversity? Drawing on insights from empirical theology, how far can religious affiliation, beliefs, practices and views of transcendence, explain individual differences in attitudes toward religious diversity? Drawing on insights from qualitative research, how can attitudes toward religious diversity be more adequately operationalised in quantitative studies? Drawing on insights from qualitative research, how can attitudes toward religious diversity be more adequately operationalised in quantitative studies? Further Research Questions

Young People’s Attitudes to Religious Diversity Project Quantitative Phase Leslie J Francis

Structure: sources of theory sources of theory an empirical tradition an empirical tradition methods of measurement methods of measurement instruments of measurement instruments of measurement data collection data collection descriptive analyses descriptive analyses model building analyses model building analyses publications publications

Part One Sources of theory

Sources of theory: the qualitative project the qualitative project psychology of religion psychology of religion empirical theology empirical theology

The qualitative project: what matters to young people what matters to young people how young people express themselves how young people express themselves a rich and deep tapestry a rich and deep tapestry

Psychology 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 theology: Hans van der Ven Hans van der Ven Journal of Empirical Theology Journal of Empirical Theology International Society for Empirical Research in Theology International Society for Empirical Research in Theology

Part Two An empirical tradition

An empirical tradition: Teenage Religion and Values Project Teenage Religion and Values Project Assessing Attitudes towards Religion Assessing Attitudes towards Religion Outgroup Prejudice Project Outgroup Prejudice Project

Teenage Religion and Values: survey of 34, to 15-year-old pupils survey of 34, to 15-year-old pupils England and Wales England and Wales diversity of schools diversity of schools

Assessing Attitudes: Francis Scale of Attitude towards Christianity Francis Scale of Attitude towards Christianity Kutz-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Judaism Kutz-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Judaism Sahin-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Islam Sahin-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Islam Santosh-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Hinduism Santosh-Francis Scale of Attitude towards Hinduism

Outgroup Prejudice Project: York St John University York St John University Dr Andrew Village Dr Andrew Village Dr Adrian Brockett Dr Adrian Brockett

Part Three Methods of measurement

Methods of measurement: fixed choice fixed choice binary options binary options Likert scaling Likert scaling

Methods of measurement: Are you? Are you? male1 male1 female2 female2

Binary options: Do you like going out a lot? Do you like going out a lot? yes yes no no

Likert scaling: I find life really worth living I find life really worth living agree strongly agree strongly agree agree not certain not certain disagree disagree disagree strongly disagree strongly

Levels of measurement: nominal nominal ordinal ordinal interval interval scaled scaled

Part Four Instruments of measurement

Instruments of measurement: psychological constructs psychological constructs religious constructs religious constructs openness constructs openness constructs

Psychological constructs: Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised self esteem self esteem empathy empathy

Religious constructs: affiliation affiliation practice (public) practice (public) practice (personal) practice (personal) belief belief attitude attitude

Openness 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 Five Data Collection

Data collection: pilot study pilot study main study main study interim analyses interim analyses

Pilot study: questionnaire included variants questionnaire included variants one school intensive examination one school intensive examination cognitive testing cognitive testing quantitative testing quantitative testing leads to shorter revised questionnaire leads to shorter revised questionnaire

Main study: Five nations of the UK: England England Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Scotland Scotland Wales Wales London London

Main study: 2000 pupils from each nation: 50% religious character 50% religious character 50% secular 50% secular

Part Six Descriptive analyses

Example 1: Females only no affiliation, no attendance no affiliation, no attendance Christian, no attendance Christian, no attendance Christian, with attendance Christian, with attendance

I am interested in finding out about Muslims: no religion 27 % no religion 27 % nominal Christian 40 % nominal Christian 40 % practising Christian 55 % practising Christian 55 % χ² = 59.5 χ² = 59.5 p<.001 p<.001

Muslims should be allowed to wear the headscarf in schools: no religion 60 % no religion 60 % nominal Christian 59 % nominal Christian 59 % practising Christian 79 % practising Christian 79 % χ² = 40.2 χ² = 40.2 p<.001 p<.001

Example 2: secularreligious % % % % England England N Ireland N Ireland Scotland Scotland Wales Wales London London

Studying religion at school helps me understand people from other religions: secularreligious % % % % England England N Ireland N Ireland Scotland Scotland Wales Wales London London 85 86

I would be happy about a close relative marrying someone from a different faith: secularreligious % % % % England England N Ireland N Ireland Scotland Scotland Wales Wales London London 57 66

Part Seven Model building analyses

Model building: testing scales testing scales establishing correlations establishing correlations multivariate models multivariate models

Scale reliabilities: Diversity.89 Diversity.89

Correlations with diversity: sex sex age age school.01 school.01

Partial correlations with diversity: extraversion -.04 extraversion -.04 neuroticism neuroticism psychoticism psychoticism lie scale lie scale

Partial correlations with diversity: empathy empathy self concept self concept

Partial correlations with diversity: theism.22 theism.22 God image.27 God image.27

Regression model: beta weights: sex sex age age extraversion.00 extraversion.00 neuroticism neuroticism psychoticism psychoticism lie scale.03 lie scale.03 theism -.01 theism -.01 God image God image

Part Eight Publications

Publication 1 Young People’s Attitudes to Religious Diversity Project: quantitative approaches from social psychology and empirical theology Journal of Beliefs and Values

Publication 2 Religious diversity, empathy and God images: Perspectives from the psychology of religion Journal of Beliefs and Values

Publication 3 Christian affiliation, Christian practice, and attitudes to religious diversity: A quantitative analysis among 13- to 15-year-old female students (under review)

Publication 4 Exploring young people’s attitudes to religious diversity in Wales (under review)

Publication 5 Schools with a religious character and preparation for life in a religiously diverse society: An empirical enquiry among 13- to 15- year old students in England and Wales (under review)

AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme Conference “New Forms of Public Religion” The Divinity School, St John’s College, Cambridge 5–7 September 2012 Robert Jackson, Elisabeth Arweck, Leslie J Francis Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, UK