Teenagers’ Perspectives on the Role of Religion in their Lives, Schools and Societies. A European Quantitative Study (eBook)

Pille Valk, Gerdien Bertram-Troost, Markus Friederici, Céline Béraud (Hrsg.) (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: PDF

2009 | 1. Auflage
449 Seiten
Waxmann Verlag GmbH
978-3-8309-7118-4 (ISBN)

Infos

Religion is on the European agenda again. The secularisation paradigm has lost its explanatory power and the newly coined term ‘post-secularism’ is used to describe the realisation that in the current social transformation, religion cannot be ignored any longer.



The quantitative study presented in this book is part of the research effort by the REDCo project. REDCo is the abbreviation for “Religion in Education. A contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in Transforming Societies of European Countries”. The project brought together nine research teams from eight European countries: England, Estonia, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Russia and Spain. The research involved interdisciplinary cooperation between specialists in the different academic fields of education, religious education, sociology, political science, anthropology, psychology, theology and religious studies.



The book offers valuable interpretations and inspirations on the question how the students in the 14 – 16 year age group in Europe see the (ir)relevance of religions for dialogue and conflict in their daily lives, in the school environment, and in society as a whole.



The young respondents of the quantitative study are clearly aware that the diversity of religious and non-religious worldviews is the reality of the European contexts they have to manage within. Most of them are convinced that religion must be addressed in schools, as it is too important as factor in social life, and for the coexistence of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds throughout Europe, to be ignored.

Inhalt

Contents 6
Quantitative Study in the Context of the REDCo Project – a Foreword 10
Introduction 10
The origin of this book: the REDCo project 11
The impact of the quantitative study for REDCo 12
References 13
From the Research Question to the Sampling 14
1. Theoretical and methodological background 14
2. The research design – from the problem to the sampling 17
3. Conclusions 21
References 23
Who to Survey? Considerations on Sampling 24
1. From general principles to specific choices made in the REDCo project 24
2. Comments on the samples obtained by the various teams 26
3. Methodological consequences 27
References 28
Semantic Differences in European Research Cooperation from a Methodological and Theoretical Perspective – Translation and Terminology 30
Introduction 30
Translation 30
Terminology: ‘religion’ as an important exemplar 32
Tentative conclusions 39
References 40
The Process of the Quantitative Study 42
1. Nine months of preparation 42
2. Conducting the main data collection 44
3. Data processing and analysis 46
Conclusion 48
References 48
Personal Worldviews, Dialogue and Tolerance – Students’ Views on Religious Education in England 50
1. Introduction 50
2. Presentation of results 54
3. Comparison with the results of the qualitative survey 66
4. Conclusions 68
References 70
English Religious Education through Estonian Eyes 72
Some striking findings 72
Something to think about and over 73
Last but not least 74
Response to the English National Report 75
Context 75
Content of RE 76
Religious/non-religious groups emerge from the questionnaire 77
Gender and religion 78
References 79
Options beside ‘and no Religion too’ – Perspectives of Estonian Youth 80
1. Introduction 80
2. General presentation of the results 85
3. Comparison with the results of the qualitative survey 113
4. Conclusions 115
References 120
How Different after the Shared Past? Russian and Estonian Youth Views about Religion 122
Highlighting the Estonian results: differences between two national samples 122
Similarities between the two samples 123
Results of qualitative and quantitative surveys in bi-national perspective 124
Russians in Estonia and Russians in Russia 125
Differences found: what next? 126
Commentary on ‘Options beside and ‘no Religion too’ – Perspectives of Estonian Youth’ 128
Most striking points 128
New and different ideas and interpretations 128
Similarities and differences between England and Estonia 129
The School – an Appropriate Institution in France for Acquiring Knowledge on Religious Diversity and Experiencing it Firsthand? 132
1. Introduction 132
2. Presentation of the results 138
3. Comparison with the results of the qualitative survey 159
4. Conclusion 161
References 163
Two Sides of the Coin – French and Spanish Approaches to Religion in the School 165
Public / private debate: old and new phantasm in the religion field 165
Students’ views: some differences and commonalities between neighbours’ countries 166
The French Situation from a Norwegian Point of View 168
A comparative perspective 168
Possible alternative perspectives 170
Reflections about France and Norway 171
Religion in School – a Comparative Study of Hamburg and North Rhine- Westphalia 174
1. Introduction 174
2. General presentation of the results 177
3. Comparison with the results of the qualitative study 203
4. Conclusions 205
References 210
Religion in School – a Comparative Study of Hamburg and North Rhine- Westphalia. Commenting Chapter from a Norwegian Perspective 213
Introduction 213
Some striking observations 213
Possible alternative perspectives 214
Reflections about Germany and Norway 215
Response to the German National Report on the REDCo Questionnaire 217
Importance of religion 217
Migration 218
Gender 219
References 220
Dutch Pupils’ Views on Religion in School and Society – Report on a Quantitative Research 222
1. Introduction 222
2. Presentation of the results 228
3. Comparison with the results of the qualitative survey 254
4. Conclusions 256
Commentary on ‘Dutch Pupils’ Views on Religion in School and Society – Report on a Quantitative Research’ 262
Views of Students on Religion in Education in the Netherlands – Perspectives from Hamburg and North Rhine- Westphalia 265
Remarkable findings 265
Alternative interpretations 266
Main commonalities and differences between the findings in the Dutch and the German context 267
Does Religion Matter to Young People in Norwegian Schools? 270
1. Introduction 270
2 General presentation of results 276
3. Comparison with the qualitative survey 297
4. Conclusions 298
References 301
French Views on the Results of the Norwegian Survey 303
Norway and France: two different social contexts where the situation regarding religion in schools has recently changed 303
In Norway as in France, students are divided on how much importance to give to religion 304
Norwegian and French students support instruction about religion 304
Students are open-minded and are willing to give space to religion in school, but they respect the non- religious nature of school 305
Conclusion 305
References 306
Teenagers, Religions and Schools in Norway – Comments from a German Perspective 307
Main differences and commonalities between the two contexts 307
Striking, interesting and unexpected points from a German perspective 308
Different ideas and interpretations 309
References 309
Saint-Petersburg Students’ Views about Religion in Education – Results of the Quantitative Survey 312
1. Introduction 312
2. General presentation of the results 318
3. Comparison with the results of the qualitative survey 343
4. Conclusions 347
References 350
Comments on Russia from an Estonian Perspective 351
Introduction 351
The role of religion in pupils’ life and relationships 351
Religion at school 353
Schooling and Religion – some References to the Russian and Spanish Contexts 355
Spanish Youth Facing Religious Diversity at School – Findings from a Quantitative Study 358
1. Introduction 358
2. Presentation of the results 363
3 Comparison with the results of the qualitative survey 381
4. Conclusions 384
References 389
The French Viewpoint on the Spanish Report 390
The Findings of the REDCo Project in Spain as Read by a Russian Researcher 393
References 396
The Role of Religion in Students’ Lives and their Surroundings 398
References 409
How do European Pupils See Religion in School? 410
1. Introduction 410
2. Thoughts about and experiences with religious education of European youth 410
3. European tendencies with regard to effects of religious diversity in education 417
4. Conclusions: main tendencies 420
How do European Students See the Impact of Religionin Society? 424
1. Introduction 424
2. Evaluation of the role of religion in society by the European teenagers 424
3. Religion as a contribution for dialogue 429
4. Ways to peaceful coexistence 431
5. Reflection on the hypotheses on the impact of personal encounters with religious diversity 432
Conclusion 435
List of authors 448

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.1.2009
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Religion / Theologie ► Christentum ► Religionspädagogik / Katechetik
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik
• ISBN-10: 3-8309-7118-4 / 3830971184
• ISBN-13: 978-3-8309-7118-4 / 9783830971184