Locating British Hindus' sacred space

This article examines the ways in which the sacred is located in British Hindus' homes, as well as in public places of worship. Attention is drawn to scholars' concentration on these public places of worship and identification of stages in the development of temples, and to the role of the temple as a resource and a site for negotiation involving both Hindus and non-Hindus. The contested character of the 'sacred' and the increasingly virtual dimension of 'space' are also addressed

Research report: Studying the religious socialization of Sikh and 'mixed-faith' youth in Britain: contexts and issues

Against a backdrop of phases of Sikh settlement in the UK, this article provides an overview of scholarship on UK Sikh communities. Attention turns to four ethnographic studies conducted by the author, two of which focused on unambiguously Sikh communities, and two of which challenge presuppositions of the boundedness of faith communities. Of these one was a study of two historically stigmatised caste-specific Punjabi communities; the other is currently examining the religious identity formation of young people in families in which only one parent is Sikh. Pointers and questions are identified that arise from these UK studies for researchers in mainland Europe. These include methodological considerations and encouragement to contribute to debates in the sociology of religion and to take account of Sikhs' increasing appearance in creative literature

Spirituality in education : promoting children's spiritual development through values

This paper reports on research in the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at the University of Warwick regarding an educational programme, which is based on what are perceived to be universal values. The programme aims to contribute to the spiritual development of children in schools, which is one of statutory requirements of mainstream school provision in England and Wales. The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV) offers material which seeks to promote ‘human values’. The paper explores what these values are and why they are perceived to be of a universal nature. The focus on values introduces spiritual dimensions which are examined with reference to the educational contexts in which they are conveyed. The contents of the programme and the development from its inception are described. The paper is based on ethnographic data collected in classrooms and other educational environments where the programme has found application

Religious education and pupils from ‘mixed-faith’ families

The world of religion "as it is lived", so to speak, is much more complex than that presented often in text books and classrooms. As such, a recent major piece of research – into British "mixed faith" families – has some important implications for those who want to provide a form of RE that is both accurate and sensitive to the needs of today‟s children and the communities to which they belong

Close encounters? The intersection of faith and ethnicity in mixed-faith families

The encounter and intersection between faiths, cultures, and ethnicities in families where parents have different faith backgrounds are areas of social interaction about which we know little, although the number of such families is growing in the UK and globally. Mixed-faith families reflect the multi-cultural and multi-faith character of society and are thus spaces where individuals develop and negotiate multiple identities in relation to faith, ethnicity, gender, education - among other factors. Based on ethnographic data gathered during a recent study at the University of Warwick, this article presents a case study to examine what kind of cultural repertoire young people could draw on and whether this fostered 'multiple cultural competence' in them. The study also seeks to show how parents negotiated the practice and belief of their respective traditions and how children in such families perceived and formed their own religious and social identities

Peace and non-violence : Sathya Sai education in human values in British schools

Not only is peace one of the values at the heart of Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV), it is also presented as one of the programme's outcomes. The SSEHV programme seeks to promote 'human values' in British schools, also with regard to educating pupils from different social, cultural or ethnic backgrounds towards greater tolerance and understanding. The programme aims to achieve this as part of the statutory provision of physical, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship education as well provision for the social, moral, cultural and spiritual (SMCS) development of pupils in community schools. This article reports on an ethnographic study of SSEHV in the UK, which was conducted by members of the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit (WRERU) at the University of Warwick. The research reported here focused on the development of the programme, its contents (including the value of 'non-violence' and the practice of 'silent sitting'), its application in the classroom, and its reception by pupils and teachers. Further, this article seeks to embed SSEHV in the wider theoretical context of peace education and suggests theoretical discussions to which this investigation contributes

Interfaith in the public and the private sphere

Inter Faith Week started yesterday in the UK and up and down the country local interfaith organisations will be organising initiatives aimed to strengthen inter-faith relations and increase understanding. Here Eleanor Nesbitt explores how interfaith conversations carry on all year round in the public realm and how an increasing number of ‘mixed’ families means that Britain is increasingly ‘interfaith’ in the private sphere too

Children's experience of religion: issues arising from ethnographic study of 8 - 13 year olds' perspectives

This paper draws on experience of a series of ethnographic studies of religion in the lives of children and young people which provided the basis for a religious education curriculum project. All focused exclusively upon eight to thirteen year olds except for one longitudinal study which involved 16 to 23 year olds. The children were drawn respectively from Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Muslim communities in the British Midlands. This paper will refer to the research with young Hindus, Christians and Sikhs in Coventry between 1986 and 1996

Friend in the Field: A Reflexive Approach to Being a Quaker Ethnographer

Acknowledgement of the significance of reflexivity in social research has generated numerous autobiographical references in introductions to reports of field studies of faith communities. In particular the relevance of the researcher\u27s gender- or at least female gender - has been a subject for scholarly reflection. Moreover, the insider/outsider dichotomy has been invoked and contested, and the changing relationship between the ethnographer and the field during field work has been charted. In this article it is some ethnographers\u27 religious context and orientation that is the focus. With particular reference to some contemporary British Quakers whose field work has had a religious focus, including the Society of Friends itself, this article suggests that insights and concerns that are characteristic of a researcher\u27s faith community may find expression in the ethnographic research process. Both the mutual reinforcement and tension between the assumptions and practices underpinning being a Quaker and being an ethnographer are considered. Quakers\u27 \u27marginality\u27, their concern for interfaith dialogue and understanding of listening are factors which receive attention. Aspects of this research process may in turn, it is suggested, contribute to the researcher\u27s spiritual journey