Religious education in the experience of young people from mixed-faith families

On the basis of recent ethnographic study at the University of Warwick of the religious identity formation of young people in ‘mixed-faith’ families, this article focuses on their (and their parents’) experiences and perceptions of religious education (RE) and of religious nurture in the community. The young people’s experience of RE differed between primary and secondary school and only a few were engaged in supplementary classes. We highlight the complementarity between school and home in young people’s religious learning and draw out implications for RE

Factors contributing to effective language laboratory use in New Zealand tertiary institutes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University

This study focuses on how language laboratories in New Zealand tertiary institutes can be used more effectively. The language laboratory is an excellent tool of learning which can be used to aid the development of both listening and speaking skills as well as a range of competency skills. Clear guidelines for use and management of this complex equipment with focus on full integration with classroom language teaching are not currently available to users of the language laboratory. The issues are: Our ability to use the language laboratory to its full extent Our ability to effectively manage the language laboratory Our ability to keep pace with the changing nature of language teaching Our awareness of the value of the language laboratory as a learning aid. The importance of the language laboratory to our teaching programmes Self-paced student-centred learning versus teacher control Discussion of the above with particular emphasis on training, preparation of materials, organisation and management, and integration with the classroom, help provide basic guidelines for improved language laboratory use and a basis for future research and debate

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

Junior Recital, Emily Nesbitt, soprano

The presentation of this junior recital will fulfill in part the requirements for the Bachelor of Music in Performance. Emily Nesbitt studies voice with Michelle Harman-Gulick and receives vocal coaching from Melanie Kohn Day

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