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SReligion and Belief, Discrimination and Equality in England

and Wales: Theory, Policy and Practice (2000-2010)Interim Findings and Emergent Themes

at the Religion and Society Programme

On “New Forms of Public Religion”At St, John’s College,

University of Cambridge, Cambridge 5th-7th September 2012

Professor Paul WellerDr. Sariya Contractor

PLEASE NOTE THAT WHAT WAS PRESENTED HERE WAS STILL SUBJECT TO PROJECT FINALISATION THEREFORE NOT FOR

FURTHER QUOTATION WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM p.g.weller@derby.ac.uk

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Multi-Disciplinary Project Team

• Professor Paul Weller (Religious Studies – review of evidence base and project leadership)

• Dr. Kingsley Purdam (Social Science, University of Manchester – lead on the survey)

• Dr. Nazila Ghanea (Human Rights Law, University of Oxford – lead on the legal aspects)

• Dr. Sariya Contractor (Religious Studies – lead on the project fieldwork)

• Lisa Taylor-Clarke (Project Studentship)• Lesley Sawley (Project Administrator)

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SThe Project:

Three Years/Phases

Running Throughout:- Survey of legal cases over past decade- Survey of all other evidence over past decade

Year 1:National Questionnaire Survey - of religious organizations- including still extant previous survey respondents- sample frame composed of various religions- sample frame of local, regional & national levels- postal survey with (this time) on-line option

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SThe Project:

Three Years/Phases

Year 2:Fieldwork and Focus Groups in 5 Locations - Blackburn, Cardiff, Leicester, Newham as before- plus Norwich (new location)- interviews with religious individuals and groups- interviews in public/private/voluntary sectors- focus groups (new) with the “non-religious”- conducted by project post-doctoral researcher- “anthropological” style

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SThe Project:

Three Years/Phases

Year 3:“Knowledge Exchange” and Dissemination - summary report for all participants- briefing report for opinion-formers/policy makers- 5 “knowledge exchange” workshops

public, private, community & voluntary,religious groups, legal practitioners (Autumn)

- annotated bibliography on project themes- “benchmark” book (contract with Bloomsbury)- completed doctoral thesis

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Religious Discrimination in England and Wales Research Project (1999-2001)

1. To assess the evidence of religious discrimination in England and Wales, both actual and perceived

2. To describe the patterns shown by this evidence, including:

• its overall scale

• the main victims

• the main perpetrators

• the main ways in which the discrimination manifests

3. To indicate the extent to which religious discrimination overlaps with racial discrimination.

4. To identify the broad range of policy options available for dealing with religious discrimination.

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New Research Questions

In the light of religious, social and legal developments since 1999-2001, the new project will also ask:

How far might patterns in the reported experience of unfair treatment on the basis of religion in terms of

- type of unfair treatment - frequency and seriousness - groups primarily affected - sectors of social life

have changed since the 1999-2001 project?

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New Research Questions Contd.

• What are the implications of the above for theory, policy and practice relating to issues of discrimination/equality measures concerned with religion and belief, especially bearing in mind the:

• impact of 7/7 bombings and “preventing extremism” measures

• public policy focus on “Britishness” and “social cohesion”

• impact of legal developments relating to religion

• impact of “belief” within law and policy on “religion and belief”

• relationship with other equalities strands within an equality and human rights approach to policy/practice

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New Research Questions Contd.

• Some of the key legal questions include:

– To what extent might the narrowness of religious exemptions in discrimination law contributed to any reported experience of unfair treatment towards the religious groups and their practices?

– To what extent might the breadth of these exemptions contributed to any reported experience of unfair treatment on the grounds of gender or sexuality within religious communities?

– How much awareness is there of the relevant legislation for protection against religious discrimination?

– How much use has been made of these measures?

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HEALTH WARNING!

INTERIM FINDINGS AND EMERGENT THEMES

STILL SUBJECT TO CHECKING AND TO ADDITION FROM AUTUMN

PROJECT WORKSHOPS

NOT FOR QUOTING WITHOUT PERSMISSION UNLESS IN WRITTEN

INTERIM FINDINGS SUMMARY!!

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Fieldwork Facts

• 2000/1 = 318 individuals in 4 locations

• 2010/11 = 234 individuals in 5 locations

+ 40 in Focus Groups

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Survey Facts

Sample• 2001 = 1830• 2010/11 = 1760

“Completed” Questionnaires• 2001 = 623• 2010/11 = 499 (of which 201 also did in

2001)

Declines• 2001 = 77• 2010/11 = 193

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Yet More Survey Facts

Deadwood• 2001 = 329• 2010/11 = 198

Response Rate• 2001 = 34-42%• 2010/11 = 28-35%

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Some Fairly Clear Headlines

with some indicative footnotes of expansions/examples

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Substantial reporting of unfair treatment on the basis of religion or belief continues

• across key areas of people’s lives

• introduction of law has not been a panacea

• the issue of the relation of reporting/perceivedand legally decided discrimination remains

• the relationship between religion/belief and ethnicity in unfair treatment remains complex

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There are also indications of some reduction in reported unfair treatment in some areas

employment

- reductions in reported unfair treatment in survey

- but more reported still in private than public sector

from attitudes of managers/colleagues than policies

especially criminal justice

- shows largest reporting reductions in survey

- field research indicates better consultation

- but field research still highlights immigration issues

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Where unfair treatment continues to be reported there is evidence of similar patterns to 2001 (1)

The sectors for most reported unfair treatment continue as:

education- survey shows some reduction overall- fieldwork suggests improvement in general school

environment and content of education

employment - though evidence from field research suggests effects of law on public sector policy and practice

the media- continues with little unchanged

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Where unfair treatment continues to be reported there is evidence of similar patterns to 2001 (2)

The groups most subject to unfair treatment continue to be:

Muslims - many people of other religions reporting unfair treatment for being (wrongly) identified as Muslims Pagans/members of New Religious Movements- although evidence suggests Pagans are “coming out” more than in 2001, encouraged by human rights law

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New forms of unfair treatment are being reported

Particularly by Christians- especially in relation to working on Sundays- increase in making unfavourable comparisons with

what is perceived as better treatment of minorities

But “non-religious” people feel - Christianity is privileged in structurally embedded

ways creating unfair treatment especially in education and governance

Some indications around Sikhs- especially in survey and fieldwork re wearing of 5Ks - but caution re low survey numbers

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Some emerging new challenges being highlighted

Balance/tension of legally “protected characteristics” - new law progress also highlighted unresolved tensions- key cases soon before ECHR- fieldwork participants often cited profile cases as indicative of trends, though usually narrowly decided

“Exemptions” for religious organisations- survey of evidence confirms strongly divided religious organisation opinions on marriage/civil partnership, sexual orientation and religion or belief exemptions - but also potential fluidity (17-23% ‘don’t know’) of views

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Public education remains the preferred way to tackle unfair treatment on the basis of religion

Other Options From the Survey- As in 2000, little support for no new action needed- Now also little support for further laws

(though survey and fieldwork evidence suggest religion/belief group awareness of legal

possibilities is patchy)

From the Fieldwork- Participants strongly advocated importance of inter-faith work, also supported by a few “non- religious” focus group members

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Some field research “flavours”

On inter-religious relations

Though participants described overall improvement: “Muslims don’t like Sikhs, Sikhs don’t like Muslims, and within the Muslims, some don’t like Bengalis”

On change

A Christian interviewee on unfair treatment in the media: “It’s almost like losing the empire all over again, it’s just that it’s the empire of your own country”

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Insight into the “Non-Religious”

• Focus group evidence suggests “non-religious” see “religion or belief” equality laws as “not for us” despite legal broadening of meaning of “belief”

• In survey, religious organisations are as likely to identify other religious groups as an (albeit declining) source of unfair treatment as to identify “non-religious” groups

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Still Fully to Engage with/Analyse

• Full analysis by religious group differences

• Survey/fieldwork data on Housing, Health, Other Services and Funding Bodies

• Specific comparison of survey results between organisations responding both in 2011 and 2001

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