Young adults´ views on cultural and religious diversity in a multicultural society in Iceland

Abstract

Democratic changes in modern societies towards growing diversity affect the lives of young people. The number of non-Icelandic citizens in Icelandic society has grown rapidly in recent decades (Hagstofa Íslands, 2015a) and religious diversity has simultaneously increased (Hagstofa Íslands, 2015b). The aim of the four year (2011–2014) research project is to explore the life values and attitudes to life of young adults (age 18–24) in a multicultural society in Iceland. Methodological approaches were both quantitative and qualitative. The first part of the research was a survey conducted with students in seven upper secondary schools in the Reykjavík area and other districts of Iceland in 2011 and 2012. Findings from the survey provided the basis for focus group interviews in 2013 and 2014 with mixed groups of students in five of the same schools. The article mainly reports on the findings from the focus group interviews. The aim of the article is to examine young adults’ attitudes towards ethnic and religious diversity, religious practice, equity, freedom and human rights in a multicultural society in Iceland. The research project is located within a broad theoretical framework and uses interdisciplinary approaches of religious education, multicultural studies and pedagogy. Cummins (2009) discusses how increased mobility of people between countries and growing diversity within countries creates social tensions, as societies find themselves dislodged from their national identity comfort zone. Parekh (2006) has emphasized that in order to ensure equality of their members, multicultural societies need to find ways to encourage individuals to participate actively. Habermas (2004, 2008) has referred to religious tolerance as the peacemaker for multiculturalism, and for the equal coexistence of different cultural forms of life within a democratic polity. Authors have emphasized that religious education can play an important role in teaching about intercultural understanding (Jackson & Fujiwara, 2008; Sjöborg, 2013) Furthermore, strategic discussions and diverse teaching methods in schools about human rights and social justice have been emphasized as measures to counteract prejudice (Arshad, 2012; Mitchell, 2012; Mirza & Meetoo, 2012; Roth, 2015; Sen, 2012). While giving a brief overview of findings from the survey, the paper focuses on conclusions from the focus group interviews related to diversity, religions, equity, freedom and human rights. The findings indicate that the participants generally have positive attitudes towards ethnic and religious diversity, describing these as essential aspects of the multicultural society which do not stand in the way of their daily communication and friendships. These findings are similar to those of the REDCo (Religion in Education: A Contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in Transforming Societies of European Countries) research in Europe (Knauth & Körs, 2011) where most young people were positive towards religious diversity and pluralism. The young people who participated in the project have grown up in a society with increasing ethnic, cultural and religious diversity in Iceland, and they seem to have learned that the values, beliefs and lifestyles available to them are no longer based on a single ideology, as Ziebertz, Kalbheim, & Riegel (2006) and Cusack (2011) talk about. The participants considered religion and life views to be private issues and claimed they did not think much about other people’s religion. With regard to their personal experiences, religion seemed to be important to them in times of difficulties. A discussion on equity and human rights was quite common in the interviews, often in relation to the topic of prejudice. Many of the participants thought that prejudice was decreasing with new generations, at the same time as understanding and tolerance for diversity was growing. The participants generally found it important to protect human rights and freedom. They expressed their willingness to fight for human rights and freedom, particularly in venues close to them. The participants emphasized mutual respect and tolerance. This is in line with Sen’s (2012) and Roth’s (2015) writings on the importance of actively discussing human rights and social justice in schools.