Abstract
Drawing on data from the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) conducted in the United Kingdom, this paper explores how students’ attitudes toward religious diversity change during university and the role of educational experiences in producing change. One thousand students attending university in the UK participated in two waves (2021 and 2022) of survey data collection, allowing a longitudinal assessment their pluralism orientation (i.e., global citizenship, goodwill toward people of other religions, appreciation of interreligious commonalities and differences, and commitment to interfaith leadership and service) and appreciative attitudes toward eight groups (i.e., Atheists, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and religious people). Paired t-tests and multivariate regression analyses were employed to examine the nature and predictors of change. The findings suggest that students do make appreciable gains in pluralism orientation and appreciative attitudes during their time in university. To some degree, their attitudes are related to identities they hold (e.g., gender, race sexuality, religion, political ideology), but aspects of their university experience play a noteworthy part in the process of change as well. The type of institution attended—that is, whether it was religiously affiliated, secular, or traditional elite—surfaced across numerous regression models, suggesting that contextual factors make an important contribution. Moreover, students who perceived their university as religiously diverse, felt safe and supported to express their perspectives, and encountered people and ideas who challenged their stereotypes and assumptions were more inclined than those who did not to grow more pluralistic and appreciative of religious difference.
Presenters
Alyssa RockenbachProfessor, Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development, North Carolina State University, North Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
University Students, Pluralism, Attitudes, Religious Diversity
