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

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Arweck, Elisabeth and Nesbitt, Eleanor. (2010) Close encounters? The intersection of faith and ethnicity in mixed-faith families. Journal of Beliefs and Values, Vol.31 (No.1). pp. 39-52. ISSN 1361-7672

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13617671003666696

Abstract

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.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Ethnicity -- Religious aspects, Race -- Religious aspects, Religion and culture -- Great Britain, Cultural competence, Identification (Religion), Socialization -- Cross-cultural studies
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Beliefs and Values
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	1361-7672
Date:	April 2010
Volume:	Vol.31
Number:	No.1
Page Range:	pp. 39-52
Identification Number:	10.1080/13617671003666696
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	Arts & Humanities Research Council (Great Britain) (AHRC)
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/3295