Our sociologists awarded major ARC grant

Dr Anna Halafoff and Associate Professor Andrew Singleton have been awarded an ARC Discovery grant, funded to the total of $460,000 and commencing in 2016, investigating ‘Young Australians’ perspectives on religions and non-religious worldviews’.

The research team:
Associate Professor Mary Louise Rasmussen; Professor Gary Bouma (Monash); Associate Professor Andrew Singleton; Dr Anna Halafoff (Deakin); Professor Leslie Francis; Dr Elisabeth Arweck; Professor Robert Jackson (Warwick, UK).

The research project:
This project aims to elicit diverse young people’s understandings about religion and belief to inform debate about how education assists or impedes intercultural understanding as well as enhancing wellbeing and social inclusion. Australian governments have invested in programs to promote respect for religious diversity and to counter violent extremism, yet there is no coherent, evidence-based understanding of young Australians’ perspectives on religions and nonreligious worldviews. Knowing more about young people’s perspectives and what influences them could facilitate development of appropriate educational responses equipping schools to help young Australians to live productively in their diverse society.