The experiences and views of communities and individuals in England and Wales about religion and belief, discrimination and equality are being sought as part of a national research project announced today.
 
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) joint Religion and Society research programme, this three-year academic study will investigate how attitudes and experiences of different religious and belief groups in England and Wales have evolved since 2000 in the light of the changes that have taken place during this period in the law, among religions and in society.
 
Entitled: Religion and Belief, Discrimination and Equality in England and Wales, Theory, Policy and Practice, 2000-2010 this three year study will involve academics from the University of Derby, the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester.
 
Paul Weller, Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at the University of Derby, is the Principal Investigator for the study. His University of Derby researcher and colleague, Dr Sariya Contractor, will start visiting the neighbourhoods, streets and suburbs of Leicester this month (March) to begin building up as detailed a picture as possible of local people’s experiences and understanding of issues to do with equality and discrimination on the basis of religion or belief to feed into the overall study.
 
Further qualitative research studies will take place across England and Wales in Cardiff, Blackburn, Newham in London and Norwich.
 
Sariya said: “for this major national research project I will be looking to capture the experiences, views and feelings of a wide range of groups and individuals as part of the work. I will be involved within the community, gauging views and building as comprehensive a picture as is possible.”
 
The latest study will build on previous Home Office commissioned research led by Derby (1999-2001) entitled: Religious Discrimination in England and Wales which found evidence of unfair treatment especially in education, employment and media, particularly as reported by Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus.
 
AHRC Chief Executive Professor Rick Rylance said: "This is a great opportunity to embark on what promises to be a remarkable and illuminating project - and one that is very timely."

Other research approaches being used in the study include a postal questionnaire; a comprehensive review of relevant data from various sources such as the 2001 Census and the Home Office Citizenship Survey; and a series of national seminars to take place next year with key individuals from religion and belief organisations, the law, and the public, private and voluntary sectors.
 
For more details about the project please visit the project website at: www.derby.ac.uk/religion-and-society
 
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AHRC Media Contact Jake Gilmore j.gilmore@ahrc.ac.uk Tel: 01793 41 6021
 
Professor Paul Weller can be contacted via Email: p.g.weller@derby.ac.uk Tel: 01332-591779
 
Notes to editors:
 
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC): Each year the AHRC provides approximately £112 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,300 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. 
 
The Economic and Social Research Council - The ESRC is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC’s total budget for 2010/11 is £218 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at www.esrc.ac.uk
 
The Religion and Society research programme has been supported by the two research councils (AHRC and ESRC) with a contribution over five years of £12.3m to fund research of the highest quality on the interrelationships between religion and society. The Religion and Society Programme aims to foster collaborative research across the arts, humanities and social sciences; to build capacity in the study of religion; to engage interested parties in academia and beyond; to further understanding of religion in a complex world. The programme started in January 2007 and will end in December 2012
 
The University of Derby is a thriving institution inspired by a dedication to quality and opportunity. It is an innovator in flexible modular study and e-learning solutions tailoring programmes to students’ needs. The University is home to a diverse community of more than 20,000 students from the UK and overseas. Subjects offered to students include a wide range of disciplines in arts, design and technology; business, computing and law; and education, health and sciences.
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