Abstract:
In recent years, controversial issues related to religion or belief, discrimination, equality and human rights have come to the fore, especially in the context of public debates around multiculturalism following the 'social policy shock' created by the impact of violent religious extremism. For example should there be restrictions on what people can wear in the work place based on their religious identity? Should religious organizations be exempt from aspects of equalities legislation which are not in line with their beliefs and values? How should non-religious identities be recognized? In the context of increasing cultural and religion or belief diversity, it is vitally important for the future to understand the nature and extent of discrimination and unfair treatment on the grounds of religion or belief, and to assess the adequacy of policies, practices and laws designed to tackle this.

This Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project established a contemporary benchmark in scholarly studies on 'discrimination' and 'equality' with regard to 'religion' and 'belief' in the UK. It is vitally important for the future of religion and society to understand the nature and extent of such discrimination and the adequacy of equality policies, practices and laws designed to tackle it. Its analysis presents a unique insight into continuity and change in people's reported experience over a decade of equalities legislation and political
and social change of unfair treatment on the basis of religion or belief.


About the Speaker:
Dr Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor is Research Fellow in Faith and Peaceful Relations at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK. She specialises in the Sociology of Religion with particular emphasis on democratic research methodologies that work with and for research participants, to capture the nuance and complexity of societal diversity, pluralism and everyday lived experiences of religion or belief in Britain and beyond. She is the author of 'Muslim Women in Britain: Demystifying the Muslimah' (Routledge 2012), co-author of 'Religion or Belief, Discrimination and Equality: Britain in Global Contexts' (Bloomsbury 2013) and 'Islamic Education in Britain: New Pluralist Paradigms' (Bloomsbury 2015), and co-editor 'Digital
Methodologies in the Sociology of Religion' (Bloomsbury 2015).