Language and Religion in the Superdiverse City

Metropolitan areas in the UK have experienced unprecedented demographic changes in the past twenty years. Some places such as Birmingham can be described as 'superdiverse', meaning that their populations have become so diverse that no one group is a clear majority. Religious differences have been seen to produce conflict in these cities, with differences in religious belief and practice being a barrier for communities working together. Although there has been a great deal of research looking at the language use that occurs between people in these communities, no one has specifically examined how religious identity influences how people talk and communicate within these contexts. Because what people believe is a core part of their identity, understanding its specific role in language use in superdiverse contexts is important to helping people from different religious backgrounds work together in their communities.

This project, therefore, looks at relationships that exist between language use and religious identity in superdiverse environments. The project will investigate not only what people say about their experiences of religious diversity, but how they interact with each other. The project will be carried out in the superdiverse city of Birmingham and will build on existing collaborative partnerships between the fellow (Dr Pihlaja) and Citizens UK, an alliance of civil society associations. As a member of Citizens UK, Dr Pihlaja will work with associations where religious belief and practice play a significant role in the associations' motivations or among the membership. He will gather primary data through participation in the activities of partner associations and listening to community members' and leaders' experiences in interviews and focus groups. This will produce a novel, rich dataset that represents the language used to describe the diverse lived experiences of people in the city. After gathering the data, he will work with members in these associations to co-produce a resource to help people talk productively about their faith.

The findings will provide evidence for community organisers and leaders, teachers, and civil authorities to set priorities based on real data, rather than anecdotal evidence, and provide guidance on how effectively and inclusively talking about religious identity might empower people to understand their own faith and values as a way to connect and organise with those around them. The findings from the research will inform academic publications and presentations, a monograph, and a digital and print resource aimed at religious civil society associations. Through these academic and practical outputs, the Fellowship and proposed leadership development activities will be a vehicle for advancing Dr Pihlaja's leadership in the academic field of language and religion, within Newman University, and within the larger community.