Religious, Moral and
Philosophical Studies
Religion and the Social World
Intermediate 1
7729
September 2000
HIGHER STILL
Religious, Moral
and Philosophical
Studies
Religion and the Social World
Intermediate 1
Support Materials


CONTENTS
1. Teacher's Guide
2. Student’s Guide
3. Social issues and religious belief
4. Is the family still important?
Different meanings of family, values and rules, freedom and
responsibility
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

General discussion
The family in Islam – beliefs, practices & customs
Assessment activities
5. Is there an appropriate age for becoming an adult?
Growing up in a religious community, coming of age, importance of
customs and ceremonies



General discussion
Attaining adulthood in Judaism – beliefs, practices & customs
Assessment activities
6. Is work necessary for a fulfilling life?
Different meanings of work, value of work, cost of unemployment



General discussion
Hinduism in relation to work
Assessment activities
7. Bibliography
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1. TEACHER'S GUIDE
This unit of study is designed to allow students to explore the nature of social issues
as well as the relationship between religious traditions and such social issues.
Students should be able to identify social issues and make comment about how they
might affect individuals as well as society. Students should also be able to explore the
ways in which social issues have an impact upon religions and religious beliefs.
The areas in this unit should allow for general reflection on how society works as well
as the potential conflicts between society as a whole and its subdivisions. In
particular, students should examine the ways in which religious belief is challenged
by major features of contemporary society.
It is also a vital feature of this course that religions today very often find themselves
swimming against the more general social and moral trends of the day. This is
particularly the case where religions are practised in a context which is in some sense
alien. Following a particular faith in a country where such a faith's adherents are in
the minority presents special problems. Such a situation can lead to clashes, not only
of beliefs but also of cultures. The teacher should be prepared to explore these
clashes, however wary she or he might be of the complexity of doing so.
Additionally, there is another dimension to this unit. In many cases, there will be
conflicts within the faith between the generations. While this is partly cultural – as
the British born generation struggle to come to terms with the cultural differences of
its elders – it is also a reflection perhaps of the different attitudes towards religion
generally expressed by today's younger generation. Again, these issues should not be
glossed over but analysed and explored so that students can learn from them. The
inherent conflicts between a religious and a more secular outlook on life will provide
fruitful areas of study. Social issues are complex – it should not be surprising
therefore that religious responses to such issues are equally complicated.
The student is expected to:
 be able to identify social issues
 be able to appreciate ways in which an issue is important in the religion chosen
 explain how the beliefs of a religion influence a range of responses to any
particular social issue
 evaluate a social issue having taken account of a religious perspective
 express personal opinions, supported with reasoned argument on social issues
and religious responses to it.
All of this should be carried out as appropriate to Intermediate 1.
It should be noted that the social areas of study are specified in the syllabus for this
course. However, the choice of religion is left to the teacher from a choice of
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism.
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These Support Materials examine each of the three sections from the point of view of
a different faith. Support Materials act as a guide in exploring each topic from a
different faith. This has been carried out on purpose to help the teacher see a range of
different contexts. Of course, it is more desirable for the student to study the
relationship between one faith and all the topic areas. This is at the discretion of the
teacher.
The social issues which are specified allow ample scope for exploration of the
relationship between religion and society. The range of world religions allows for
good progression to the World Religions units at Intermediate 2 and Higher
An introductory section on Social issues and Religious belief has been included as a
background to the specified issues. Teachers should use their discretion in how they
should maybe use them.
At Intermediate 1 a range of approaches is expected, which varies the methodology
and so appeals to different students' learning styles and abilities. Use should be made
of a wide variety of educational media in addition to the printed word, and student
tasks should reflect this in that students should have the opportunity to study topics in
as varied a way as possible. Artwork, role-play, drama should all play a part.
Moreover, this is a unit of study which looks at the relationship between social issues
and religious belief. It would make sense therefore, for there to be a significant
amount of personal reflection into social issues – particularly in the student's own
community. It would be of value to extend the student's study of religion beyond the
rather sanitised textbook to the reality of a faith as it is lived and experienced locally
by its followers. The use of outside speakers from different faith perspectives is
therefore highly commended.
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2. STUDENT’S GUIDE
These materials are intended to help you study a number of specified social issues in
relation to a religious perspective. You will be expected to explain these issues and to
say what you think about them. You will become familiar with information and
opinions about specified social issues and about the way in which these social issues
are influenced by religions – sometimes setting up a tension or conflict between the
religious obligations on the one hand and society’s expectations on the other.
By studying these issues in this way, you will be able to make informed responses of
your own, and to support your opinions.
The main issues and areas to be covered are:
Family
 Is the family still important?
Different meanings of family, values and rules, freedom and responsibility.
Growing up
 Is there an appropriate age for becoming an adult?
Growing up in a religious community, coming of age, importance of customs and
ceremonies.
Work
 Is work necessary for a fulfilling life?
Different meanings of work, value of work, cost of unemployment.
The world religion should be chosen from: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam
Judaism or Sikhism
You will need to be able to:
 describe a social issue
 explain why the issue is important in connection with a chosen world religion
 explain two beliefs which are related to the social issue being studied
 refer to appropriate sources of the chosen world religion
 express a clear personal opinion on the social issue and give at least two reasons
which support it.
You should try to refer to sources where you can, especially where this helps to show
your understanding of an issue. The scriptures of the various religions are one
important source. Another is the authoritative writings of various kinds from within
the religions, for example, writings of recognised thinkers and spiritual leaders. You
will have to refer to a source in order to illustrate each belief. You are encouraged to
use direct quotations if you can but there are other useful ways of referring to sources:
 by naming the title of the source and/or where appropriate, the author
 by paraphrasing the source so that you use your own words in order to give an
accurate account of what is said
 by a combination of these methods.
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3. SOCIAL ISSUES AND RELIGIOUS BELIEF
What are social issues?
What is a society?
The totality of social relationship among organized groups of humans....... those with
whom one has companionship
Collins English Dictionary
Unless you happen to live as a hermit, cut off from the world entirely, you live in a
society. A society is where people live together, work together and play together. It
is a collection of things that we do as well as things that we are. Where people
interact with each other that is a society. Society works at different ‘levels’:
Local society and community
The town, village, or city where you live has its own set of interactions. You
probably see the same people regularly, you may meet them in different situations and
depend upon them for different things. For example, your next door neighbour might
also be your teacher, or your local policeman. In a local society we all take on
different roles depending upon the situation. In the TV series Dad's Army for
example, the local Bank Manager Captain Mainwearing was also the Captain of the
local Home Guard. The local Butcher was also the company's corporal. This version
of society is often called the community. The dictionary calls something a
community where people live together sharing certain beliefs, practices and values.
This is often in one geographical location, but doesn't need to be.
You might like to think through one of your favourite TV soaps and try to work out
how many different roles each character has in its own local society/community.
As well as being made up of people who take on different roles, a local society
involves certain practices which the society shares. These practices may be unique to
that society or held in common with others.
For example, in Shetland, the Up-Helly-A festival is a yearly event where a Viking
longship is dragged through the town and then set on fire. In the Scottish Borders, the
Common Riding event is a celebration of the freedom of the local society. These
events happen only in these local societies. They are extremely important for those
involved as well as the whole community. They help to make people in those local
societies feel part of where they live. They also help to make a link between the local
society now and that of the past.
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So certain activities and practices which take place in a local society help to:
 give each member of that society a part to play so give them a sense of identity as
well as a sense of belonging
 keep that society ‘together’ – by celebrating things in common
 strengthen the society by keeping traditions alive
 make a link with the past so that children share some of the experiences of their
parents and ancestors.
Local societies can be very different in their beliefs and practices. It can take a while
to get used to these if you move from one area to another. In some local societies too,
there are different dialects – and often different languages spoken! For example, in
many of the Western Isles, Gaelic is the first language. In the North East of Scotland
there is a dialect called the Doric. Although this is based on English, it contains many
words which would be unfamiliar to an English speaker. The accented pronunciation
of English words can be very hard for someone outside the area to understand. Rab
C. Nesbitt is broadcast outside of Scotland with sub-titles as standard.
All of this combines to make a local society ‘different’ from that around it.
Q – Describe the different elements of your own local society.
National society
A country can also be thought of as a society, even though there are wide differences
within the country. People in local societies are usually happy to be part of a wider
national society, though which ‘nation’ you belong to can also be a source of
disagreement!
A national society is made up of people who share:
 a common language, or group of languages
 a common set of historical experiences
 a common set of beliefs and practices
 a common legal system/education system etc
 common social structures.
As well as many other things!
This of course is not the end of it. As well as these societies based on place, there
might also be groups within society who share many things. This may be based on
religion, or some other set of beliefs – following a political party for example. How
your membership of all these societies interacts can be very complicated.
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As an example, let us think of a fictitious character called ‘Jimmy’. What groups or
communities does Jimmy belong to? Let’s consider a possible list:
 he lives in Glasgow, so he is Glaswegian, Scottish, British, European as well as a
world citizen
 he supports St Mirren, but also Manchester United, and Scotland
 he is Jewish so this is part of his identity, and he has close ties with Israel
 he is a teacher so he is part of a school society
 he is a supporter of the Green Party which means he is involved with caring for
the environment.
Jimmy therefore wears many ‘hats’. He is involved in a number of societies locally,
nationally, internationally as well as in groups within that society. Each of these helps
to make him what he is.
Q – What national society do you belong to and what does this mean to you?
Groups in society
Jimmy is Jewish. This means that he shares beliefs, practices, a history with many
other people all over the world, as well as with people throughout history. Religious
groups as well as other social groups are part of what makes up society. These share
certain things in common. Many of these sub-groups are ones individuals are born
into, such as Jimmy's Jewishness. People join other groups, however, not by birth but
through personal choice. Being part of a group can be a big part of life or a little one.
For example, Jimmy's Jewishness probably means much more to him than his support
for St Mirren – although for some people it could be the other way round! Sometimes
being part of a sub-group involves personal conflict. For example, Jimmy goes
straight from the synagogue on Saturday to St Mirren football games. Actually he
shouldn't really do this, but he doesn't mind bending the rules for football.
Q – What groups in society do you belong to and what does this mean to you? Do
they ever come into conflict with each other or with your local or national
society?
What does ‘social’ mean?
Something is social where it involves other people and when it is not done alone.
Social activities take place in communities and societies. These social activities can
be very highly structured and organised or may be very spontaneous. What they do
have in common is that they are done with other people. As humans it seems to be
natural for us to seek out company when doing something which matters to us. The
enjoyment of having other people around seems to make many occasions special e.g.
birthdays.
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For example, imagine being the only member of the ‘crowd’ at a big football match.
Your team score and all the players hear is a tiny cheer from you. There's no one to
turn to and share the joy. Or imagine being at a scary film alone. The fun which
comes from many people being jumpy and screaming is what makes it enjoyable.
Many people like to see their favourite pop group live – even when this means a view
which is not as good as that which would be seen on TV – because they enjoy ‘the
atmosphere’. In other words, they enjoy the social part of the experience.
Q –What social activities do you enjoy? Why are many things better with others
than on your own?
What is an issue?
Again the dictionary explains this as, ‘a topic of interest or discussion’, or ‘ an
important topic requiring a decision’. As far as the course you are studying is
concerned an issue can be thought of as:
 something which involves at least two points of view
 something which depends upon understanding facts or viewpoints in a particular
way
 something which needs to be thought through to a conclusion.
An example of an issue is:
 should school uniform be compulsory?
Social issues are complicated. This is because:
 they usually involve a number of people or groups
 these people or groups may be in conflict
 these people or groups may understand things differently or have different
customs
 the decisions reached about these issues may have good results for some and bad
results for others.
As you work through the issues in this unit you should ask yourself the following
questions:
 What is the question at the heart of the issue? An issue usually begins with a
question like, ‘Should X be allowed.......?’ or, ‘Is it right to....... ?’
 What facts are available? Where have these facts come from and how reliable are
they? How can you check whether these are facts or matters of opinion?
 How do the various groups involved understand these facts? Why do they
understand them differently?
 What points of view are expressed? What are these points of view based on?
What is the difference between a statement of opinion and one which pretends to
be a fact?
 What conclusions are reached by the different groups about the issue? Why is
this?
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Why are social issues important for religion?
The features of religion
Professor Ninian Smart, a famous teacher of Religious Studies, says that there are
certain features which all religions possess, which he calls dimensions1:
 The ritual – Religion involves certain practices which express beliefs.
 The mythological – Religion is often based on ancient stories which may be
actually true or may just be stories with meanings. Either way, these stories shape
what religions teach.
 The doctrinal – Religions set their teachings out in organised ways.
 The ethical – All religions expect their followers to live good lives, and pay
attention to how they behave in the world.
 The social – Religions almost always involve groups of people.
 The experiential – religion involves actual or hoped for experiences.
All of these dimensions might involve some amount of interaction between people.
Religions themselves exist as communities and in communities.
Religions in communities
In any community or society you will find religious groups. In some societies, these
religious groups will include most of that society's population. This usually means
that the majority of that society's population follow that faith. So for example, we can
say that Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country because most Saudi Arabians follow the
religion of Islam. However, even in Saudi Arabia, there are followers of other faiths,
so to say that it is a Muslim country does not mean that everyone follows Islam, just
that most do. This might lead to a country's laws and codes of behaviour being based
on a certain religion, as well as its education system and forms of welfare provision –
as is the case in Saudi Arabia. However, this is not always the case, and varies greatly
between countries which claim to be countries based on a particular religion. For
example, most of Turkey's population is Muslim, though it does not officially describe
itself as a Muslim country, but as a secular one.
Very often a community is described as religious where the leaders profess to follow a
particular faith. In the past whole countries became Christian because their leaders
adopted that faith. If the King followed a particular faith, it was assumed that
everyone else would too. In Britain, we live in a ‘Christian country’. People disagree
about what this means, but one of the features of it is that the monarch, the Queen, is
head of the Christian Church (or more precisely the Church of England). Because of
this, it is assumed that her subjects follow that faith too – though Britain is a very
diverse country in terms of its religion.
Q – Do you think Britain is a Christian country? Give reasons for your answer.
1
The Religious Experience of Mankind: Collins 1969 pp15-25
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A community may also be said to follow a particular faith when statistics can support
such a statement. However, these are often misleading. Some surveys have shown
that Britain is a Christian country because the majority of the population were
christened in a church as babies. It is not clear however, that this means that these
people go on to follow Christianity. Some years ago a survey in England pointed out
that most people when asked would consider themselves ‘Church of England’ even if
they hadn't been near a Church since they were christened (or married).
However, what is true is that religions have played a big part in how most countries
have developed, and this has led to these countries being considered religious. For
example, another reason that Britain is considered ‘Christian’ is because many of our
laws are based on Christian morality and the teachings of the Bible. Our education
system developed from the monasteries, and was originally run in Scotland by the
Churches. Much of our national literature draws heavily on Christian themes and so
on. However, many might argue today that religions are no longer the powers that
they once were, and although they are still respected, they no longer have the
influence they once had in today’s society.
Religions as communities
In many cultures, religions are followed by a minority of the population. This can be
the case even where a country is considered ‘religious’. For example, though Britain
is considered to be a Christian country, some would argue that most people in Britain
follow no religion at all, and that Christian church membership is small and
decreasing. Where this is the case, the religious groups form their own communities,
as sub-groups of wider society. Sometimes this is very informal, for example, groups
of Christians in Britain will often only meet together in Churches, and may have little
contact with each other outside of their religious interest.
Sometimes this can be very formal however, where groups within groups choose to
live together in a location or neighbourhood. For example, many of the world's cities
have very obvious areas where people of a particular faith choose to live in order to
support each other as a community. In London for example, there are areas of the city
with a high density of Jewish population. Around the country there are geographical
areas where, for example, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs live close to each other.
Sometimes followers of these faiths are uncomfortable about this, feeling that they
can lead to a community within a community and so leads to suspicion and division,
much as happened to the Jews in the ghettoes earlier this century. However, others
feel that there are benefits to be had from living close to those who share your beliefs,
culture and ways of life.
Of course, such faith communities within wider communities can lead to tension, at
least within the communities themselves. This is particularly so in the case of the
young people. These young people may find it difficult to live in ‘two worlds’, i.e. the
‘world’ of their faith community as well as the ‘world’ in which they go to school,
work etc. Many faith communities have tried to overcome this to some extent by
having separate schooling for their young.
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In Scotland there are ‘denominational’ (almost always Roman Catholic) schools and
non-denominational schools. This is seen by supporters as a way of helping the
young to grow in their own faith even while they live in a culture which is
predominantly non-Catholic. Other religious groups have tried recently to set up their
own schools – with varying degrees of success.
Q – Do you think it is good for people of one faith to live as a community?
Q – What tensions can arise between a faith community and the society in which
it lives? How can they be resolved?
Also occasionally, some religious communities separate themselves almost entirely
from the world around them. This is usually said to be an attempt to keep the faith
‘pure’, and to strengthen the faith of followers by allowing them to live their whole
lives in what is seen as a supportive community where common beliefs and values are
shared.
An example of this are the Amish communities in the USA. These groups reject
modern technology and modern systems of living, preferring to live in their own way.
This way of life has changed little since the Amish people first settled in certain parts
of the USA around 1640. Some might think that this is a very extreme way to
maintain your beliefs, but the Amish would say that by living this way, they protect
their children from the pressures which people face today in the ‘outside world’. More
importantly, living as a religious community helps to avoid many of the problems and
conflicts which the young face as they try to live in ‘two worlds’.
Of course some religious people live in religious communities as a vocation.
Examples of this would be monks and nuns. They have chosen to live a life dedicated
to their faith. Some will also work in the ‘outside world’, though many will remain in
monasteries and convents and have little to do with what goes on in the world around
them.
Q – What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a
religious community?
Why do social issues matter to religious communities?
The answer to this is quite simple. Most religious communities have to interact with
the wider world in which they find themselves. Living in society presents its own
challenges. Working out how to respond to these challenges may be even more
difficult when you are having to put together, not only ‘society's views’, but also the
views of the religious community in which you live.
Take clothing for example, most young people in Britain spend a lot of time and
energy thinking about what to wear. For most people this is not a social issue, just a
question of taste. However, if you are a Muslim girl you may belong to a family
which has strict beliefs about how you should dress in public.
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There may be conflict. Although you may want to please your parents, or may just
want to put your own beliefs into practice, living in Britain might mean that what you
have to wear is sometimes impractical or in some other way a ‘problem’. You might
want to respect your beliefs but you might not want to draw attention to the fact that
you are ‘different’. You may even think that how non-Muslim friends dress is wrong
and so clothing becomes a social issue, and a potential source of conflict.
An extreme example of this has been the recent shootings of teenage girls in Algeria
because they were not wearing traditional clothes. Very strict Muslim groups here
believe that women should be covered. However, Algeria is in many ways a very
‘westernised’ country and many women choose not to wear the traditional hejab, or
covering. How far individuals should be allowed to make their own choice about
what they wear can then become an issue.
Religions engage in a continual balancing act between what is acceptable in the
society in which they find themselves, and what is acceptable according to their own
beliefs and values. This tension and conflict with its positive and negative aspects is
the focus of this unit. Most religious people want to follow their own faith correctly,
but need to do that in a way which is sensitive to the culture in which they live.
Q – Do you think a religious person should be allowed to carry out acts
associated with their faith even if they conflict with the law of the land?
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4. IS THE FAMILY STILL IMPORTANT?
General discussion
In most places in the world, communities are made up of families who live near each
other. Often, families live together, and many generations share the same home. This
is still the case in many developing countries, but in the developed world the practice
of a large extended family all living together is becoming increasingly rare. However,
even in the developed world, family groups may be tightly knit even if they are
geographically spread out. For example, you may come from a family where aunties
and uncles, grandparents and so on are regular visitors to your home. They may look
after you while your parents are out, you might stay with them often, or they might
meet together as a family every week – for Sunday lunch for example. Alternatively,
you may come from a family where you don't see much of your other relatives at all.
You may only rarely have visits from grandparents or aunties and uncles. They may
live very far away and so you see them only occasionally.
There are various reasons why the family unit is different nowadays and one of these
is because of the change in working patterns. In the past people lived in small
communities, and not far from their work. Nowadays people may have to travel quite
far to get to their work, or might have to live somewhere other than their ‘home’ town
so that they are handy for their work. These patterns of migration mean that families
may be split by distance – which often makes strong family ties difficult to maintain.
Some people move regularly in search of jobs and this can create a society where the
family is not as stable as it once was.
Nowadays there are more single parent families. This reflects high divorce rates, but
also the birth of children outside marriage. Sometimes such births are not planned,
but more and more these days, some women are choosing to have children without
entering into a marriage or any kind of long-term relationship. The singer Madonna is
probably the best known example of this. Using the sperm of her personal trainer she
had a baby, which she is raising alone.
There are many views about these different kinds of family, and in religions there are
often strong views about which of them are right and which wrong.
Q – What is your definition of a family?
The family is typically grouped in two ways:
• The nuclear family. No, this is not one which glows in the dark, but one which
has a basic nucleus of mother and father (or mother/father alone), and then
children surrounding this basic unit.
• The extended family. This is the range of other relations such as grandparents,
aunts and uncles etc. The amount to which this extended family takes part in your
upbringing varies widely.
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There are people who suggest that society's problems are caused by the breakdown of
the family as a unit. They argue that changes to the nature of the nuclear family (such
as the increase in the number of single parent families) mean that children might be
brought up in an unstable environment, without male and female role models to help
them as they are growing up. Sometimes they mean that husband/wife relations are
not what they were (though they usually don't make very clear when such a ‘glorious
past’ actually was) and they suggest that the decrease in commitment and fidelity to
one partner leads to instability. Often they mean that children do not have the same
respect for their parents which they once had, and sometimes they just mean to
suggest that parenting skills are not as good as they were in the past.
Another suggestion that the extended family is not as important as it once was.
Extended families can help the nuclear family in many ways. The fact that society
has changed so that there are fewer opportunities to benefit from the extended family
itself causes problems.
Finally there is also the suggestion that people today know everything about their
rights but nothing of their responsibilities. We live in a world where freedom is
important, but, some would suggest, responsibility is lower down the priority list.
How far this is all true of course, is a matter of opinion.
Q – Do you think the family is not as ‘strong’ or stable as it used to be? If yes,
what could be the causes, if no, why do some people suggest that it is not as
strong as it was?
The family in Islam
The Pakistanis find themselves in two worlds – the world of the stable close-knit
extended family, and the world of the mobile individualism within the host society.
The Pakistani village with its mosque, school and imam; the English town with its
new and strange demands upon individuality: the newly created mosque and its
attempts to re-establish Muslim values, beliefs and social customs: the English
opportunities for permissiveness, freedom and personal choice; the Muslim demands
for submission, obedience and group identity – all these symbolise the polarities of
the two worlds.
Ivor Morrish: The Background of Immigrant Children: Allen & Unwin 1971
Remember that for religious communities, identity is very important, as is supporting
each other through life. This is one of the reasons why many Muslims might choose
to live where there are other Muslims. This is often to do with language, but is also
about helping each other out in a variety of ways.
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A simple example: Muslims must eat meat which is Halal. This means that it must be
killed in a certain way. If you were a Halal butcher you would want to set up your
shop where there were likely to be people who would buy Halal meat. Therefore, you
would set up your shop in an area in which there was a sizeable Muslim population.
The existence of your shop might lead other Muslims to be more likely to buy a house
in that area, and so on. Very shortly there will develop a predominantly Muslim
population in that area.
In Britain, most Muslims originally came from Asia, in particular Pakistan. At the
end of the Second World War, Britain went through a rapid period of trying to build
up its industry. To do this it required a lot of labour. Former British colonies were
used as a source of such labour, and Britain saw the rise of large Asian populations,
particularly in its cities and areas of industrial development. These populations
brought their faith with them. Along with that faith came a different way of life and
often a different set of values. Eventually, these first migrants had their own children
here in Britain. This could lead to problems, as already mentioned, in that such
British born Muslims, felt that their life as a British person was pulling them in one
way and their life as a Muslim in another.
This is often the case in particular in relation to the family. For many Muslims, the
family remains a very important feature of life. The extended family is often very
important here too. However, as the pressures of living in a non-Muslim society take
their toll, particularly on young Muslims, many begin to feel that the traditional
Muslim family is ‘suffering’ in the same way as families in British society generally.
The meaning of the family in Islam
Your Guardian Lord, who created you from a single person
Created, of like nature its mate from it
and propagated many from it
Surah 4:1
The family, consisting of a man and a woman, is the basic unit of Islam. Anything
which harms it is considered a very serious problem. This is because the most
important function of the family is to provide a stable and supportive background for
the development of children. Parents are there to help their children throughout life.
This means that they are the most important source of teaching about how you should
live your life as well as helping you to learn about Islam. Only where the family is
strong will children grow up to be balanced and happy people, who know how to
behave well and who have an awareness of their social as well as religious
responsibilities and duties. Children help to keep the community alive, so it is
important that they have a good upbringing. In Islam it is believed that this is best
achieved in a strong family.
The family in Islam is also considered to be the extended family, not just the nuclear
family. It may include friends and neighbours, in fact the whole community of Islam.
The basic idea is mutual support and creating and maintaining the right environment
in which to bring up children.
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In Islam, the act of marriage is very important. The Qur'an teaches that the wife is to
be well treated, and that her role as mother to children is significant. Considering the
times in which the Qur'an was revealed, and the generally poor treatment of women
then, Qur'anic teaching about the rights of the wife are very modern and forward
thinking. The wife is to be valued, not as a piece of property but as a person in her
own right. In fact:
Treat [your wife] fairly; even if you dislike her, perhaps you dislike something in
which God has placed much good.
Surah 4:19
Q – Why do Muslims think the family is so important?
Often much is made of the fact that Muslim men are allowed to take more than one
wife. This is called polygamy, and is often criticised by those outside Islam as
weakening the family, and as treating women as the possession of the husband.
However:
 A man may not take more than four wives.
 This can only be done with his first wife's permission.
 You can only take more than one wife if you can guarantee that you will treat
them fairly.
 The Qur'an suggests (Surah 4:129) that it will not be possible to treat all your
wives fairly, even if you want to, so seems to suggest that polygamy is impossible
in practice.
 You can still fall foul of Islamic law if you abuse polygamy in some way.
In practice, most Muslims agree that polygamy is something of an act of charity. It is
an act which helps out women who, for one reason or another, are unmarried.
However, in Islam, it is very clear that the man is above the woman, though this
‘superiority’ simply means that the man has the greater responsibility in the
relationship, or the ‘final say’ in matters (Surah 2:228).
Q – What do you think of polygamy? Give a reason for your answer.
In Islam, divorce is allowed but is seen as something about which God is very
unhappy. However, either the husband or the wife can seek a divorce for a variety of
reasons (e.g. Surah 2:236). The underlying principle is that divorce should be done
amicably, and ensuring that the wife is provided for (Surah 2:231). Children
according to Islam, will remain in the custody of the father, who will support them
throughout their lives. The reason for this is actually meant to be supportive of the
wife. It is thought that it would be wrong for a woman to be burdened with children
as she seeks out another husband, with whom she will have more children. This
shows clearly that in Islam, the children are of the utmost importance.
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There are many strict rules about how children should be treated so that they are
allowed to grow up well. Children are regarded as a ‘trial’, because bringing them up
is a serious responsibility and must be taken seriously (Surah 8:28).
Freedom & responsibility
One of the major problems for Muslims, particularly those living in non-Muslim
societies like Britain, is trying to balance the freedom of the individual with the needs
of the Muslim community. Certain duties and responsibilities are expected of the
Muslim so that Muslim society remains strong. In a non-Muslim community, this
often provokes a clash of cultures, particularly between the young and their parents.
In order to ensure that the bond between members of the family is strong, Muslims
believe that marriages should be arranged by families. These are called ‘arranged’
marriages. There is a lot of misunderstanding about this practice in the West, where
marriages are generally thought to be based on attraction and love.
However, a Muslim might argue:
• ‘Love’, as it is in the West, often turns out to be very short lived and not a good
foundation for marriage or providing a stable family background.
• Arranged marriages are carried out by the families involved who work very hard
to ensure that the couple will be compatible.
• Both partners in the arranged marriage have the right to refuse their parents'
selection.
• It is believed that the love which will grow after marriage will be stronger than
that which starts off most western marriages, because there will be much more in
common to begin with.
• Marriages are also between families, and so it is important that the families get on
well from the beginning.
• Muslims point out that a large number of arranged marriages are very successful.
Many may also argue that they are less likely to end in divorce than love
marriages – and that the statistics prove this.
Muslims would argue that arranged marriages are better, both for the Muslim
community and for the individual person. However, there is often conflict over this
issue between Muslim parents and their children.
Q – What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of arranged
marriages?
Q – Would you like your marriage arranged? Give a reason for your answer.
Another issue for Muslims living in Britain is that Islam teaches that Muslims may
only marry certain people. Muslims believe that children should take the religion of
their father so Muslim girls are not allowed to marry anyone who is not Muslim.
Obviously where the marriage is not arranged this can be a source of conflict within
the family. If a Muslim girl married a non-Muslim then her children would not be
Muslim.
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The more this happened the greater would be the consequences for the Muslim
community as a whole. Of course, if the girl's future husband were to convert to
Islam, then there would not be a religious problem. There could still be a cultural one,
and this can remain a problem for some Muslim communities, though for others this is
less important. For example, although the man may become a Muslim he may still
find that the cultural barriers exist – the way of life he has adopted will need to be
learned sensitively – it will not be easy to adopt to various new rules, customs and
traditions.
Muslim men may marry Christian or Jewish girls, because these are ‘people of the
book’, however, a girl of any other faith would have to convert to Islam first.
Christians and Jews are ‘people of the book’ which is a reference to the Bible – the
first five books of which are the Jewish Torah (law). Muslims accept Moses and
Jesus as important religious leaders.
Q – Why do you think Muslims are keen to see their children marry other
Muslims? Do you think this is right?
Muslim children must accept other responsibilities of being a Muslim. Many of these
will be difficult especially when living in a non-Muslim country:
 Dress. Muslim women are expected to dress modestly. Sometimes this means
that they must wear the hejab – a garment which covers them from head to toe.
Other times there may be a scaled down version of this. Sometimes it simply
means that the girl should avoid the more extreme versions of western fashion (for
example crop tops and the like).
 Behaviour. Muslim women are often expected to be modest in their behaviour.
This varies according to Muslim cultures, but generally means that a Muslim
woman should not behave provocatively in any way towards other men.
 Separation. Many Muslims believe that men and women should not socialise
together. In particular, boys and girls should be kept separate as far as possible.
This often presents problems in British schools, where the sexes are educated
together. Subjects such as PE can be particularly problematic. Often Muslim
parents will insist that their daughters do not mix with boys during PE. It may
also be necessary to wear clothes which cover the body during PE. Some Muslim
parents are not happy when their children associate with non-Muslim children at
any social occasion. This would be particularly the case where dancing and
alcohol were available.
 Food. Muslims observe a strict set of rules about food. This may make eating
with non-Muslims difficult. It may also present problems with school dinners for
example. Islam also prohibits completely the consumption of alcohol. In western
society, where alcohol is present at many occasions this can be a problem for the
Muslim.
 Prayer. Muslims have strict rules about how and when to pray. This is an
important religious duty. Living in a non-Muslim culture this can prove difficult,
both practically and also in terms of reaction from non-Muslims.
 Other. There are many other Muslim responsibilities which may be sources of
conflict in a non-Muslim society. For example, festivals may be difficult to follow
when at school or work. There are also rules about giving to charity and helping
the needy. Many young Muslims like teenagers everywhere might find it difficult
to give their money to the poor instead of spending it on themselves.
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For the Muslim the tension is between being different and being part of the culture in
which you live. As stated previously many Muslims feel that they are ‘pulled’ in
different directions by the two ‘worlds’ they live in. These conflicts between freedom
and responsibility are often made more difficult by the stress in Islam upon respect for
and obedience to your parents.
Q – In what way does life at your school present difficulties for a Muslim?
Respect for parents
In Islam, respect for parents is very important. It is seen as the duty of parents to
provide for their children and to bring them up well, but it is also the duty of children
to abide by their parents' rules. This is because parents have experience of life which
they pass on to their children, so that their children do not make the same mistakes
they might have made. The idea is also to repay parents by obedience to them for
having provided for their children when they were young. To disobey their wishes
would be an ungrateful act and wrong.
Your Lord has decreed that you should worship nothing but Him and show kindness
to your parents; whether either or both of them attain old age [while they are] still
with you, never say to them: ‘Ough!’ nor scold either of them. Speak to them in a
generous fashion. Serve them with tenderness and humility, and say ‘My Lord, show
them mercy, just as they cared for me as a little child’.
Surah 17:23-25
It is therefore the responsibility of children to obey their parents just as it is the
responsibility of parents to be fair and kind to their children. However, if parents
stray from the path of Islam, then they do not need to be obeyed (Surah 29:8 &
31:15). This is important because it shows that obedience to parents is not to be
carried out just for its own sake, but so that Islam is properly taught and kept alive by
the parents passing it on properly to their children.
Of course, like any parent/child relationship there will be points of conflict. This
might be particularly so where the ‘culture’ of the parents is different from that of
their children. In Muslim communities in Britain for example, many parents were
born in other countries and moved here as adults. Most young Muslims, however,
were born here and have lived their whole lives here.
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This can often cause problems as the parents' ideas about behaviour are based on one
country's culture whereas their children's are based on another. As Britain is
becoming a more secular (i.e. non-religious) society, it becomes more and more
difficult for young people to follow the teachings of religious faiths when it comes to
everyday behaviour.
Q – What are the advantages and disadvantages of obeying your parents? Give
reasons for your answer
This respect for parents also extends to care for the elderly. Traditional Muslims are
often shocked by attitudes in the West to the treatment of the elderly. It is believed
that elderly relatives should be cared for in the home as far as possible and not put in
old people's homes. This might happen where a relative needs special treatment or
care but is usually considered a neglect of family duties. Again the idea is of
repayment. Just as parents looked after their children so too should children look after
parents when they are old and unable to look after themselves. In the Muslim
community this responsibility extends to the elderly generally. It would be considered
wrong to allow the elderly to be abandoned even if their own children did so. For this
reason, many Muslim communities have set up their own systems of care for the
elderly to make up for any families who neglect their elderly relatives. Of course,
living in Britain may mean that many Muslim families have to spend time working
and living a British life which does not always make it easy to look after the elderly
properly. The Muslim community therefore tries to put this right.
Muslims believe that on the day of Judgement individuals will be judged according to
the way they live their life. How people treat their parents will be considered very
important.
As long as your parents remain faithful to Islam they should be obeyed in all things.
Muslims believe that when this happens the community is stronger and more likely to
survive. However, as young Muslims become more Westernised, these traditional
values are sometimes challenged. Muslims are concerned that if these traditional
values crumble, other things might follow.
Q – Do you think our treatment of the elderly in the West is fair?
Q – Why do Muslims attach such importance to care for the elderly?
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Assessment Activities
Questions – answer as fully as possible:
1. What is the difference between the nuclear and the extended family?
2. Why is the family so important in Islam?
3. What are the responsibilities of parents in Islam?
4. What are the responsibilities of children in Islam?
5. Why might Muslim parents and children come into conflict?
6. What is polygamy and what rules surround it?
7. How might a Muslim defend the practice of polygamy?
8. Why are marriages arranged in Islam?
9. Why might some young Muslims reject this practice?
10. What other Muslim rules might young people find difficult to follow while living
in Britain?
11. Why should Muslim children respect their parents?
12. How should the Muslim treat the elderly? Why?
Activities:
a)
Make a list of the difficulties a Muslim your age faces while trying to follow
his/her religion while living in Britain.
b)
Make a list of Islamic beliefs and practices which might be helpful advice for
all young people in our society.
c)
Design a poster calling for fair treatment for the elderly from a Muslim
perspective.
d)
Act out this short roleplay and write down any interesting points raised:
Kareem is a 15 year old Muslim girl. She wants to go to the school disco,
but her parents are unhappy about it. How would they try to convince
her not to and how might she respond?
Remember to be fair to both Kareem’s and her parent’s point of view.
e)
Carry out a small piece of research in your school. What difficulties does it
present for young Muslims and what steps are taken to put this right?
f)
If you can, interview young/older Muslims about the problems of following
Islam in Britain. Refer to the list you made in Activity a). Display your
findings in a balanced way.
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5. IS THERE AN APPROPRIATE AGE FOR BECOMING AN ADULT?
General discussion
How many times have you been told to ‘grow up!’? What exactly does that mean?
Obviously you can't physically grow immediately in response to such a request – so it
must mean something else. People generally mean that you should behave like an
adult and not like a child. But do they mean a young adult, a middle-aged adult or a
senior citizen? Anyway, how can you be expected to behave like an adult when you
are not one? Confused? No wonder.
Being an adult means different things to different people, and to different
communities. The point at which an individual actually becomes an adult varies
around the world. Some cultures mark the change from childhood to adulthood very
clearly, others do not. So what does it mean?
Obviously there is a physical side to being an adult. The physical stages of puberty
mark the biological changes which equip young people for the processes of
reproduction. Most people agree that people before puberty are children and after
puberty are adults. It's the messy stage in between which is often the problem – the
teenage years. This is when a youngster may feel like an adult but not feel treated that
way. Or young people may be expected to behave like adults when you don't feel like
one! Puberty is also a problem because it has no clear beginning and no clear end.
Some children begin puberty when they are 10 or so, others don't begin until they are
13 or 14. Puberty ends for some when they are 13 or so and for others not until they
are in their twenties. So to be able to call someone an adult based on physical
characteristics alone is not very sensible.
As well as this there is the complication of behaviour. Most people are considered
adults when they behave in a ‘mature’ way. However, some adults remain immature
all their lives – either completely or in relation to certain things. Sometimes adult
behaviour is not thought of as childish because it is ‘wrapped up’ in adult terms. For
example, behaviour in the House of Commons is sometimes no better than the school
playground. Here MPs often play ‘games’ just the same way children do – they may
gang up on other MPs, go in the huff, shout each other down, call each other names
and so on. Sometimes it's a little surprising that they don't just add a ‘na na na na na!’
But we call this adult behaviour. Also, sometimes children behave in a very adult
way. They may have wisdom or experience beyond their years, and be able to cope
with very adult situations. Occasionally we call such children ‘precocious’ and find
them a little odd.
What counts as an adult or a child is not as clear as it seems at first.
Q – When do you think adulthood begins? Give a reason for your answer.
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Finally, childhood and adulthood are really very new ideas. During Victorian times in
Britain, children were just thought of as miniature adults. They wore the same
clothes, went to work, paid the bills, went to prison if they did wrong and so on. It
was actually only during the Victorian period that the idea of a childhood – free of the
responsibilities of adulthood – began. In many developing countries today, children
are thought of in much the same way we thought of them here in Britain in the 19th
Century – for many such children in the developing world, there is no such thing as
‘childhood’.
So what do we mean by ‘adulthood’? For the purposes of this unit you should think of
adulthood in the following ways:
 it is when we take on our social responsibilities in society
 we no longer depend upon our parents directly to take responsibility for our lives
 we are expected to behave in certain ways and be responsible for the
consequences of our own actions
 we move from being dependent to being independent, and from simply taking the
benefits of society to giving something back to society
 we accept our role in keeping society going, improving it where we can and in
providing for the next generation.
Q – What do you think of as ‘adult responsibilities’? Give examples for your
answer.
When this happens varies according to the community. In Scotland, we have a system
which seems not to be sure exactly when adulthood begins and childhood ends. For
example:
 at 16 you may leave the parental home, be married, have sex and have children
 you'll need to wait until you are 17 to be able to drive legally
 you cannot vote until you are 18
 some pubs will not serve you until you are 18
 some clubs will not admit you until you are 21
 you won't be able to see certain movies until you are 18, or to hire ‘18’ videos
(although for the last two years you will have been legally able to engage in the
sex which you are not allowed to watch on screen!)
For most situations in Scotland, 16 is the age at which you are legally considered an
adult. This is meant to represent the idea that at this age, on average, there is a
balance between physical maturity and mental development to the extent that an
individual should be able to do most things in a responsible manner. Of course there
is a wide degree of variety between 16 year olds. Some are extremely mature and
others are not – and might never be!
The trouble is that when a society tries to make a decision about ‘when does someone
become an adult? It has to make decisions which will not suit everyone. There will
be disagreement about the ways in which it arrives at those decisions and the factors
which it has taken into account. For example, there has been a lot of argument
recently about lowering the ‘age of consent’ for homosexual relationships.
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This has produced very heated debate. Some believe that the age of consent for
homosexual relationships should be exactly the same as that for heterosexual
relationships, while others think that homosexual relationships – being in their
opinion somehow more complicated – should have a higher age of consent attached to
them. Obviously some people feel that homosexuality requires those involved to be
somehow more ‘adult’ than in heterosexual relationships. Others think that there's no
difference. This issue does show, however, that trying to decide upon when someone
becomes an adult – as a society – is very difficult. This is quite separate from a more
fundamental debate about the morality of homosexuality – another area of tension
between religion and society.
The importance of adulthood in Judaism
The importance of children to religious communities has already been explored.
These children must become adults at some point. Various religious groups have
different views about when this is reached and about how to mark the occasion.
Becoming an adult matters for religions, because it is the adults of that faith who will
carry the responsibility of keeping the faith alive and bringing up the next generation
in the same way.
In Judaism this is particularly important. The Jewish people have a strong sense of
identity. For a Jew history is very important – and maintaining the link between the
past and the present is seen as a vital feature in keeping the faith alive throughout the
ages. Jews believe that they have been selected as ‘The Chosen People’
(Deut 14:2 & 29:9-12).
This means that they enjoy the privilege of being selected by God to represent him on
earth. It also involves a large amount of responsibility, because it means that the Jews
are to be a ‘Light unto the nations’ and a ‘Nation of Priests’. Jews believe that the task
of the Jewish people is to return people to the God that they turned away from in the
beginning. This means that they are to be the examples for everyone of how to
behave in life and how to be reunited in relationship with God, their creator. This is
considered a very real responsibility, and one which the Jewish community takes very
seriously indeed. What it does mean though, is that the Jewish faith pays very close
attention to the way it prepares its children to take on the responsibilities of adulthood.
This is important not only for Judaism, but also for the whole world, because Jews
believe that the world needs them to teach it how to live properly in a right
relationship with God.
This adult responsibility is very wide-ranging. It means for example:
 people must be responsible for their own life – religious and otherwise
 people take on part of the responsibility of the Jewish community as a whole
 people take on the responsibilities of family life, including the guidance of
children.
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Growing up in Judaism
From the moment of birth a Jewish child is welcomed into the Jewish community.
The birth of a child represents the continuity of Judaism throughout the ages, and is
regarded as a blessing from God. The Jewish child is considered a gift from God.
Such a child is considered to be not only a gift to the parents but also to the
community as a whole. Jews believe that children take their faith from their mother,
so it is most important that a Jewish man marries a Jewish woman. Different groups
within Judaism have different rules about marriage, but all agree that it is important
that the mother be Jewish. If she is not, then this is a problem because it could lead to
a reduction in the numbers of Jewish children born and therefore a weakening of the
Jewish community.
Jewish children are given names which reflect their Jewishness. Often these names
will be in honour of a family member. By naming a child after one of the family, the
continuity of the family is strengthened. Jewish children may be named after
important figures from the Jewish scriptures. They may be given a name which has a
meaning by itself. For example, the name Joseph (or Joe) means ‘One who shall
contribute’. This might reflect the idea that parents hope their child will make some
important contribution to the world during his or her lifetime. The name of the child
serves to announce its identity as a Jew and so help to keep the community alive.
Brit Milah
Eight days after birth, Jewish boys undergo the practice of Brit Milah, or
circumcision. This involves the ritual removal of the boy's foreskin. This act is
carried out, accompanied by prayer and ceremony, by a trained man known as a
mohel. This is a community event (though in Orthodox Judaism only men are directly
involved in the ceremony, the mother having handed her child over). A close relative,
or friend is chosen as the sandek. This man holds the child during the ceremony.
This role is considered a great honour. After the brit, the child is named. This
requirement is set out in the Torah (Genesis 17:9-10). It marks the beginning of the
child's life as a Jew, as well as a sign that it is now part of the relationship (covenant)
between God and the Jewish people. It is as much a celebration for the whole
community as for the child.
There are many liberal Jews today who have begun to question the practice of
circumcision, considering it unnecessary and something which might seem against the
rights of the child. There is a lot of disagreement about how dangerous the practice is.
The mohel is well trained, but is not always a doctor. Others however, question the
practice from a theoretical and not a practical point of view. They argue that
circumcision is simply a sign that the child's family dedicate their child to God and
welcome it into the Jewish community. They further argue that this can be done
without the actual circumcision needing to take place at all.
Orthodox Jews disagree. They might argue that the act of circumcision represents the
parents' willingness to put their child's life into the hands of God in a way that some
other ceremony would not. A strong faith is required to put your own son through
such an experience, and being willing to do so shows your faith in God. They would
argue that the sign is meant to be a physical one.
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Nevertheless, some Jews – particularly those living in non-Jewish countries or far
from Jewish communities – have begun to challenge the practice. While agreeing that
the inclusion of the child into the faith is very important, they do not believe that this
inclusion requires a physical act such as circumcision.
There are also differences of opinion about the naming of Jewish girls. Considering
that Jewish identity comes from the mother, it would be reasonable to expect that the
naming of a Jewish girl is given equal status with that of a boy, but this is not always
the case. There is no circumcision for Jewish girls, but there may be a naming
ceremony for the girl in the synagogue on the Shabbat after the girl's birth. Sefardic
Jews have a ceremony called zeved habat, which means, ‘the gift of a daughter’. This
takes place at different times according to the culture of different communities.
However, many liberal Jews – believing that the role of the girl is as important in the
faith as that of the boy – think that equal weight should be given to the welcoming of
boys and girls into the faith.
Q – If you were Jewish, how would you welcome your child into the faith?
Would there be a difference for you between boys and girls?
Such discussion about the importance of boys/girls in Judaism is also done later in the
child's life, when they make the formal step from childhood to adulthood.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
In Jewish law, it is believed that at 12 a girl becomes a woman and at 13 a boy a man.
This means that in the eyes of the Jewish community, a boy/girl at these ages is
considered to be responsible for their own actions, and in particular for their own
religious life.
The Bar Mitzvah means that the boy becomes a ‘son of the commandments’ – in other
words, he becomes responsible for following the commandments which all Jews must
follow. After much preparation he is called in the synagogue on the Shabbat after his
thirteenth birthday. He must read a portion of the scriptures (aloud and in Hebrew) to
the gathered congregation. He may now form part of the minyan (at least ten Jewish
males over thirteen years old who are required to be present to carry out a full
synagogue act of worship), and should now engage in daily prayers using the tallith
and tefillin.
Having read his sidra, or portion of scripture, his father prays thanking God for
helping him bring the boy up, and ‘gives up’ his own responsibility for the boy's
religious life from now on.
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While most Jews agree about the value of the Bar Mitzvah, there are differences of
opinion about how it should be carried out. In particular, some Jews are unhappy that
the focus of the event has often become more social than religious. Many Jews will
argue that while the boy is now considered adult in relation to his religion, he may
still be treated as a child in all other respects for some time yet. Most Jews prefer to
see the Bar Mitzvah as marking an important stage in the person's development from
child to adult.
Many Jewish communities in the recent past have introduced similar ceremonies for
Jewish girls. In liberal Judaism, these have often been exact copies of what the boy
has to do. In other forms of Judaism, they are quite different. Practices vary widely.
Many synagogues have ceremonies known as Bat Chayil (daughter of excellence)
where, after study of Judaism, a girl makes a speech and is welcomed fully into the
faith. This happens when the girl is 12. Again however, it is probably true to say that
Jewish girls are not regarded as adults from the age of 12, but that this marks an
important stage in their changing identity.
Both these ceremonies and customs are ways for Jews to keep their faith alive and
keep their own community strong. How far they mark the change from childhood to
adulthood varies even in Jewish understanding. However, they do reflect the
commitment of the community towards its children.
Q – Do you think children can be thought of as adult at 12 or 13?
Q – What do you think are the benefits of Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies?
Children’s roles at other occasions
Growing up in Judaism also involves children in other ways. Almost all Jewish
festivals contain aspects to make the children of the family feel part of the ceremony.
They are often given simple tasks to do, or expected to assist other family members in
certain ways. All of these help to keep the children involved in the faith as they grow.
The hope is that by doing this their enjoyment of the faith will carry on throughout
their life, and they will pass this on to their own children. In this way the faith will
remain healthy.
Some examples of how children take part in Jewish life are:
 During the weekly Shabbat (Sabbath) meal, the whole family is involved. Stories
might be told to the children and songs are sung, blessings are recited and prayers
are said. At all times, the children are involved. The occasion is a joyful one and a
time for family togetherness. Here also a girl may help her mother welcome the
Shabbat.
 During Pesach (Passover), the youngest child asks the oldest adult present to retell the story of the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt. Before this festival,
Jewish children help clear the house of chametz (unleavened bread). This is
usually carried out as a game which is enjoyed by all while helping to teach the
children about the history of Judaism.
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
During the festival of Sukkot (Tents), children will help build and decorate the
sukkah. Meals will be had in this, and in warm climates families may sleep in it
during the festival. Again, the meals will be joyful affairs which entertain as well
as teach the children about the faith and history of the Jews.
 Chanukah is a time of great rejoicing. At this time children will receive gifts
(often Chanukah gelt – money). Again the children will learn as they enjoy.
 During the festival of Purim, the story of Esther is read. This takes place in the
synagogue. Each time the name of Haman is read (the baddie in the story), the
children make loud noises.
In fact, at most Jewish occasions, children are included as much as possible. Children
also learn more formally – for example they learn Hebrew and they learn about the
history of the Jews as well as Jewish worship practices and ways of living.
All of this is considered important because the children are regarded as the future of
the faith. As in Islam, however, some of the ways of life which a Jew must follow are
more difficult in a non–Jewish country. For example the kashrut food laws might be
particularly difficult for the young. The requirement not to work on Shabbat may be
difficult to keep, particularly as ‘work’ is often extended to include things which the
average teenager might do on a Friday and Saturday. This day is meant to be a day to
retreat from the pressures of everyday life, and of course for many young Jews, Friday
and Saturday are just that – though not in the ways that their parents might mean! For
example, in Scotland, Saturday is often the day when many people go shopping.
Having to go to a synagogue service which may last several hours might mean that
this is not possible. Many of the festivals too present problems for the Jew in the nonJewish country.
Often more liberal Jews observe only the major festivals and not the minor ones.
Sometimes ‘getting around’ the actual requirements is quite ‘creative’. For example,
Jews are supposed to walk to the synagogue on Shabbat. However, many live far
from it and so drive, leaving cars a short distance from the actual synagogue and
walking a short distance then as a token gesture. Some regard this as sensible. More
strict Jews do not, and worry that such practices could lead to the ‘watering down’ of
Jewish ways and so ultimately to an overall weakening of the faith.
Certainly, this is often one of the issues. How strictly observant of Jewish traditions
must a Jew be? How far can Jewish families adapt their traditions to suit the country
in which they live or the lifestyle which they have chosen to adopt? When does
adapting the practices of Judaism lead to possible threats to the continued ‘health’ of
the faith as a whole?
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Assessment activities
Questions – Answer as fully as possible:
1. When, in your opinion, can most people be thought of as adults?
2. What are the benefits and responsibilities of adulthood?
3. What are the benefits and responsibilities of childhood?
4. In what ways might British law be considered confused about when adulthood
begins?
5. What things should decide whether someone is an adult or not?
6. What does it mean to say that Jews believe themselves to be ‘The Chosen
People’?
7. How do Jews involve the Jewish community in the birth of a child?
8. What is Brit Milah, and why is it carried out?
9. In what ways are Jewish baby girls welcomed into the community?
10. Why do children matter to the Jewish community?
11. What happens at a Bar Mitzvah ceremony?
12. What happens when a girl becomes Bat Mitzvah?
13. Do you think the ceremony for a boy and for a girl should be the same or
different? Give a reason for your answer.
14. State three other ways in which children are involved in Jewish celebrations
throughout the year.
15. In what ways might growing up as a Jew be difficult when living in a non-Jewish
country?
Activities
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Imagine you are the parent of a Jewish baby boy. At his Brit Milah, you take a
mental note of everything that is said and done. Later in the form of a diary
entry from your son's birth to his Brit Milah, write down your thoughts, fears,
hopes, your questions and answers about what happened.
Devise your own naming and welcoming ceremony for a Jewish baby girl.
At his Bar Mitzvah a Jewish boy must make a speech about his beliefs and
plans to take up his responsibilities as an adult Jew. Imagine this is you.
Write the speech.
Imagine you are a Jewish girl at your Bat Mitzvah. Since you are now
considered an adult in terms of your responsibilities, what three rules or
actions do you intend to practise to show that you can be a responsible person?
When you become an adult Jew, you take on certain responsibilities. Make a
list of the ways in which your life might change if this were you.
Design your own poster ‘Growing up in Judaism’.
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6. IS WORK NECESSARY FOR A FULFILLING LIFE?
General discussion
The BBC is to launch a one-off millenium quiz show to give the winner an entire year
off work it was announced yesterday.......
The Herald Friday October 1 1999, p13
There are apparently no shortage of applicants for this quiz show. It would seem that
for many, the prospect of a year off work is too good an opportunity to miss.
Some people work to live, others live to work. In order to keep society running
smoothly, most of us need to do something useful or practical. We live in a society
where the division of labour is important. This means that different people decide to
do different things according to their interests as well as abilities. Most societies
agree that this is a better approach than the business of trying to be ‘self-sufficient’.
This is where you provide for all your own needs. The division of labour means that
we each do a part of the whole, and as the work in society is shared, we each
contribute in different ways and also benefit in different ways. It means that we can
specialise more fully. For example, not everyone is interested in, or has the ability to
be a doctor – yet we agree that doctors are valuable in society. So, as a society, we
train and reward doctors enabling them to specialise without having to worry about
growing crops to feed themselves. Similarly, farmers can grow the crops to feed us,
while at the same time knowing that they don't have to carry out their own surgery!
Each of us has a different role in society. Without this division of labour, life would
be very difficult indeed – in fact our whole way of life in the developed world is based
upon it. Work enables us to live – and often to enjoy leisure time as well. We know
that other people will provide goods and services for us in return for us providing
goods and services for them. In the modern world, therefore work is a necessity. It
ensures that the individual as well as the society as a whole is maintained and may
even progress to become better.
Therefore, most of us work to live. It is our part of the ‘social contract’, and we know
that we can't expect to receive the benefits of others' labours if we are not at least
prepared to give them the benefits of ours.
Q – What is the value of the division of labour?
In our society too, we give different values to different kinds of work. Not everyone
agrees about these values, and there is much dispute about how these values are
arrived at. Many people do not feel that they are properly rewarded for their efforts.
In particular they may compare themselves to other workers and not be happy with
the comparison. This may come down in the end to money – and certainly the figures
are interesting.
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In the ‘Herald’ Appointments section of 1 October 1999, the following jobs
commanded the following financial rewards:
 Sales person – £32,000 pa
 General Manager, Health Board – £65,000 – £85,000 + benefits pa
 Child care worker – £13,581 pa
 Social worker – £16,770 – £21,378 pa
 Secretary – £11,689 – 13,532 pa
 Cleaner – £4,397 pa
Obviously society regards certain jobs as worth more than others, but why is this?
Does this mean that one person's time is more precious than another's? Does it mean
that what they do is more important for the smooth running of society? It is confusing.
You might like to discuss this with your class who may have some very interesting
views on this one! Sometimes the rewards are based on qualifications, other times the
difficulty of the job, or the economic value of the job or whatever. It is very difficult
sometimes to work out exactly what is going on. For example, there are many
scientific jobs which require many years of training and education and specialisation,
but which are paid less than many jobs in the financial sector which require little or no
formal qualifications. When choosing a job, people have many factors to weigh up –
but what is certain is that most of us have to work, and hope to be properly rewarded
for our efforts.
Q – What factors should decide how much a person should be paid for doing a
particular job?
Many people believe that this necessity to work is the cause of many people's dislike
of their work. Also, many people do feel that they are not adequately rewarded for
what they do. This might mean in financial terms, but it might be that they feel their
contribution to society is not properly recognised – at least in relation to other jobs.
In the past, many thinkers have criticised some types of work as a de-humanising
activity. Karl Marx, for example said that work de-humanised people as it turned
them into nothing more than a labour force to be exploited by those who controlled
the means of production. In this way people were seen as nothing more than living
machines – there to keep the wheels of industry turning. He argued that people
should be paid fairly for their labours – and treated well while they do so.
Q – In what ways might work be considered de–humanising? Give examples in
your answer.
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It is interesting to note that only thirty years or so ago, schoolchildren were being told
that the development of the computer age would lead to far more free-time for people
as jobs would be taken over by machines. However, it doesn't appear to have worked
out that way. In fact, Britain has the unenviable reputation of being the European
country where people work the longest hours for the lowest pay. The British
government has recently introduced the idea of a minimum wage, though this was not
agreed without difficulty. This only applies if you are above a certain age.
This debate raises important questions: Why do people work? How much should they
be rewarded for what they do? How does work fit into people's lives? Why are some
rewarded more than others?
However, there are many people who are happy to work because of reasons other than
the financial rewards. Many simply enjoy their work. Others feel that it gives them a
sense of purpose and identity. Some people feel that what they do is what they are.
This can be in relation to any job. Many feel that their part in keeping society going is
important – and so their role at work gives them a sense of pride as well as a feeling
that they are contributing to making the world a better place. Such people would
argue that their work gives them a sense of fulfilment. This means that it contributes
to their feeling of value and usefulness.
Q – Why might some people think their work is fulfilling and others do not?
Give reasons for both sides.
Often people only become aware of this idea of work as fulfilling when for one reason
or another they have lost their job. Unemployment often leads to a sense of having no
purpose and losing the respect which you may have felt when working. Whether not
working means that you are less valuable as a person of course depends upon your
point of view. It raises the whole question of where your worth or value as a person
comes from. In a world which is based on work, and in which work is becoming a
bigger and bigger part of people's lives, it often appears that work makes a significant
contribution to self-esteem – or lack of it. In this way, work as an idea has a value.
How that value is arrived at differs according to your point of view. What happens
when you lose that work – both practically and in terms of your own identity – says
much about what society thinks work is for.
Q – Do you think unemployment is a bad thing? Why?
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The value of work might be thought of as follows:
 It earns you money. This enables you to live well and to provide for your family.
 It means that you play your part in keeping society going.
 It gives you a feeling of identity, and a pride that you are giving something back to
society.
 It gives you the opportunity to put to good use the skills and abilities which you
have, for the benefit of others.
 It allows you to challenge yourself and so improve yourself by doing things which
test your ability.
 It means that the present and future well-being of society is assured.
 It allows you to feel independent.
When people are unemployed the consequences might be:
 Lack of income means you are unable to provide for your needs and those of your
family in the way you would like.
 This often leads to social problems more generally.
 You may feel ‘useless’ in that you make no contribution to society and therefore
dependent upon others for your well-being.
 You may feel that you are dependent on others rather than being able to rely on
your own abilities.
 This may give many a sense of pointlessness – and feelings of low self-esteem.
This can lead to problems for the individual, that person's family as well as the
community generally.
Different religious groups have different attitudes to work; its necessity, its value and
the role it plays in making people feel valued. We will examine the response of the
Hindu faith to work issues.
The meaning and value of work in Hinduism
Work is seen as one of the fundamental aspects of belonging to any society. The early
development of the Aryan society of the Indus valley – an important feature of the
development of the Hindu faith – saw a great deal of specialisation of occupation.
Before long this specialisation became a feature of the faith itself. What you do as a
job then came to have wider implications for what you were as a person.
In Hinduism, this classification of people according to the job they do is called the
varna system. There are five classes of varna – from the most important to the least:
 Brahmins – priests and professional people
 Kshatriyas – warriors and rulers
 Vaisyas – farmers and merchants
 Shudras – labourers, often unskilled
 Harijans – those who do the dirtiest jobs in society.
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In Hinduism's past these groups were rigidly separated. There were very strict rules
about how they were able to interact with each other. This was so strict that Harijans
were known as ‘untouchables’, and the other groups would have as little to do with
them as possible considering them unclean. The Harijans engaged in jobs which were
considered impure according to Hindu teaching – for example, the disposal of the
dead and the like.
In modern Hinduism in India, these varnas are not so seriously observed as they once
were. There are now opportunities for members of any varna to do any job – at least
in the developed cities. However, many, will claim that Hindu society still treats the
varnas differently. For example, they will argue that in the better paid professions and
those which are seen as more important (for example, medicine, the law) there are still
far more members of the higher varnas – like the Brahmins – than the lower. In
traditional villages in the country, the varna rules of conduct may still be very strictly
adhered to.
This varna system developed a stage further. Within each varna there came to be
divisions. Often these arose because professions would be passed down from parents
to children – along with ‘secrets’ of the trade. This ensured that certain occupations
were more likely to be kept ‘in the family’. This led to the caste system. This system
also developed its own set of rules of conduct. In present day Hindu society, many
will argue that the caste system is as alive and well as it ever was.
There are certain rules associated with caste:
 it is preferred that marriages occur within castes and not between them
 it would be hoped that children would follow in their parents footsteps as far as
occupation is concerned
 different castes should eat only with members of their own caste
 higher and lower castes should not mix socially, since a member of a lower caste
could ‘ritually pollute’ a member of a higher caste.
There are many differences of opinion in Hindu society about just how important the
caste system is in the modern world. The younger members of the Hindu faith for
example, often reject caste ideas because these are seen as an obstacle to improving
your life. Young Hindus today, again especially those living in non-Hindu countries,
want to be able to take advantage of education and job opportunities as they arise –
not to be bound by what they might think are ancient and irrelevant caste rules which
forever limit them to certain roles in life.
In India today, although the caste system is probably not as rigid as it once was, many
believe it would still be more difficult for a Harijan to become a doctor for example
than for a Brahmin.
For the Hindu, therefore there is a very close connection between what you are and
what you do. Your identity is partly summed up by the role your work plays in
society generally. The caste system means that work related importance stretches out
to take in other aspects of your life.
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Many might say that this simply makes more formal what happens in societies
everywhere around the world. Some would argue for example, that Britain still has a
very rigid class structure which has the effect of limiting interaction between different
groups in a less obvious way. For example, some would argue that the ‘top jobs’ in
Britain are still more likely to go to those who have gone to private schools, and ‘top’
universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. They might argue that parents still want
their children to marry people who are not too different from themselves socially and
economically. It might also be the case that such different classes in Britain do not
mix socially very much and so the chances of interaction between the classes are kept
to a minimum anyway. A Hindu might well argue that the caste system is simply a
case of being honest about what people do anyway.
Q – What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks of the caste system? Give
reasons for your answer.
What this division of people according to caste shows, however, is that for the Hindu,
work is part of what gives you your identity. It is not just something you do, but
something you are.
As well as this, work for a Hindu is a way of building up what is required to achieve
the more spiritual aims of life. Work, is necessary for one’s continued physical
existence, but for a Hindu it is also a feature of religious life – and ultimately
determines what happens to a person in the next life.
Hindus believe that life is an endless cycle of existence. What you do in this life
affects how you are re-born in the next. The aim of a Hindu is moksa, or release from
this endless cycle of existence. This moksa means that you become part of God, and
so do not have to continue to suffer through various lives. However, moksa is at the
end of a long road of existences. In each existence you have to improve so that you
move up the ladder, through various life forms and then through various castes. This
means that what you do, in all aspects of your life is very important. Your dharma is
what you do. This refers mostly to your religious life but also has practical
implications for your daily life too. Everything you do is to be carried out in a spirit
of worship – whether it is praying or sweeping the floor. Carrying our your dharma to
the best of your ability will ensure a good re-birth.
This is important as far as work is concerned because each job that you do offers you
the chance to follow your dharma and so earn good karma. Karma is the total of your
actions in life and it is this which determines how, or if, you will be re-born. What
this means, is that for the Hindu, work is seen as a way of gaining spiritual merit as
well as providing for physical needs. Each caste member has the opportunity to carry
out what dharma their caste situation enables them to, and so earn what karma they
can.
Therefore, for the Hindu, work offers more than just the chance to contribute to
society and confirm your own identity. It also provides opportunities for spiritual
improvement.
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For many young Hindus however this raises objections. Some think that the idea of
caste and its relationship to dharma limits life possibilities too much. The Hindu view
generally is that you should live within your caste and achieve what karma you can by
living within that caste as best you can. However, many young Hindus believe that
this ‘resignation’ to your circumstances is a defeatist attitude. Some argue that such
an attitude means that you are more likely to put up with things that you should not,
just because you are in a certain caste. Most young Hindus who live in non-Hindu
countries want to take the employment opportunities which that country provides –
and they do not want to be ‘held back’ by what many might think of as ‘out of date’
ideas about the relationship between work and life.
All of this is further developed in the Hindu belief about the ashramas in life. Hindus
believe that life can be split into different stages. In each of these different stages,
different duties are expected of the Hindu as he or she progresses through life.
These stages are:
 A stage of life which should be spent learning, or the student stage
(Brahmacharya-Ashrama).
 At this stage, having got a job, there is a stage which focuses on family life –
providing a secure upbringing for children (Grihastha-Ashrama).
 This stage marked by retirement from working life and the increased study of
spiritual matters. The work responsibility is handed on to the next generation
(Vanaprastha-Ashrama).
 For men only, this stage is the point at which the individual you should leave his
family and spends his final years as a wandering holy man. Very few people
actually follow this stage (Sannyasin).
(NB There are no clear age limits for moving from one ahsrama to another – the
individual does so when he feels that it is right to).
These stages of life give another structure to the pattern of working life and also tell
us something about the Hindu view of the value of work. Primarily work is seen as
something which enables society to run smoothly. Everyone has a different role to
play in making that happen. In Hinduism however, carrying out your working
responsibilities seriously is not just a practical duty but also a way of gaining spiritual
merit which will improve the person’s wellbeing and increase the chances of a
favourable re-birth or achieving moksa.
What this all means is that the Hindu will perform work duties diligently and with
commitment. Work is not something that a Hindu does simply out of necessity, but
because it allows for self development in many ways.
Therefore for the Hindu, unemployment would bring not only social difficulties, but
religious ones too. As work is a way of acting out your dharma, the absence of work
could have serious implications for that – as well as for the for the family. However,
as the community is an important feature in the Hindu faith, there is often provision
made for those out of work within the community.
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The greatest problem may be when people lose a job which is part of their caste. This
may then lead to having to take on a job which is generally considered something to
be done by a lower caste. This can lead to social difficulties as well as practical ones,
and so unemployment can be serious. However, many Hindus believe that the idea is
to carry out your dharma as far as possible given the circumstances that you are in,
and that your reward comes from making the best of what you have. Therefore if you
became unemployed through no fault of your own, how you deal with that situation
itself becomes important. New circumstances call for new responses and karma will
follow according to how people deal with such new situations. Unemployment means
the same practical difficulties for the Hindu as it does for everyone else – it simply
means having to adjust one’s ways until the situation changes back to something more
suitable. Work does not have to be formal paid work. It is just as easy to meet the
dharma requirements of work by doing voluntary work for example.
Finally, one of the features of modern working life is the so-called workaholic. In the
modern world it would seem that people's desires to live a comfortable life means that
they put aside family and everything else to work to make money. Hinduism would
reject this approach. In Hinduism working to satisfy greed for material pleasures is in
many ways the exact opposite of what work is for. Attachment to material things
becomes an obstacle to spiritual improvement, and so working to feed this attachment
would be inappropriate. Hindus do believe that you should work hard – but working
for the sake of it, or to satisfy your greed would not be considered a good thing.
So, in Hinduism, work defines you as a person and allows opportunities for physical
as well as spiritual improvement. In more traditional Hindu societies the link between
work and identity is more strict, though in more modern societies, such a link is
increasingly unimportant. However, work is not just a necessary evil – it is a way in
which you give something back to the community, as well as improve your own
chances in spiritual life.
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Assessment activities
Questions – Answer as fully as possible:
1. What does it mean to say that some people ‘work to live’?
2. What does it mean to say that some people ‘live to work’?
3. What is the division of labour, and what are its advantages?
4. What other rewards might a job give you apart from money?
5. What did Marx say about work? Was he right in your opinion?
6. What is a minimum wage and is it a good idea? Give reasons for your answer.
7. What does it mean to say that work is fulfilling? Give examples.
8. What problems can unemployment cause?
9. Explain in your own words, the caste system.
10. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the caste system?
11. How can work be thought of as a feature of a person's spiritual life for the Hindu?
12. What do the ashramas teach us about the Hindu attitude to work?
13. How might Hinduism react to someone who was a workaholic?
14. Why does Hinduism reject working purely for material gain?
Activities
a) Draw up your own list of 5 or 6 quite different jobs in modern society. How much
reward does each one achieve?
b) Draw up your own list of jobs in society according to how important you think
they are. Compare your ideas with others in the class.
c) Design your own poster called ‘the caste system in Hinduism’ or ‘what work
means in Hinduism’.
d) If possible try to get access to an Indian newspaper (or check the internet). Find
examples of ‘matching agencies’ which advertise for suitable partners according to
caste. Display these with an explanation of some caste rules.
e) Imagine you are a Hindu of the Brahmin class. You live in Britain and you have
recently been made unemployed. Write a week's diary entries in which you
express your feelings at your change in your circumstances and what this might
mean for your life practically and spiritually.
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7
BIBLIOGRAPHY
All of the following texts are suitable for student use
1. Rosalyn Kendrick: Examining Religions: Islam Heinemann 0 435 30314 7
2. Arye Forta: Examining Religions: Judaism Heinemann 0 435 30313 9
3. Brittain & Tredinnick: Landmarks in Life Blackie 0 216 91845 6
4. R Whiting: Religions of Man Stanley Thornes 085950 655 X
5. K O'Donnell: From the cradle to the grave E Arnold 0 7131 7591 5
6. W Owen Cole: Six Religions in the twentieth Century Hulton 0 7175 1290 8
7. V P Kanitkar: Hinduism Stanley Thornes 1 871402 09 3
8. Belief File (BBC)
9. Works of Faith (Channel 4)
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