Public policy and religious diversity: lessons
from place of worship development
February 2nd 2011
RIIM -- Metropolis Policy Symposium
Mosk Centre for Dialogue
Heidi Hoernig
Faculty of Arts – Research Services
McGill University
Religious diversity & the public domain
1. Why does religious diversity matter to
public policy and public institutions?
2. How does it manifest?
3. How is it important?
4. What lessons can we learn across policy
domains?
• How many secular upbringing and how
many people had some element of religion
in your childhood/ formative years?
• How many people have attended:
– buddhist temple ,christian church, mosque,
mandir, gurdwara, synagogue
• How many deal with religious diversity in
your current job?
• How many expect to be addressing policy
or program issues dealing with religious
diversity?
Presentation outline
• Religious community characteristics
• Defining spatial needs
• Place of worship development
experiences
• Three readings of places of worship
• Implications for policy
Defining community needs
Religion
& culture
Demographic
& spatial
characteristics
Resources:
financial &
human
Religious community characteristics
Religious community spatial needs
Development experience
Religious community characteristics
& spatial needs
Social
context
Spatial
context
Rel. community
development
experience
Policy
context
Economic
context
Place of worship
Religious communities
Buddhist
• Theraveda (1)
• Mahayana (2)
• Humanist (1)
Muslim
• Sunni (7)
• Shia (1)
• Ahmaddiya (1)
Sikh
• Nanaksar (1)
• Others (3)
Hindu
• Various (6)
• Arya Samaj (1)
Non-Euro Christian
• West Asian (1)
• Chinese (5)
Place of worship functions
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•
•
•
•
Religious activities
Religious/commercial
Settlement/integration
Socialization/retention
Symbolic expression
Long-term perspective
•
•
•
•
•
Variable (2 – 25 years)
Changes in community composition
Needs & priorities
Learning curve
Land use issues
Evolution of places of worship
Temporary
Recycled
New construction
Expansion
Religion, culture &
place of worship development
• Multicultural temporalities
• Social activity patterns
• Organization of space
Multicultural temporalities
• Calendars
• Daily & weekly patterns
• Annual patterns
Religion, culture &
place of worship development
• Multicultural temporalities
• Social activity patterns
• Organization of space
Social activity patterns
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•
•
•
•
•
Attendance
Worship behaviour
Large religious events
Life cycle events
Religious education
Secular activities
Religion, culture &
place of worship development
• Multicultural temporalities
• Social activity patterns
• Organization of space
Religion, culture & spatial needs
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•
•
•
Architecture
Common & unique spatial needs
Site design
Public space
Inter/intra community
similarities & differences
• Height
• Residential facilities
– Major challenge
– 4/5 religions
– Intra difference
Search process
Search process
• Variability: assistance, duration, scope
• Enabling/ Limiting: resources, land supply
Criteria
• Zoning/Affordability/ Size
• Accessibility
• Other site requirements/preferences
Community consolidation process
• Continuous act of creation
• Uncertainty
• Interethnic dynamics
• Key to fund-raising
efforts
Community capacity
• Financial resources
– Affiliation
– Religious/cultural patterns
– Community characteristics
• Human resources
– Cultural capital
• professional expertise
– Social capital
Meeting spatial needs
• Weak correlation of needs & difficulties
• Cultural, social & financial capital
• Variety of strategies
– Compliance, avoidance, adaptation,
accommodation, tactical
PW development experiences
• Evolving & dynamic
• Spectrum of needs,
resources & experiences
Multiple readings
• Positive values
• Ideal characteristics of urban spaces
• Integration of minority groups into society
Positive values
• Sacred space
• Architectural asset
• Religious community
centre
• Neighbourhood
centre
• Expression of
ethnoreligious identity
• Multiculturalism or
cosmpolitanism
• Tourist or heritage
asset
• Vehicle for social or
community
development
Ideal qualities of urban space
• Conceptualization of residential, mixed
use/ commercial, industrial and green belt
zones
• Perceived value/ contribution to space
• Perceived nuisance & mitigation
Integration of minority groups
• Social
• Spatial
• Religious vs. Secular
• Religious minorities
vs. majorities
• « Visible » minorities
vs. majorities
• Immigrants vs. nativeborn
• Ethnic minorities vs
majorities
Best practices
• Address both land use AND social and
political issues
• Long-term perspective, holistic approach
• Leadership
– political, bureaucratic, religious community,
professional planners
• Communication, mutual understanding
Practices
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•
•
•
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Places of worship as community assets
Community plan policy
Zoning by-laws, parking standards
Education & awareness
Inter-religious & intercultural dialogue
Why does it matter?
• Equity
– Charter of rights & freedoms
• Culture
– Multiculturalism legislation
• Intersectionality
Lessons from PW development
Equity
• Discrimination
• Different religious groups receive different
treatment
– Equity vs equal
– Public vs private
Lessons from PW Development
Culture
• Cultural accommodation
– Liberal theory of multiculturalism
– Chronopolis (parking)
– Equity vs. Equal treatment (parking)
– Diversity within religions
Lessons from PW Development
Intersectionality
• Intersection of characteristics, needs and
context
Places of worship & public policy
• Sites of new forms of multiculturalism
• Gateways, sites and resources
– communication, collaboration and intervention
Traditional discourse on
multiculturalism in Canada
Newcomer
Host society
• Whose rights, under what circumstances?
• Integration vs. Exclusion
• Zone of negotiation, accommodation,
“tolerance”
• Boundaries and absolute limits?
Religion, places of worship & new discourse
Multiculturalism
Private
Public
Household/ Intra-ethnic Inter-ethnic Inter-ethnic
Family
community Co-religious Min/majority
Minorityminority
Places of worship as gateways
• Outreach
• Variety of services
• Mutual learning
• Challenges
– Public – open to all vs. religious membership
– Early stages – variable stability
– Not all are interested