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How Muslim Students Perceive Australia and Australians: A National Survey

Abe Ata (1)
1. Faculty of Education, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, Australia
https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v16i2.716

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Issue
Vol. 16 No. 2 (2016)
Submitted
2014 July 10
Published
2016 July 10
Keywords:
    Intercultural communication, inter-ethnic relationons, Muslim students, inter-religious education, cross cultural attitudes, stereotyping
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Abstract

Outlined below are selected results of a 5 year long national survey which Dr Abe Ata was commissioned to carry out in Australia. The survey investigated the knowledge, values and attitudes of 430 Year 11 and 12 Muslim students in 10 Muslim High schools towards the mainstream Australian society. The percentage of female participant students (57) was slightly higher than male students (43). Almost the entire sample (93) declared themselves to be Muslim. The findings reflect a wide spectrum of responses with a strong implication that much work is needed to bring about an appropriate degree of adjustment. Providing awareness sessions to students and parents which address critical social, religious and cultural issues including: stereotyping and inclusivity. Another is to explore how Muslim schools promote intercultural understanding. The survey found that students were equally divided on statements that their school teaches them.

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References

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Authors

Abe Ata
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Author Biography

Abe Ata

Abe W. Ata was born in Bethlehem. He graduated in social psychology at the American University of Beirut and was soon nominated as a delegate to the United Nations’ World Youth Assembly in New York . He gained his doctorate at the University of Melbourne in 1980 and has since been teaching and researching at several Australian, American, Palestinian and Danish universities.. His publications span 115 journal articles and 17 books including The West Bank Palestinian Family (London 1996); Education Integration Challenges: the case of Australian Muslims (Jan.2013); Us and Them (Australian Academic Press 2010) which was nominated for the Prime Minister Book Awards in 2009. He was nominated as Australian of the Year in 2015 and 2011.

Ata, A. (2016). How Muslim Students Perceive Australia and Australians: A National Survey. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 16(2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v16i2.716
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How to Cite

Ata, A. (2016). How Muslim Students Perceive Australia and Australians: A National Survey. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 16(2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v16i2.716