The general scope of the Muslim Diversity Study (MDS) is studying attitudes and values of Muslims in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Salaam alaikum, kia ora, and greetings!
The Muslim Diversity Study (MDS), also known as “A National Longitudinal Study of Muslim Diversity and Flourishing”, is aimed to enrich understanding of the attitudes, values, wellbeing, flourishing, resilience, and meaning-making in the Muslim community in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is conducted as part of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS).
Our Vision
We are committed to the following three principles:
- Protection: the MDS/NZAVS is strongly committed to respecting and protecting data gathered from all participants and takes confidentiality seriously. Our commitment to participant privacy and safety is central to the NZAVS Muslim Diversity Study.
- Participation: the MDS/NZAVS is committed to enhancing the research capacity of our communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Any MDS/NZAVS research focusing specifically on the Muslim community will be reviewed by our Muslim academic advisor Dr Usman Afzali, and/or appropriate nominated reviewers from the Muslim community in New Zealand. We are committed to Muslim community-led research for Muslim-focussed studies to ensure respectful reporting that considers the social, religious, and cultural settings of New Zealand’s Muslims.
- Partnership: the MDS/NZAVS actively fosters opportunities for collaborative research with emerging Muslim researchers in New Zealand. We seek to mentor Muslim graduate students interested in accessing MDS/NZAVS data for research in their own postgraduate theses or dissertations. We invite students from the Muslim community in New Zealand to contact our Muslim academic advisor (Dr Usman Afzali), or any member of the MDS/NZAVS board or leadership team for guidance in developing a project.
The New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS)
The New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS) is a large longitudinal national probability annual panel study* of social attitudes, personality, ideology and health outcomes. The NZAVS began in 2009 and is curated by Professor Chris Sibley. It includes questionnaire responses from more than 76,000 New Zealand residents. The study includes researchers from many New Zealand universities, including University of Otago, the University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury, and Waikato University. Because the survey asks the same people to respond each year, it can track subtle change in attitudes and values over time, and is an important resource for researchers both in New Zealand and around the world. The NZAVS is university-based, not-for-profit and independent of political or corporate funding.
* In the panel study, data are collected from the sample participants overtime.
* In the panel study, data are collected from the sample participants overtime.
Why Muslim Diversity Study (MDS)?
Our team recognised the importance of including Muslim voices in discussions about New Zealand. This inspired us to develop a booster study to enhance Muslim representation in the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, since Muslims were underrepresented over the years. By capitalising on the NZAVS infrastructure, we aim to clarify the extent of Muslim diversity, mechanisms of resilience, the mechanisms of coping with adversity, and lines of similarity with other faiths and secular community members in New Zealand.
Much of the NZAVS work to date with the Muslim community has focused on conveying information about how Muslims are perceived. However, after talking with 29 Muslims from diverse backgrounds across New Zealand, we identified strong signals of Muslim interest in conducting research on Muslims self-perception, diversity, as well as flourishing. Therefore, the current project will amplify the community partnerships and foster Muslims’ interest by involving them in longitudinal science.
Much of the NZAVS work to date with the Muslim community has focused on conveying information about how Muslims are perceived. However, after talking with 29 Muslims from diverse backgrounds across New Zealand, we identified strong signals of Muslim interest in conducting research on Muslims self-perception, diversity, as well as flourishing. Therefore, the current project will amplify the community partnerships and foster Muslims’ interest by involving them in longitudinal science.
Our Team
Our core team consists of many early career researchers as well senior academics affiliated with public universities of New Zealand (University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, The University of Auckland, and University of Canterbury). We come from different backgrounds, we are politically unaffiliated, and we do not represent or work for any community, religious, or political organisations. Our main motivation is to conduct good science and share it with the New Zealand public and local and global scientific community. Click here to read more.