Challenges of Melkite young adults in Melbourne: Maintaining religious identity and social values within Australian society

Abstract

This research investigates Melkite young adults’ religious identity, their social values and the multicultural contexts in which they live. It is based on research into a group of 60 Melkites: 30 Melkite young adults aged 18 to 25 years who live in Melbourne and 30 parents of Melkite young adults who were born and raised in the Middle East. This research is a case study defined as an inquiry process of understanding religious and social human problems. It is conducted within a theoretical framework that employs a Quantitative Approach. The data collection technique will be a questionnaire covering the religious identity and the social values of a group of Melkite young adults who belong to two cultures: the culture of the Australian society in which they live and the Middle Eastern traditional culture of their heritage and their parents. This thesis describes how the Melkite young adult participants build their distinctive religious identity and their social values, through investigating the roles of culture, religious institutions, land, history and society. A hybrid Australian and ethnic identity was highly valued by the participants. The research addresses theories of religious identity and their social values related to Melkite young adults in a multicultural society.