GEN Z AND BEYOND:
a survey for every generation

Led by SOAS, University of London

The Gen Z and Beyond: A Survey for Every Generation report is now available. The report consists of five chapters which highlight the most significant findings from the survey.

The appendices for each chapter of the report are available here in Excel Workbook format:

An offline version of the questionnaire is also available:

The data collected during the survey is available from the UK Data Service upon request.

Gen Z and Beyond: A Survey for Every Generation was conducted using an in-depth, online questionnaire that reached a large, multinational population quickly and easily. We would like to thank all 5003 respondents who took the time to participate in the survey and contribute to this valuable resource.

We are very grateful to our donors, ambassadors and volunteers without whom this project would not have been possible. We hope that this report, accompanying appendices, and the raw data will be useful to students, academics, and the Zoroastrian community worldwide.

INTRODUCTION

What constitutes a (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian identity and creates a sense of belonging? Is it through a local or global community, a shared history or ethnicity, or religious beliefs and practices? Is it by engaging in community spaces or being a part of an ethnic and religious minority within a non-Zoroastrian majority population?

The Gen Z and Beyond Survey will answer these critical questions by conducting an in-depth, online survey to explore different views and practices within the current global (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian community and those close to it.

This once-in-a-generation Survey will collect and analyse data in three crucial areas:

  • Demographic: to include education, employment, language and domestic life
  • Behavioural: religious and cultural beliefs and practices
  • Attitudinal: socio-religious and ethnic identities

By collecting this information, we will be able to look at the community worldwide for the first time. It will give us greater understanding of the factors that have promoted or inhibited the growth and success of the community in different contexts across the world.

Question: What will be the outcome of this Survey?

Answer: 1) SOAS will produce a detailed report with an analysis of the Survey results. 2) The results of the Survey can be utilised by (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian community institutions to engage more meaningfully with the people in their regions.

How is the GenZ and Beyond Survey different from previous studies?

This survey is the first of its kind. Previous studies have typically been conducted offline using a small sample group, yielding data of limited use to the wider community. The Gen Z and Beyond Survey is being conducted using an in-depth, online questionnaire that will reach a large, multinational population quickly and easily. Attempts will also be made to make the questionnaire available to those with no or limited access to technology, extending the Survey to as many people as possible.

Who Can Take Part?

The Gen Z and Beyond Survey is open to people aged 18 and over who have:

  • Two (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian parents, or
  • A (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian father, or
  • A (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian mother, or
  • At least one (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian grandparent, or
  • A (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian spouse

It is not our role to determine what constitutes Zoroastrian identity. For this reason, we have included the five categories listed above, which already exist within the community. These five categories will be kept discrete and separate. They will be analysed separately with results being presented for each category.

For example, you may not be a practising Zoroastrian, but if you have one (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian parent we would still like to hear from you. You can skip those questions in the survey questionnaire that don’t apply to you.

We will be including non-Zoroastrian spouses of (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrians in this survey because it is important to understand how they have integrated (or not) into the community and the role that they play in their children’s lives, especially if those children are being raised as (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrians.

Please note that each eligibility category will be analysed separately. 

Every member of the family aged 18 and over should sign-up and take the Survey independently one time. 

We do not have the capacity to include converts to Zoroastrianism (neo-Zoroastrians) in this survey. It is also for this reason that we cannot include more distant relatives than those listed above.

If you are eligible to take the survey, you can sign up now using your email address or mobile number. Once you have submitted your details you will receive your unique survey access password immediately. After you click on the link, you can pause and return to the survey at your convenience.

How will my data be protected?

All responses to the online questionnaire are completely anonymous. Once the survey is complete your contact details will be permanently deleted from our records.

The questionnaire is designed to avoid indirect personal identifiers in view of the small size of the community globally. No tracking software will be used and respondents’ IP addresses will not be accessed or harvested. The demographic data collected will not be related to GPS location or other information which could give participants’ exact location.

wHAT DOES THE SURVEY ENTAIL?

This survey asks a wide range of questions to obtain substantive and authoritative data to gain an understanding of the dynamics of the community in different locations around the world.

It also aims to understand, amongst other things, regional differences in self-identity, sources of belief, inspiration for religious practice and community participation, the flow of knowledge and information through familial and communal channels, the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the community, the influence of community associations, and much more.

Question: What factors are important for the success of this Survey?

Answer: The key elements that will ensure the success of the survey will be a) high response rate, b) consistency of approach, and c) accuracy of the data collected to facilitate effective data analysis and reporting.

Benefits of Participating in the Survey

  • A once-in-a-generation opportunity:

A survey of this scope has never been undertaken on the (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian community before and is unlikely to be repeated for many years.  The data collected will provide a benchmark against which any future research can be compared.

 

  • Identify ways to preserve and perpetuate (Iranian / Parsi / Irani) Zoroastrian identity, belief, and practice:

The data collected through the survey will inform us about which ideas and issues are considered to be the most critical. Having a deeper understanding of the current and future aspirations of the people within the community will help its leaders and associations design social activities, educational classes and other projects to increase positive engagement and interaction within the community.

 

  • Generating educational opportunities:

The Survey will generate educational opportunities by providing an academically grounded repository of data about the community for future academic and community researchers that will benefit the community and religion in the short and long-term.

Question: Will information collected be accessible in the future?

Answer: At the end of the project, all the raw data collected by the survey will be packaged and deposited into a data repository such as the UK Data Archive from which the funders and any other applicants will be able to request access to the data.

Who is Involved?

The survey project is being led by Dr Sarah Stewart, Shapoorji Pallonji Senior Lecturer in Zoroastrianism and Co-Chair of the Shapoorji Pallonji Institute for Zoroastrian Studies, established at SOAS, University of London in 2018. Dr Stewart is known as the lead curator of The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination, a hugely successful exhibition on Zoroastrianism at SOAS in 2013, subsequently hosted by the National Museum, Delhi in 2016.

A Working Group is responsible for assisting in the promotion of the survey. Its members include Arzan Sam Wadia, Dr Rashna Writer and Nina Mistry.

Ambassadors from around the world are responsible for generating awareness and ensuring that the survey is available to and accessible by all Zoroastrians in their respective regions. Its members include:

North America – Zerkxis Bhandara, Dolly Dastoor, Roshan Rivetna

India – Hoshaang Gotla, Sheherazad Pavri, Yazdi Tantra

Pakistan – Roshan Mehri, Kermin Parakh, Veera Rustomji

Australia — Nergish Udwadia, Jimmy Medhora

New Zealand — Farida Master

CONTACT US
We’d love to hear from you

For questions relating to the project please email:

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