Majority/Minority Muslim/Buddhist Adolescent Groups

Abstract

The study aimed to a) investigate the perceived problems, coping methods and help-seeking patterns of majority and minority religious (Muslim and Buddhist) adolescent groups, b) compare perception of problems, methods of coping and helpseeking patterns among groups classified by gender, religion, and majority/minority status, and c) clarify the relationships among problems, coping methods and helpseeking patterns of majority/minority Muslim/Buddhist adolescent groups. The sample consisted of 400 pupils who were equally divided into 8 groups; majority Muslim girls and boys, minority Muslim girls and boys, majority Buddhist girls and boys, and minority Buddhist girls and boys. The instrument used was an openended questionnaire designed to collect information on adolescents' perceived problems, coping methods and help-seeking patterns.To serve the first objective of this study, percentages of responses for classes of problems, coping methods and help-seeking patterns were calculated and were ranked in order according to majority/minority Muslim/Buddhist adolescent groups. The percentages of responses for the most common classes of problems, coping methods and help-seeking patterns were compared by gender, religion and majority/minority status. In addition to this, the chi-squared test was conducted to detect significant differences among groups. These was in order to satisfy the sec-IV oiid objective of the present study. To cater for the third objective, Multiple Correspondence Analysis,(MCA) was employed.It was concluded that schooling, family, identity and interpersonal issues were the most common cited classes of problems of majority/minority Muslim/Buddhist adolescent groups. "Individual problem solving" was reported as the most common method used to deal with the problems, "parents" was the first helper choice, "possessing a warm character" was cited as the most desired helper quality."To attend to" was cited as the most desired helping mode whilst "blaming/criticising" was the most undesired helping mode.It was found that a) girls tended to have problems concerning family and interpersonal issues more often than boys whilst boys had problems concerning identity issues more often than girls. When both sexes had problems, boys turned to their teacher for help more often than girls. Girls expected "special personal attributes" from their helper more than boys did. b) Buddhist adolescents turned to parents and wanted the helper to solve problems for them more than did Muslims.Muslim adolescents cited "warm character" as a desired quality in helpers more often than Buddhists, c) Majority adolescents had more problems concerning family issues than their minority counterparts whilst minority adolescents had more identity problems than their majority counterparts. Moreover, minority adolescents needed a helper with "an ability to solve problems" more than their majority counterparts.With regards to the relationship among problems, coping methods and helpseeking patterns of majority/minority Muslim/Buddhist adolescent...