Lesson video

Hello there.

My name is Mr. Robertson, and I'm delighted to welcome you to this RE lesson today.

Today's lesson is the final lesson in our unit, which has been asking the question, "Religion and Belief in the Workplace: How do we work together?

" This lesson is entitled "Religion and Worldviews in Your Employment.

" And in this lesson, you're going to be reflecting on the sort of career that you might want in the future and how religion, worldviews, understanding of different beliefs will intersect and help you in that career.

So the outcome for today's lesson is this.

I can explain how and why religious literacy and emotional intelligence will be connected to my future career.

We have some key words that will help guide us today and help us understand our lesson more deeply.

Our first words are religious literacy.

And by that, we mean a knowledge of how religions, worldviews, and beliefs shape lives.

Our second words are emotional intelligence, and that is the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and effectively respond to your own emotions and the emotions of others.

And finally, we have the word values.

And by values, we mean the fundamental beliefs and core principles that define what is most important to you.

Today's lesson is in two parts.

In the first part of the lesson, we're gonna be thinking about religious literacy and its importance.

So let's just recap what exactly we mean by this term, religious literacy.

So having a religious literacy or being religiously literate means being able to understand and engage thoughtfully with religion and belief as it's lived and expressed in society.

It includes understanding that religions and beliefs are diverse and they change over time.

They're not fixed and they don't stay the same.

It's an understanding that they're part of an identity people may have in their jobs and in their social lives.

So let's just check our understanding of this term 'cause it's a key term we're going to be using in this lesson.

I've got a true or false question for you.

True or false?

Religious literacy is just about understanding the beliefs and concepts of a religion.

Think back to the definition that we looked at.

Pause a video and have a think.

Okay, you're right.

It's false, isn't it?

But why?

Well, it's false because it isn't just about understanding different beliefs, but it's understanding that these beliefs might change over time, and they shape people's identities in their work and in their personal lives as well.

Brilliant if you got that right.

Let's meet Jacob and Laura.

They are really interested in the future, and they're thinking about the sort of things that they might want to do when they grow up and leave school.

Jacob says, "I'd love to start my own business linked to technology.

" Laura says, "That's great.

Do you think having good religious literacy is relevant to that?

" Jacob says," I'm not sure.

To be honest, I can't see how it would be at the moment.

" I wonder what answer you'd give to Jacob, thinking about what you know about religions, worldviews, beliefs.

Would there be any connection between having a good religious literacy and working in technology?

I wonder what you came up with.

Let's find out a bit more, shall we?

So we're going to meet some people who are gonna help us understand a little bit more about this idea that religious literacy can be really important in the different careers that we might follow.

We're going to meet Amber, Jamie, and Zahra.

Amber is Muslim.

She explains why religious literacy is important in her role as a doctor.

Amber works as a doctor in the NHS.

She says, "As a doctor, you need medical skills, but having religious literacy is also very important.

Being a good doctor is about seeing and understanding the whole patient.

Building trust is essential with patients.

Trust ensures patients are more likely to listen, resulting in more effective treatment plans.

Having good religious literacy means I can understand my patients better.

" I wonder what you would pull out from that statement by Amber.

She's got a particular word there, which I think she thinks is really important, and having religious literacy helps her build this.

I was thinking about the word trust and that building trust with patients means that they trust her and are more likely to respond to treatment.

Amber gives an example of religious literacy in action.

She says, "I've treated Muslim patients who've wanted to fast during Ramadan.

If the patient's not well enough to fast, then I suggested safe alternatives.

I've also spoken with Muslim patients who've been unsure of having a vaccination because it contained pork, which is haram, which means forbidden in Islam, I was able to offer guidance on alternative halal permitted vaccines.

" So can you see a really practical example of how Amber uses her religious literacy in action?

So you can see that when she's treated some Muslim patients, her understanding of that religion makes a difference.

It means that she can help them with fasting and also with vaccines.

Let's meet Jamie.

Jamie is a Christian, and he's going to explain why religious literacy is important in his job where he owns a hotel.

Jamie says, "My customers and employees have a huge variety of religions and worldviews.

Having religious literacy means I can understand their needs and make them feel respected and safe.

This means I give better service and makes everyone feel welcome.

It also means people are more likely to use my hotel again.

" So why is having religious literacy important in Jamie's job?

It's a very different job from Amber's.

He owns a hotel.

So he talks about, doesn't he, the importance of having good customer service.

He wants people to enjoy the time in his hotel.

He wants them to feel respected and safe, and of course he wants them to come back.

And he says having a good religious literacy means he can understand their needs better, and that makes him a better owner and a better business person as well.

Jamie gives an example of religious literacy in action in his career.

He says, "In my hotel, we have a swimming pool and a gym.

We offer women-only slots for these.

This is appreciated by our Jewish and Muslim guests.

However, it's also used by other women with a variety of world views.

" So, actually, he's saying that by having those women-only slots in the gym and a swimming pool, he helps meet people's particular needs from particular religious backgrounds, but actually a lot of women appreciate that.

So it's just really good customer service.

Let's think about what we've been learning so far.

Why might you need religious literacy in the hospitality sector?

I'd like you to select two answers, thinking about what Jamie's just been saying.

A, to avoid complaints, B, it makes people feel respected, C, it guarantees more profit, and D, it offers better service.

If you want to, pause the video as well.

So what did you put?

Well, the answer is B, it makes people feel more respected, and C, it offers better service.

It may not definitely guarantee more profit, although it might be good for your business.

And of course we don't know whether it stops complaints, but it definitely means that customers have a better experience.

So brilliant if you got that right.

Let's meet Zahra, finally.

She has an agnostic worldview, and she works in the world of finance, and she's gonna tell us why religious literacy is important in that sector.

Zahra says, "Finance is really international, so it's important to know your clients.

Even though I'm not religious myself, we live in a world where 80% of people have a religious worldview.

In finance, you're making decisions about people's money and investments that will affect their future.

Relationships must be built on trust.

That means understanding other people, their beliefs, and culture is essential.

" So why does Zahra think that religious literacy is important in her career?

Can you find two or three points that she makes?

So she talks about finance being really international, so she's gonna have a really wide variety of clients.

She talks about the fact that, in the world, actually most people are religious, so it's highly likely some of her customers will be.

And she also talks about that in the world of finance, people are trusting her to make decisions about their money.

And so if she understands them better, including their beliefs, that will help her build trust and do her job better.

Zahra also gives an example of religious literacy in action.

She says, "During Ramadan, many of our UAE team, that's the United Arab Emirates, will shift their working day hours to recharge after iftar, the meal eaten after sunset during Ramadan.

I always make sure I understand my clients so I don't book any meetings that might clash with holidays connected to their beliefs.

" So what Zahra is showing here is that, in finance, people might work slightly different times in different parts of the world, but that's okay.

They can flex around that.

And also, when she's booking meetings with clients, she just needs to have an understanding of people's religious traditions to ensure that she doesn't make any meeting clashes or make people feel uncomfortable.

What did Zahra say.

Sorry.

Why did Zahra say religious literacy was important in the finance sector?

Was it A, it means you make more money, B, the finance sector is mostly based abroad, or C, people are trusting you with money and investments.

If you want to, pause the video while you have a think, Excellent.

It's C, isn't it, that people are trusting you with their money and investments.

Zahra said that it's an international business, but not necessarily mostly based abroad.

And if you are a good successful business person, you might make more money, but religious literacy won't guarantee that.

Okay, I'd like you to think about your learning so far, and you could do this task in pairs or on your own.

I'd like you to think about what would be your ideal career.

We're gonna be making some notes now and then reflect on this a bit more deeply at the end of the lesson as well.

So I'd like you to think, what is it that I might think that I want to do when I leave school?

So I'd like you to think about who would you work with?

Would it be a job working with members of the public?

Would it be in an institution like a hospital?

Would it be for a company?

Where would you work?

Is it a job that you're going to do locally?

Is it a job that's gonna be based at home most of the time?

Might it mean traveling abroad?

And how would it work?

What kind of things might you do in a typical day?

And I'd like you to think about how religious literacy would be important in this career.

So you've had some examples from Jamie in hospitality.

We've heard about Zahra in finance and Amber in hospitals and medical career.

Can you think, thinking about sort of customers you might have, where you might work, what you might do, why having religious literacy might be important for you, and how it could help you?

Really look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Well, thank you for all of your thinking.

I wonder what you came up with.

We've got an example for you here.

So this is a career where you might want to be a project manager, and you might work with team members such as designers and engineers.

Your work might be hybrid, so you might work at home and in the office, but also perhaps overseas sometimes.

Any in your day-to-day job, you might do some planning, you might organize people, and you need to be really good at communication and problem-solving.

So how would religious literacy be important?

Well, you might be working with a team of people with different religions and worldviews.

Religious literacy would help you build trust with your team and clients.

And maybe you need to use some of Zahra's ideas about making sure when you do international meetings that you're making sure that you know where different festivals are.

I wonder what you came up with your career.

So for the next part of our lesson, we're going to be thinking about religious literacy and values.

Jacob and Laura have really enjoyed thinking about this so far, and they want to continue this discussion.

Jacob says, "So, actually, I can see that religious literacy could mean that I can understand my clients better and build trust with them.

I think that's all I need to know, apart from my tech skills.

" Laura says, "I wonder if there's also something about the values as well as the skills you bring to your job.

" I wonder what you think about Laura's comments.

Do you think that she might have a point?

Is there something about values as well as your skills in the job and religious literacy, and why might they be important?

So to explore this further, Jacob interviews Hanuman Dass.

Hanuman Dass is the CEO of Go Dharmic, which is a movement for social change.

And he also works in the finance sector.

Hanuman has a Hindu world view.

Jacob says, "I want to run my own business when I'm older.

I'd love to work as a developer and create my own startup.

" Hanuman says, "That's brilliant, Jacob.

You'll need computing and management skills for this, but I also believe the most important things are the values you have and the relationships you build.

Having good emotional intelligence is as important as other forms of intelligence.

" So let's just think about what Hanuman is saying here.

What do you pull out as some of the most important things he says there?

So you might have talked about the fact that he looks at the idea of the computing and management skills, but he also says that values and having emotional intelligence is as important as other intelligence.

Let's find out a little bit more about that, shall we?

So Jacob says, well, what do you mean by values?

Hanuman Dass says, "Values are our fundamental beliefs and core principles.

I express this through the idea of dharma.

This is an ancient concept rooted in Indian traditions and texts, but I think it can be applied universally.

Dharma helps me consider what is the essence of a human being and how should we act in the world?

" So for Hanuman, this idea of dharma is really important and underpins all of the values that he uses.

Let's just check our understanding so far.

Dharma is a form of emotional intelligence, a value, the essence of a human being.

Think about what Hanuman just said.

Pause the video if you need to.

Excellent.

Hanuman Dass talked about dharma as being the essence of a human being.

Jacob says, "Why do you think values are so important and how do they link to success?

" Good question, Jacob.

Hanuman Dass says, "Dharma teaches me to act for the welfare of all beings.

This guides my business and my social action.

I adhere to principles of truth, compassion, and not harming.

Business is as much about trust and relationships as it is other skills.

If you act with integrity and build trust, your career will be successful.

" So, again, let's reflect on what Hanuman is saying here.

Why does he think that values are important?

You may want to pause the video and read his words again carefully.

So I might pull out the idea that he says that business is about trust and relationships and that it's about acting with integrity.

And if you do those things, your career will be successful.

So having really strong values is about acting well in the world, but it's also about meaning that you will become a more successful person as well.

Jacob says, "How could this connect to my idea of a career as a developer?

" Hanuman Dass says, "It connects so much.

In the world of work, you build relationships with others all the time.

You can ask yourself, how will I speak to others so they want to work with me?

What kind of partners will I work with?

Will I see what values they have?

How will I use wealth to benefit others?

" So what Hanuman Dass is saying is, in any career that you take and choose to do, you will have these big questions that face you all the time about decisions about how are you going to try and spend money?

Who are you going to work with?

How are you gonna treat the people that you work with?

And how you answer those questions will make a really big difference to the sort of values that you have and the sort of person that you are going to be.

Jacob reflects on his conversation with Hanuman Dass.

He says, "It was really helpful to see that values are as important as skills.

The ideas of dharma have made me think about what is important to me and how I will treat others.

" Laura says, "It's a really interesting idea that having good emotional intelligence is as important as the skills for a particular job.

" I wonder what you think about Laura and Jacob's comments.

What do you think about this idea of values being as important as the skills needed for the job?

I wonder whether you think emotional intelligence, connecting with others and being empathetic connects to the career that you're thinking of.

You might want to pause the video and discuss those points with a partner.

Let's have a final check for understanding.

Select two ways that demonstrate emotional intelligence.

A, showing compassion, B, embarrassing a colleague, C, managing emotions.

If you want to, pause the video.

Excellent.

It's A and C, isn't it?

Showing compassion and managing emotions.

So for our final task, we're going to draw on some of the thinking across this lesson.

Earlier in the lesson, I asked you to think a little bit about the sort of career that you might want to do in the future when you leave school.

And you did some thinking about connecting that with the idea of religious literacy.

I'd like you, if you can, and I know this is quite difficult, to imagine yourself in 10 years time and the kind of work that you might be doing.

So you can be really ambitious here and think about what is the ultimate thing that you would really love to be doing, that would bring you fulfillment and draw out the skills and talent that you think you have.

To help us with this, we're going to imagine that you are building a profile page for a social networking site.

The sort of site where you might use to advertise yourself to your possible clients to show information about yourself and allow you to connect with other people to grow your business or the kind of career and sector that you work in.

To build up this profile, you need to make sure that you've got the job title that you think you'd like to do.

If you don't know the exact specific job, that's fine.

You might just want to put an area, like working in medicine or working in science, a little brief overview of what that work involves.

So you might talk about doing experiments or working for a tech company or developing apps.

I'd like you to think about the skills that you would need for that.

So they might be science skills, or tech skills, or people skills.

But the most important thing I want you to think about is, what values will you uphold in your work?

What values are really important to you?

You might want to think back to the ideas of dharma that Hanuman Dass talked about.

The idea of truth, or compassion, or trying to harm people, to be as least harmful as possible, and how might those values be connected to the job that you are going to do.

So will that be about treating people equally?

Will that be thinking about when you work with clients, finding out about what they do with their money and the sort of businesses that they're involved in?

And also bring forward some of the work you've put there about how you demonstrate religious literacy as well.

So we can see it all in one clear profile.

Really look forward to seeing what you come up with.

I'm really excited and I hope that this enables you to reflect on your career a bit.

Wow, thank you so much for all that amazing work that you've done.

So taking on this project manager idea that Jacob is interested in, we might say that a project manager looks at national and international projects.

It means that the company can take its vision forward.

It manages teams and monitors budgets and deadlines.

Modeling emotional intelligence is done by communicating in stressful situations with calmness and consideration.

You might uphold the values of honesty and integrity through building respectful relationships with your team and clients.

And one way you demonstrate religious literacy is by ensuring you have a work calendar, which includes the dates of religious and worldwide festivals.

I wonder what career that you want to do and the kind of values that you think are important to take into that role.

And I wonder what connections you've made as well to why religious literacy and having good religious literacy might help you in that role.

Thanks for sharing all those ideas.

So to sum up our lesson today, we've talked about the idea that religious literacy supports many areas of employment, including healthcare, hospitality, and finance.

We talked about the fact that religious literacy helps develop trust, which builds stronger relationships.

And finally, we've looked at values, such as honesty and compassion, and that they're essential for building positive relationships in all aspects of employment.

I hope you've enjoyed the lesson today.

I hope you've enjoyed thinking about the sort of career that you might want to have, and also reflecting on how having your values and good religious literacy could help you in the future.

Look forward to seeing you in another lesson soon.

Thank you.