Faith@Work:
A study on tradies and faith
I'm doing a PhD on how tradies in Anglican churches understand the link between their faith and their work.
Scroll down to find out why that matters , how it works, and how you can be part of it.
PROJECT GOALS
Why this matters
the good news: we're getting smarter
Churches across Australia, and across denominations, have an increasing proportion of people with Uni degrees. That's a good thing, and the result of decades of hard work from Uni student groups.
the bad news: we're leaving people behind
At the same time, the proportion of people in churches with a trade background, or people who went straight to work from school, is falling.
How it works
We talk...
... through five simple questions about faith and work. It could be in person (I'll buy you a coffee) or it could be on Zoom. I'll send you the questions beforehand so you have time to think.
The interview is recorded and transcribed, then I give you the option to check that.
I write...
Every effort will be made to ensure participants are anonymous throughout the research process and in any future publications.
...you read
You'll get to read it once it's finished. That might be in 2028 or 2029. Yep, it's a long-term project, but your contribution matters.
What are the questions?
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Some people think work is important because of what it does. That means it’s good because it’s a tool for paying the bills, etc. Other people think work is important for what it is. That means work matters because it’s a task given to us by God, so it’s good to do something useful even if we don’t need it to pay the bills. What do you think?
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In what ways is your work important to God?
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What sort of difference do you think your work makes?
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How do you approach disappointments or disagreements at work, and does your faith play a role in that?
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Can you remember a time when your faith made a difference to your work? Tell me about that…
How you can get involved
Tradies - guys
You are currently working in a trade of any kind - including construction, electrical, plumbing, or automotive - and are part of an Anglican church.
Why only guys? Because I'm leaving room for someone else to focus on female tradies.
Anglicans
You are part of an Anglican church and are happy to talk about how your faith intersects with your work.
Why only Anglicans? Because the research is being sponsored by the Anglican Church of Australia - thanks guys!
Interviews
We talk, in person or on Zoom or on the phone, for about 30 minutes.
I record the conversation, type up a transcript, and send it back to you.
If you're OK with that, then I add it to the pile.
When I've got at least 20 conversations, I'll
start looking for common threads and ideas.
to get help out...
This is me in the library where I now work, Morling College.
Below are two forms I'll ask you to sign. They are the 'fine print' of exactly how the process works, where your data goes, and what happens to it. I'll bring them along or email them to you.
Why me?
01
Because I’m interested in the connection between faith & work. We spend a lot of time at work, and how we live out our faith there might be our biggest witness outside the family.
02
Because I did a trade. The background image is my intake at the Apprentice Training School in 1986. I did the same trade my Dad did, at the same factory he started at. We were both Fitters.
03
Because nobody else seems to be looking at this. A lot of people have studied faith/work for 'white collar' workers, but I haven't yet found anyone who's looked into this for 'blue collar' workers.