Assessing the Relationship between Religious Coping and Gender Role Attitudes

Abstract

Religious coping and gender role attitudes influence many aspects of individual and community life, especially among South Asian communities. The purpose of the study is to assess the relationship between religious coping and gender role beliefs or attitudes among the Indian population. Online versions of the RCOPE and SRQ scales were administered to a sample of young Indian adults living in India and adhering to various religious faiths. Our findings indicate a lack of gender differences on the scales of religious coping and gender role attitudes- explained by the deeply imbibed cultural and religious attitudes prevalent in South Asian culture. Within religious denominations, Buddhists possessed the most egalitarian gender beliefs while reporting the least usage of religious coping. Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians reported comparatively high levels of gender traditionalism and religious coping. Further studies on religious coping and gender role attitudes in South Asian communities are required.