FAMILISM AND RELIGIOSITY AS PREDICTORS OF RESILIENCE AMONG MERANAOS

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which familism, its three dimensions namely, familial obligations, familial referent, and familial support, and religiosity influence the resilience of Meranaos. The research sample comprised 200 Meranao college students aged between 18 and 25 years who were drawn by simple random sampling from Mindanao State University. The familism subscale of Mexican American Cultural Values, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and Religiosity and Spirituality Scale for Youth were used to measure the variables of the study. Multiple regression was utilized to test the hypotheses of the study. Five hypotheses were formulated to determine if familism, familial support, familial obligations, familial referent, and religiosity significantly predict resilience among Meranaos. There were two models derived from the multiple regression analysis. In model 1, familial referent and religiosity emerged as significant predictors of resilience. In model 2 on the other hand, familism as a whole and religiosity are significant predictors of resilience. Findings from the study empirically established that familism and religiosity increased the likelihood of resilience. It is also inferred from the study that among the subdimensions of familism, familial referent has significant contribution to the resilience of the person. It is concluded then, that strong feelings of attachment, reciprocity, and devotion of individual family members to their family and the strong identification to the familial values, obligations, and responsibilities as well as the person’s beliefs and practices related to his religious affiliation or to God are significant factors of resilience, an individual’s capacity to bounce back from an extremely stressful adversity such as war.