Kids, You Make the Choice: Religious and Secular Socialization among Marginal Affiliates and Nonreligious Individuals

Abstract

What approaches do parents or those who plan to have children employ to socialize their children about religious or secular identification, beliefs, and practices? In what ways do primary and secondary socialization agents interact in this process? How might cultural narratives shape or be shaped by primary and secondary socialization activities? I address these questions by drawing on sixty interviews with two groups of Canadians – those who identify with a Christian group but limit attendance to religious holidays and rites of passage (marginal affiliates), and those who do not identify with any religion and never attend religious services (nonreligious individuals). I found that marginal affiliates did or planned to expose their children to religious belief and practice, while nonreligious individuals were inclined to defer to their children. However, marginal affiliates and nonreligious individuals jointly maintained that children should have choice in this matter. Parents did not or planned not to impose religious or secular views on children. Further, one’s upbringing informed parental socialization strategies and tactics that were largely informed by prevailing Canadian cultural narratives.