Parent–child transmission of religious and secular values in Israel

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research uses Schwartz’s theory of values to examine intergenerational (parent-child) value transmission among Orthodox-religious and secular Jewish families in Israel. The study investigates the transmission of religious and secular values among 211 Jewish families with heterogeneous religious-secular (R-S) parental dyads in comparison to family groups that are homogeneously religious (R-R) or homogenously secular (S-S). Results illustrate significant differences between the groups with respect to religious values transmitted by parents and accepted by adult children. Parent–child agreement on religious values is high in (RF-SM) family groups and in homogeneous religious (R-R) family groups. In contrast, the religious mother-secular father (RM-SF) family groups and homogeneous secular (S-S) family groups have a low transmission of religious values. The study sheds light on parent–child agreement on religious values in various types of family groups.