Religion and Community among the Elderly: The Relationship between the Religious and Secular Characteristics of Their Social Networks

Abstract

Research on religious commitment, social networks, and on disengagement/role continuity among the elderly has overlooked the potential connections between commitment and the structure of the elderly s social networks. This paper examines the interrelationship between the network characteristics and church attendance of the elderly, focusing particularly on the relationships among indicators of the religious and secular (community) aspects of those networks. Using a sample of 424 free-living elderly, the composition of intimate networks is examined. A series of "religious factor" hypotheses are tested, demonstrating that the religious factor components of social networks also predict other dimensions of networks. Similarly, "community factor" hypotheses are tested, demonstrating that social network elements such as their diversity affect their religious composition. :M . odernization promises to bring the disestablishment of religion, the decline of community, and the disengagement of the elderly from community life. These disruptions are said to result from the same set of causes. Forces of secularization, social mobility, and the decline of the family represent the stated causes of religious disestablishment while individualism, social mobility, and social disruption led by family dissolution have contributed to community decline and increased isolation of the elderly. Despite their similarity, observers rarely join the discussion of these reported declines in social life. Furthermore, while there exists some evidence that validates fears over the loss of community and religion and the disengagement of the elderly, researchers continue to find indications of high levels of community attachment, strong religious commitment, and social involvement by the elderly. Despite these findings, the possible kinship between robust religious institutions and strong communities in which they may be embedded tends to be overlooked (for exceptions see Ploch 1990; Hammond 1992; Ellison and George 1994; and Ammerman 1997). Similarly, the possibility that religion and community are mutually supportive is ignored. Few have asked whether increased involvement in religion tends to increase involvement in the community and whether a decline in community involvement reduces religious commitment. Finally, only a few researchers such as Cutler (Cutler and Danigelis 1993; Cutler 1976) have entertained the notion that role continuity and role