Social Context in the Development of Adolescent Religiosity

Abstract

Students of religious development in youth tend to focus on characteristics of the child or adolescent and perhaps those of their parents. Although often reflecting standard disciplinary practices, this approach is also often the result of data limitations. This study used longitudinal data from adolescents, parents, friends, schools, and communities to examine the role of social and religious context on the development of public and subjective religiosity in adolescents. Employing data from 2 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we found that parents and friends strongly influenced the religious service attendance habits of adolescents and that these, as well as school context, shaped how important religion is in adolescents' lives. County-level influences appeared minimal. The results affirmed an ecological approach to the study of religious development in youth, one that considers the multiple social contexts in which youth live.