Determinants Of Participation Research Articles

Regional Variations in the Determinants of Religious Participation

This paper examines the hypothesis that the determinants of religious participation vary by region in the United States. The study builds upon social learning theory, by evaluating the effect or regional differences in the cultural settings within which religious socialization occurs. The analysis compares regional samples of white Catholics and Protestants taken from the seven General Social Surveys conducted between 1974 and 1982. A multiple regression model is constructed for each regional sample to explain patterns of church attendance. The models contain ten independent variables in five categories: religiosity, socioeconomic status, demographic characteristics, local orientation and value structure. The findings indicate that regional variations in the determinants ofparticipation are substantial; for both Protestants and Catholics, the influence of most variables differs significantly among the regional samples. The results suggest that the regional cultural context of participation deserves closer attention than it has received.