Level Of Religious Affiliation Research Articles

The impact of religious affiliation on college students’ 12-step model preferences

ABSTRACT Previous research has suggested that younger generations are reporting lower levels of religious affiliation and are more likely to drop out of traditional 12-step recovery programmes such as Alcoholics Anonymous than previous generations. The present study examined whether 110 millennial- and Generation Z-aged, college-students who were assessed for religiosity and substance use patterns preferred the language used in the traditional 12-step model vs. an alternative version of the model that was designed to emphasise personal empowerment over a higher power. Participants who identified as religious displayed a stronger preference for the wording of the traditional 12-step model when compared to the alternative 12-step model, however, all groups preferred the wording of the alternative 12-step model compared to the traditional 12-step wording. These findings suggest that millennial- and Generation Z-aged individuals may have a preference for language and treatment approaches that are less focused on faith and more focused on self-empowerment.

CHILD INJURY MORTALITY, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, NATIONALITY AND RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION

BackgroundResearch has consistently shown that low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with an increased risk of child injury mortality (CIM). However, other social factors may influence CIM as well. In...

Ethnic and sub-ethnic attachments among Chinese, Korean, and Indian immigrants in New York City

This article compares ethnic and sub-ethnic attachments in Chinese, Indian, and Korean immigrants in New York City, based on results of a survey. Indian respondents, with much higher levels of education and fluency in English, show a lower level of cultural ethnic attachment than the other two groups. The Chinese show the lowest level of formal ethnic affiliation, mainly due to their much lower level of religious affiliation. All three groups show extremely high levels of informal ethnic networks. However, Chinese and Indian respondents largely limit their close friendships to their sub-ethnic group, based on national origin, religion, regional origin and/or language, while Korean respondents, characterized by group homogeneity, tend to maintain close friendships with all other Koreans. Much larger proportions of Chinese and Indian respondents than Koreans choose the sub-ethnic identity label and they show much lower levels of loyalty to their homeland than Korean respondents.

The Secularization of Spanish Society: Change in Religious Practice

This paper offers an empirical analysis of one of the fundamental dimensions of religious change in Spain in recent years: religious practice. The specification of the secularization thesis foresees, in the case of societies with widespread religious homogeneity and with a high level of interdependence between Church and State, and in particular for Catholic societies such as Spain, a relevant drop in the levels of religious affiliation and practice as social, economic, cultural, and political modernization processes advance. Empirical evidence and analysis are provided in order to show the weight of different variables on religious change and the robustness of the secularization process of Spaniards' religiosity.

Is Northern Ireland Abnormal?

This article places Northern Ireland within the unfolding sociological debate on religion in modern Britain. It measures secularization along Casanova’s three dimensions (1994): religious differentiation, decline and privatization. It finds that Northern Ireland has, in common with Britain, high levels of religious differentiation, grey areas of religious belief and little convinced secularism. However, Northern Ireland differs in that it has higher levels of religious affiliation and practice, and religion plays more roles in civil society than it does in other parts of Britain. The article explores the role of conflict in forming these religious trends, asking if they represent a persistence of the sacred, or simply mask deeper ethnic divisions. It concludes that the social dimensions of religion are just as important as the supernatural, and that they often inform each other. Finally, it suggests that the dynamics of religious change are comparable across regions and, as such, Northern Ireland might be a useful case study for British policy makers, particularly as it becomes increasingly multicultural and religiously plural.

The Influence of Community Characteristics on the Practice of Effective Contraception

An analysis combining individual-level data from the National Survey of Family Growth with aggregate-level information provides evidence that the characteristics of communities influence the contraceptive decisions of currently married white women in the United States. The analysis examined the relationship between the average effectiveness level of the contraceptive methods that a woman used over a three-and-a-half-year period and community characteristics such as employment opportunities, the availability of contraceptive and abortion information and services, and the level of religious adherence in communities. Community characteristics associated with higher levels of contraceptive effectiveness were rapid population growth, high rates of unemployment, elevated levels of religious affiliation, high socioeconomic status, and ready access to family planning information and services. Community liberality was negatively associated with effective contraceptive use. The results support arguments that various community characteristics affect a woman's contraceptive choices by increasing or decreasing the costs of an unintended pregnancy.

Population psychology: A new look at an old problem.

On the basis of a theoretical model developed by Fishbein it was predicted that an individuals intention to engage in a specific family planning behavior is a function of 2 components: ones beliefs regarding the consequences of performing that behavior multiplied by the evaluation of those consequences; and ones normative beliefs multiplied by ones motivation to comply with those perceived notions. The study subjects consisted of a stratified random sample of 270 women residing in Urbana-Champaign Illinois. These currently married white women ranging in age from 18-38 years were stratified in terms of 3 levels of socioeconomic status (SES) and 2 levels of religious affiliation (Catholic and Protestant). Subjects were administered a questionnaire assessing the models components for 3 family planning behaviors--having a 2 child family having a child during the next 2 years and using oral contraceptives. For the total sample the model provided highly accurate prediction of family planning intentions. The high multiple correlations of the models components with behavioral intention (BI) observed within each of the major subsamples indicated that for the prediction of family planning intentions the model is most likely generalizable to the majority of the American population. The models predictability was unaffected by such factors as SES level of education or religion. As predicted by Fishbeins model there was evidence that an individuals attitude toward performing each of the 3 behaviors was highly correlated with the beliefs about the consequences of performing the behavior and the evaluations of these consequences. The superiority of specific attitude measures in predicting BI was demonstrated in the data. In sum the investigation indicated that fertility-related intentions may be understood in terms of the theoretical model of BI.