Religious Ecology Research Articles

The Religious Ecology of Deviance

The Religious Ecology of Deviance

Islam, modernization and crime: A test of the religious ecology thesis

Using a United Nations (United Nations, 1977) cross-national data set on offender and offense rates for a variety of crimes, this article qualifies recent research into religiosity by investigating the relationship between Islamic religion, economic development, and crime rates. Considerable research has demonstrated a positive correlation between economic development (often defined as modernization) and crime. Other research has suggested that religion is an impedence to crime, although the results are a little less clear. No previous studies have examined the relationship between the Islamic religion and crime. Results suggest that, when level of economic development is held constant, Islamic countries do not differ significantly in crime rates compared to nonIslamic countries.

Religion and Delinquency: the Ecology of a "Lost" Relationship

Confusion has developed in the literature over whether religious commitment decreases delinquent behavior. In this paper we show that conflicting findings stem from variations in the religious ecology of the communities studied. In communities where religious commitment is the norm, the more religious an individual, the less likely he or she will be delinquent. However, in highly secu larized communities, even the most devout teenagers are no less delinquent than the most irreligious. This is why the initial studies found no religious ef fects on delinquency. Each was based on highly secularized West Coast com munities, and the results generalize only to similar communities in that area. Elsewhere in the nation, studies have found strong religious effects on delin quency. Using a national sample of sixteen-year-old boys from eighty-seven high schools, we show there is a very substantial negative relationship between religious commitment and delinquency in the great majority of schools-those schools in which religious students are a majority. But the relationship vanishes in the most highly secularized West Coast schools. The theoretical implications of these marked ecological effects are assessed.

Himachal Tourism Simla Complex

Having created this wondrous Earth of exquisite sights and sounds, the Forces of Nature did never rest content, until they delivered a masterpiece in the HIMALAYA, made up of all the superlatives; the highest, the noblest and the best in content, form, dimension and diversity (in Human and nonhuman).The Phenomenon is more puzzling as it is amazing, offering challenges to sages, savants and scientists who have attempted to interpret and unfold Nature's design—called the Himalayan Mystique that tempts the religious and the mundane for an experience—the Hiamlayan Experience—so different and so exhilarating. The pilgrim seeks divinity in them, a poet-ecstacy; a scientist-laboratory, naturalist-sanctuary; an explorer-challenge and a tourist discovers an inexhaustible recreation-resource reservoir and yet the list would be inexhaustive until one chimes with authors of puranas. “In a hundred ages of the gods I could not tell thee of the glories of Himachal”.The Hindu sought the Himalaya most religiously and gave them the apotheosis, “abode of Gods” where men should fear to tread:—those who trode the Himalaya, followed the principle of religious ecology, encapsuled in the Hindu tirtha concept. Placement of Himalayan shrines in the sequestered remoter environment is born out of this holistic concept which would not be the same with the coming of mechanised roads. Still there would be places of exceptional solitude, serenity and silence, where one can walk with one's own shadow, if not the gods. These Himalayan virgin areas and Wildlands belong to posterity and need be protected from the lust of wanderers. Tourism is threading its way into the Himalaya in a big way: caution is needed.It began with Britishers, who for their climatic needs, set up centres of environmental change in the lesser Himalaya, the greater Himalaya was then threatened with distress. What was born in early history as an initiation of Himalayan pilgrimages, ended up into the tradition of ‘Summer Stations’ in mid-Nineteenth century. Resort boom of 20th century is the climax, leading to erosion of Himalayan Heritage of Nature and Culture. The one thing that is often overlooked or undermined is that both (the pilgrimage and British resorts) were unifunctional and mono-cultural in character and outlook. But with modern technology and leisure democratisation, these centres have suffered a change in their personality and functional character. Many of them have touched their carrying capacity and bemoan saturation, while a few of them have been hybridised to ignominy. Mixing of functions or services may be pardonable to urbanising Himalayan landscape but interfering with their culture or religious character is inexcusably blasphemous. If Hindu sages gave us in legacy dhamas, to adore Himalayan majesty, the Britishers left resorts to recreate and recuperate. We have no right to spoil the two—and Himalayan heritage, the least. The Himalaya as Nature's superlative phenomenon belongs to Mankind, should be jealously and zealously guarded so that we may invite visitors from every clime, country and continent and say that we offer you the most noble, consecrated and splendid piece of the Earth which you can carry along as an experience—a most unusual souvenir. Tourism planners and developers are enjoined with this enobling though formidable task of promoting holistic tourism.Tourism Recreation Research (TR) team made an on-the-spot survey of Himachal Tourism last October and studied Simla Tourism complex, covering a radius of 60 km with nucleus at the Capital: interviewed tourism executives, planners and promoters. Here is the first instalment of the report, the second shall appear in our Summer Issue, 1982, dealing with some Himalayan Wilderness and cultural heritage in this part of the Himalaya.