Religious Group Identification Research Articles

Integration of Social Identities in Interreligious-Group Relations

In the context of interreligious group relations, grassroots society tends to demonstrate adaptation strategies to promote harmonious social living. Based on the social identity perspective, such conditions encompass the dynamic process in which diverse religious group identities are endorsed within a coherent superordinate identity. This study explores the dynamics of integration as a strategy to maintain religious harmony. A qualitative case study was conducted in a rural community with diverse religious groups in Central Java. Data were gathered through participative observations, semi-structured interviews, casual conversations, and document analysis. We employed an abductive strategy to analyze the rich empirical materials gathered. The findings reveal the integrative construction of a common ingroup identity, that embraces the essence of unity in diversity. As a strong common ingroup identity indicates, it requires the development of a transcendent identity at the subgroup level. This process encourages a positive orientation towards others to preserve equality among groups. Of utmost importance, this integration most likely plays a pivotal role in addressing both social harmony and social tension. This study highlights that the strategy of integration is explained through the formation of an inclusive common ingroup identity, that illustrates the node of bonding and bridging for existing religious groups to live together.

Believing in science: Linking religious beliefs and identity with vaccination intentions and trust in science during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite evidence supporting numerous scientific issues (e.g. climate change, vaccinations) many people still doubt the legitimacy of science. Moreover, individuals may be prone to scepticism about scientific findings that misalign with their ideological beliefs and identities. This research investigated whether trust in science (as well as government and media) and COVID-19 vaccination intentions varied as a function of (non)religious group identity, religiosity, religion-science compatibility beliefs, and/or political orientation in two online studies (N = 565) with university students and a Canadian community sample between January and June 2021. In both studies, vaccination intentions and trust in science varied as a function of (non)religious group identity and beliefs. Vaccine hesitancy was further linked to religiosity through a lack of trust in science. Given the ideological divides that the pandemic has exacerbated, this research has implications for informing public health strategies for relaying scientific findings to the public and encouraging vaccine uptake in culturally appropriate ways.

How does ingroup identification predict forgiveness in post-conflict societies? The role of conflict narratives.

People's religious identity is often the central identity in many ethnopolitical conflicts. These identities in conflict contexts may be associated with how people see conflict and their willingness to forgive the outgroup members for their wrongdoings in the past. Study 1 (N=287) tested how religious group identification in the Northern Irish context predicted forgiveness through the endorsement of dominant conflict narratives (i.e., terrorism and independence narratives) among Protestants and Catholics. We also tested how group membership may moderate these relationships. The results showed that among Protestants, higher Protestant identification predicted less forgiveness through higher endorsement of the terrorism narrative and less endorsement of the independence narrative. Among Catholics, on the other hand, higher Catholic identification predicted stronger endorsement of the independence narrative, and in turn, less forgiveness. Study 2 (N=526) aimed to replicate the findings of Study 1 with a larger sample and extend them by testing the role of an alternative conflict narrative (i.e., the Northern Irish identity narrative). The results were largely replicated for the independence and terrorism narratives, and the Northern Irish identity narrative was associated with higher forgiveness across both groups. We discuss the results in terms of how ingroup identities and conflict narratives can become both facilitators of and barriers to peacebuilding in post-conflict societies.

You can't reason with them: Dismissing religious defectors as irrational

Millions of people leave their religion every year. Such defection often results in religious persecution, ostracism, and heightened intergroup conflict. Yet little is known about the underlying perceptions of religious defectors and what intergroup processes predict hostility toward them. In two pre‐registered studies (N = 512), we investigated how religious group members' thoughts and feelings about defectors may lead to ostracism and a lack of dialogue. In both studies, group members rated defectors as unlikeable and irrational. Further, the strength of group members' religious group identification (but not religious belief conviction) predicted dislike and unwillingness to relate wisely with defectors (Study 2). Implications for intergroup research and improving the experience of religious defectors are discussed.

Religious Group Identities in Genocide: Social Identity Theory as a Tool for Disentangling Law and Religion

ABSTRACT Everyone has multiple intersecting identities and belongs to several groups. In cases of genocide, how do courts deal with intersecting identities? Are they relevant for the identification of the victims? This paper argues that social identity theory may assist in the legal interpretation of the ‘religious group’ of the law of genocide where individuals are targeted for their – perceived or real –membership of a competing religious group. According to the theory, personal (religious) identity is based on membership in significant social categories that lead to ‘us versus them’ dichotomies, favouring the in-group over the out-group. Identity competition plays a central role in the inception and escalation of intergroup conflicts, including those that occur along religious fault lines. Genocide is a type of intergroup conflict but is not usually framed as such by international criminal lawyers. This paper discusses social identity theory, intergroup conflict, religion, and the case law on genocide. In exploring the relevance of social identity theory for the law of genocide, it argues that the current jurisprudential approach of blending group membership criteria, based on the ‘four corners’ approach, is flawed. The cases of Rwanda, the Former Yugoslavia, Cambodia, India, and Myanmar exemplify the relevance of the theory.

They’re (not) playing our song: (Ir)religious identity moderates the effects of listening to religious music on memory, self‐esteem, and mood

AbstractPrevious research suggests that listening to music can enhance memory and well‐being. However, what is often missing from this analysis is consideration of the social dimensions of music—for example, its capacity to affirm or threaten listeners’ social identities. This study examined whether (ir)religious music that was potentially identity‐affirming or identity‐threatening (Christian hymns, Buddhist chants, classical, or no music) would affect Christians’ and Atheists’ (N = 267) well‐being and memory performance while listening. Analyses revealed significant interactions between (ir)religious group and music type on memory, self‐esteem, and mood. Listening to music that potentially threatened one's religious identity appeared to undermine both performance self‐esteem and actual memory performance, while increasing feelings of hostility. This pattern was found for Christians (vs. Atheists) who listened to Buddhist chants. Conversely, Atheists’ performance self‐esteem (and to some degree their memory performance) was lowest, and their hostility highest, when they listened to Christian hymns. In this way, listening to music that potentially threatened one's religious group identity (or lack thereof) appeared to be detrimental for memory, self‐esteem, and mood. These results bridge research on the psychology of religion, music psychology, and social identity theorizing by demonstrating that the effects of music on memory and well‐being may reflect important (even sacred) social identities, with potential implications for individual well‐being and intergroup relations.

Religion, parochialism and intuitive cooperation.

Religions promote cooperation, but they can also be divisive. Is religious cooperation intuitively parochial against atheists? Evidence supporting the social heuristics hypothesis (SHH) suggests that cooperation is intuitive, independent of religious group identity. We tested this prediction in a one-shot prisoner's dilemma game, where 1,280 practising Christian believers were paired with either a coreligionist or an atheist and where time limits were used to increase reliance on either intuitive or deliberated decisions. We explored another dual-process account of cooperation, the self-control account (SCA), which suggests that visceral reactions tend to be selfish and that cooperation requires deliberation. We found evidence for religious parochialism but no support for SHH's prediction of intuitive cooperation. Consistent with SCA but requiring confirmation in future studies, exploratory analyses showed that religious parochialism involves decision conflict and concern for strong reciprocity and that deliberation promotes cooperation independent of religious group identity. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The Stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 28 January 2020. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12086781.v1 .

How positive and negative contact experiences relate to identification and acculturation of persons with a migration background: Differentiating between majority, minority, and religious group identity

AbstractBadea, Jetten, Iyer, and Er‐Rafiy proposed a model that specifies immigrants’ experienced rejection by majority and minority groups and social identification with these groups as predictors of their acculturation attitudes. The present research tested an extended version of this model by assessing (i) both positive and negative contact experiences with majority and minority groups, (ii) social identification with these groups and religious groups, and (iii) acculturation attitudes. We surveyed individuals with Greek (N = 186) and Turkish (N = 138) migration background living in Germany. The proposed model yielded a good fit with the empirical data and showed that positive and negative contact with majority and minority groups predicted minority members’ acculturation attitudes, mediated via identification with the majority, minority, and religious group. Our findings support the extended model and contribute to a broader understanding of contact–identification–acculturation links in the context of migration.

Christian America in Black and White: Racial Identity, Religious-National Group Boundaries, and Explanations for Racial Inequality

Abstract Recent research suggests that, for white Americans, conflating national and religious group identities is strongly associated with racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, prompting some to argue that claims about Christianity being central to American identity are essentially about reinforcing white supremacy. Prior work has not considered, however, whether such beliefs may influence the racial views of nonwhite Americans differently from white Americans. Drawing on a representative sample of black and white Americans from the 2014 General Social Survey, and focusing on explanations for racial inequality as the outcome, we show that, contrary to white Americans, black Americans who view being a Christian as essential to being an American are actually more likely to attribute black–white inequality to structural issues and less to blacks’ individual shortcomings. Our findings suggest that, for black Americans, connecting being American to being Christian does not necessarily bolster white supremacy, but may instead evoke and sustain ideals of racial justice.

Living under threat: Mutual threat perception drives anti‐Muslim and anti‐Western hostility in the age of terrorism

AbstractThis research demonstrates a common psychology of outgroup hostility driven by perceived intergroup threat among three groups and seven cultural contexts: non‐Muslim Westerners, Muslims in Western societies, and Muslims in the Middle East. In Study 1, symbolic, but not realistic and terroristic threats, predicted non‐Muslim Norwegians' intentions to join anti‐Islamic movements. In Study 2, symbolic and realistic, but not terroristic threat, predicted non‐Muslim Americans' willingness to persecute Muslims. In Studies 3 and 4, symbolic threat predicted support and behavioral intentions against the West among Swedish and Turkish Muslims. Finally, in Study 5, a comparison demonstrated that symbolic and realistic threats had the same effects on violent intentions among non‐Muslim and Muslim Danes, and Muslims in Afghanistan. Meta‐analysis showed that symbolic threat was most strongly associated with intergroup hostility. Across studies, participants with high religious group identification experienced higher levels of threat. Implications for intergroup research and prejudice reduction are discussed.

Feelings toward refugees and non‐Muslims in Turkey: The roles of national and religious identifications, and multiculturalism

AbstractThe current study, conducted in Turkey, examined feelings toward Muslim refugees among Turkish participants (n = 605) in comparison to feelings toward established non‐Muslim national minority groups. Using the social identity perspective, these feelings were examined in relation to national and religious group identifications, and the endorsement of multicultural beliefs. The feelings toward both refugees and minority communities were similarly negative, yet the processes behind these feelings were somewhat different. While stronger national identification was associated with more negative feelings toward Muslim refugees, stronger religious group identification was associated with more negative feelings toward non‐Muslim minority communities. Further, higher endorsement of multiculturalism was associated with less negative feelings toward both refugees and minority communities, but only for relatively low national identifiers.

Islamic Headcovering and Political Engagement: The Power of Social Networks

AbstractThis article explores the relationship between headcovering and women's political participation through an original online survey of 1,917 Muslim-American women. As a visible marker of religious group identity, wearing the headscarf can orient the integration of Muslim women into the American political system via its impact on the openness of their associational life. Our survey respondents who cover are more likely to form insular, strong ties with predominantly Muslim friend networks, which decreased their likelihood of voting and affiliating with a political party. Interestingly, frequency of mosque attendance across both covered and uncovered respondents is associated with a higher probability of political participation, an effect noted in other religious institutions in the United States. Yet, mosque attendance can simultaneously decrease the political engagement of congregants if they are steered into exclusively religious friend groups. This discovery reveals a tension within American Muslim religious life and elaborates on the role of religious institutions vs. social networks in politically mobilizing Muslim-Americans.

Faith bias or religious expression: the real religious diversity challenge?

In light of mixed results surrounding religion’s influence on work-related outcomes, we explore theoretical and design alternatives in an effort to better understand and explain outcomes surrounding religious diversity. We integrate theory on social norms into the religious diversity literature in an effort to explain previous mixed findings and negative reactions toward religious group identity members in a work context. Using an experimental design that allows for the distinct treatment of workplace religious expression and religious identity, our results suggest that negative reactions are exhibited toward both in-group religious identities (i.e., Christians) and out-group religious identities (i.e., Muslims) when individuals are described as engaging in workplace religious expression. We identify perceived inappropriateness of workplace religious expression as a significant mechanism through which negative reactions toward workplace religious expressions emerge. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Competing Claims: Religious Affiliation and African Americans’ Intolerance of Homosexuals

ABSTRACTLiterature on religion and political intolerance indicates competing expectations about how Black Protestant church affiliation affects African Americans’ attitudes about civil liberties. On the one hand, Black Protestant theology emphasizes personal freedom and social justice, factors generally linked to more tolerant attitudes. On the other hand, Black Protestants tend to be conservative on family and social issues, factors often linked to intolerance of gays and lesbians. Data from the General Social Survey are used to examine the influence of religious group identification, as well as other relevant aspects of religiosity, on political intolerance among African Americans. Results indicate that although other aspects of religion (beliefs and behaviors) help explain variation in political intolerance, Black Protestant church affiliation has no relationship with attitudes about the civil liberties of homosexuals. However, additional tests show that Black Protestant church affiliation significantly predicts intolerance of other target groups (atheists and racists).

Supporting the democratic political organisation of Muslim immigrants: the perspective of Muslims in the Netherlands and Germany

ABSTRACTUsing data from three survey studies, this paper examines the support for the democratic political organisation of Muslims among Muslim immigrants in the Netherlands (Studies 1, 2, and 3) and Germany (Study 3). Using a social psychological perspective, support is examined in relation to religious group identification, Muslim linked fate, perceived discrimination, fundamentalist religious belief, and host national identification. The findings in all three studies show support for the political organisation of Muslims. Furthermore, higher religious group identification and higher linked fate were associated with stronger support. More discrimination and more fundamentalist beliefs were also associated with stronger support, and part of these associations was mediated by linked fate. National identification was not associated with support for the political organisation of Muslims.

Inter-religious feelings of Sunni and Alevi Muslim minorities: The role of religious commitment and host national identification

This paper examines inter-religious attitudes from the perspective of Muslim minorities living in Western Europe. We examine both Sunni and Alevi Muslims of Turkish origin living in Germany and the Netherlands, and focus on their global feelings towards multiple religious out-groups (Christians, Jews, Muslim out-group, and non-believers). We hypothesize that Sunnis would dislike religious out-groups more than Alevis, and that these group differences in religious out-group feelings can be explained by group differences in host national identification and the three B’s of religious commitment: belonging (religious identification), behaviour (religious practices), and belief (liberal values). Sunnis were found to be rather negative towards Alevis, and Alevis were even more negative towards Sunnis. Furthermore, as expected, Alevis had more positive feelings towards Christians, Jews and non-believers, and this was related to their stronger host national identification, lower religious group identification, lower involvement in religious practices, and stronger endorsement of liberal values. We conclude by pointing at the need to distinguish between subgroups of Muslims instead of treating them as a uniform collective.

Predicting religious ethnocentrism: Evidence for a partial mediation model.

This study extended the current understanding of religious ethnocentrism by testing a theoretically and empirically based model in which personality (i.e., right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation) and religious identity (i.e., Christian orthodoxy, religious group identification) variables were related to religious ethnocentrism, and some of those relations were mediated through religious fundamentalism. Path analysis results based on a sample of 156 college students revealed support for most of the hypothesized relations. More specifically, social dominance orientation and religious fundamentalism had direct positive relations with religious ethnocentrism; Christian orthodoxy and religious group identification had indirect (via religious fundamentalism) positive relations with religious ethnocentrism, and right-wing authoritarianism had both direct and indirect (via religious fundamentalism) positive relations with religious ethnocentrism. Contrary to our hypothesis, the direct positive relation of Christian orthodoxy to religious ethnocentrism was nonsignificant. Implications of the findings and directions for future research on religious ethnocentrism are discussed.

Ascription and identity. Differences between first- and second-generation Moroccans in the way ascription influences religious, national and ethnic group identification

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we investigate the impact of ascription on the process of identity formation of first- and second-generation Moroccans in Western Europe. We look at the general discursive context and levels of perceived acceptance amongst Moroccan migrants, and see how these factors influence three relevant dimensions of identifications. We distinguish between ethnic group identity, religious identity and national identity, and use recently collected data on first- and second-generation Moroccans in five European countries (EURISLAM 2011. Integrated report on survey analysis. Brussels: ULB). Our analysis shows that our measures of identity are correlated to elements of ascription. The second generation appears less affected by elements of ascription. Particularly in identifying with the country of settlement, second-generation Moroccans appear more impervious to external influences than the first generation.

Minority faith schools as claims for cultural recognition? Two examples from England

This paper presents two cases of minority faith school claim-making in England and considers what supporters of the claims say about their hopes and intentions for the schools. The paper redresses a gap in the literature on minority faith school claims and on minority claim-making more generally, which has tended to present minority claims as expressions of specific religious group identities, whilst it has had little to say about what motivates individual claimants to mobilise in the name of such identities. From an in-depth study of individual positions in favour of the two faith schools, it is concluded that depicting these claims as primarily claims for identity recognition fails to attend to the multilayered ways in which these claimants discuss their orientations to the claims and the root causes they identify for making them.

Forgiveness of in-group offenders in Christian congregations.

Religious communities, as other communities, are ripe for interpersonal offenses. We examined the degree to which group identification predicted forgiveness of an in-group offender. We examined the effects of a victim’s perception of his or her religious group identification as a state-specific personal variable on forgiveness by integrating social identity theory into a model of relational spirituality (Davis, Hook, & Worthington, 2008) to help explain victim’s responses to transgressions within a religious context. Data were collected from members of Christian congregations from the Midwest region of the United States (Study 1, N 63), and college students belonging to Christian congregations (Study 2, N 376). Regression analyses demonstrated that even after statistically controlling for many religious and transgression-related variables, group identification with a congregation still predicted variance in revenge and benevolence toward an in-group offender after a transgression. In addition, mediation analyses suggest group identification as one mechanism through which trait forgivingness relates to forgiveness of specific offenses. We discuss the importance of group identity in forgiving other in-group members in a religious community.