scholarly journals Religious Involvement and Bridging Social Ties: The Role of Congregational Participation

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Merino
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Religious Service Attendance ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Congregational Participation ◽  
Service Attendance

Research indicates that religious communities are important sites for the development of social resources, including social capital. Several studies suggest that religious involvement beyond worship services is a meaningful predictor of civic engagement that may foster bridging social capital, or ties that bridge social groups and cross lines of status and identity. This article explores the relationship between religious involvement and bridging social ties. Using nationally representative survey data and a subsample of individuals who are affiliated with one particular congregation, the article examines how religious service attendance and congregational participation (beyond services) are associated with frequency of interaction with someone from one of nine different social groups that vary along dimensions of social status and identity. Congregational participation beyond services positively predicts contact with several of the groups. In contrast, service attendance is either negatively related or not at all significantly related to interaction with someone from each of these nine different social groups.

scholarly journals A ‘dark side’ of religion? - Associations between religious involvement, identity and domestic violence determinants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Priest ◽  
Marian Esler ◽  
Yusuf Ransome ◽  
David Williams ◽  
Ryan Perry
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Religious Identity ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
Faith Communities ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Religious Service Attendance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Service Attendance

This study investigates associations between religious involvement and identity and determinants of domestic violence using nationally representative cross-sectional data from n=1287 Australian adults in the 2018 Australian Survey of Social Attitudes (AuSSA). Linear regression models were used to analyse the association of religious involvement (frequency of service attendance and prayer) and identity (religious, spiritual, or both) with determinants of domestic violence (patriarchal beliefs, failure to acknowledge domestic violence as an issue, and trust in faith leaders’ responses to domestic violence). Results showed that religious service attendance, frequency of prayer, and spiritual/religious identity were associated with more patriarchal beliefs about gender roles. There was no evidence that religious involvement or identity were associated with failure to acknowledge domestic violence as a national issue. In contrast, frequent (but not infrequent) religious involvement and religious identity were associated with failure to acknowledge domestic violence in participants’ own faith communities. Addressing patriarchal beliefs and acknowledgement of domestic violence within faith communities among those who regularly attend services, pray and identify as religious, are key targets for action to address domestic violence and improve population health.

scholarly journals Christian Nationalism and Views of Immigrants in the United States: Is the Relationship Stronger for the Religiously Inactive?

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237802312098511
Author(s):  
Samuel Stroope ◽  
Heather M. Rackin ◽  
Paul Froese
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Religious Nationalism ◽  
Religious Service ◽  
Religious Service Attendance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Christian Nationalism ◽  
Service Attendance

Previous research has shown that Christian nationalism is linked to nativism and immigrant animus, while religious service attendance is associated with pro-immigrant views. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between religious ideologies and practices when considering how religion affects politics. Using a national sample of U.S. adults, we analyze immigrant views by measuring levels of agreement or disagreement that undocumented immigrants from Mexico are “mostly dangerous criminals.” We find that Christian nationalism is inversely related to pro-immigrant views for both the religiously active and inactive. However, strongly pro-immigrant views are less likely and anti-immigrant views are more likely among strong Christian nationalists who are religiously inactive compared with strong Christian nationalists who are religiously active. These results illustrate how religious nationalism can weaken tolerance and heighten intolerance most noticeably when untethered from religious communities.

scholarly journals Religion, Social Connectedness, and Xenophobic Responses to Ebola

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxie Chuang ◽  
Kimin Eom ◽  
Heejung S. Kim
Keyword(s):  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Physical Threat ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Role Of Religion ◽  
Moderating Role ◽  
The U.S

This study examined the role of religion in xenophobic responses to the threat of Ebola. Religious communities often offer members strong social ties and social support, which may help members cope with psychological and physical threat, including global threats like Ebola. Our analysis of a nationally representative sample in the U.S. (N = 1,000) found that overall, the more vulnerable to Ebola people felt, the more they exhibited xenophobic responses, but this relationship was moderated by importance of religion. Those who perceived religion as more important in their lives exhibited weaker xenophobic reactions than those who perceived religion as less important. Furthermore, social connectedness measured by collectivism explained the moderating role of religion, suggesting that higher collectivism associated with religion served as a psychological buffer. Religious people showed attenuated threat responses because they had a stronger social system that may offer resources for its members to cope with psychological and physical threats. The current research highlights that different cultural groups react to increased threats in divergent ways.

Religion and Health

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler J. VanderWeele
Keyword(s):  
Research Literature ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Religious Service ◽  
Religious Service Attendance ◽  
Religion And Health ◽  
Present Survey ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Service Attendance

This review is concerned with the relationships between religion and health. Its principal purpose is to provide an overview of the empirical research literature on this relationship, relating different forms of religious participation, especially religious service attendance, to various health outcomes. However, it also briefly considers theological and religious traditions and themes concerning health, healing, and wholeness. It further reviews interventions related to religious communities that promote health, considers relations between the empirical literature on religion and health and the theological/religious traditions, and discusses where there is convergence, where there is tension, and where various open questions for further reflection and research remain. It concludes with a number of summary propositions attempting to capture the major themes of the present survey.

scholarly journals The impact of religious attendance on trust, volunteering, and cooperation: A cross-lagged panel analysis with individual fixed-effects

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozan Aksoy ◽  
Dingeman Wiertz
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
Religious Attendance ◽  
Religious Service ◽  
Religious Service Attendance ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Service Attendance

Does religious involvement make people more trusting, prosocial, and cooperative? In view of conflicting theories and mixed prior evidence, we subject this question to a stringent test using large-scale, representative panel data from the British Household Panel Survey (1991-2009, N ≈ 26,000) and the UK Household Longitudinal Study (2009-2019, N ≈ 77,000). We employ cross-lagged panel models with individual fixed effects to account for time-invariant confounders and reverse causality as two issues that have haunted earlier research. We find that religious involvement, measured by frequency of religious service attendance, on average has a positive impact on generalized trust, volunteering, and cooperation. Compared with religious attendance, other indicators of religious involvement, such as subjective importance of religion or whether one is religiously affiliated, have weaker effects on trust, volunteering, and cooperation. We also document substantial variation across religious traditions: the effects of religious attendance are strongest for Anglicans and other Protestants, but weaker and mostly statistically insignificant for Catholics, Hindus, and the nonreligious, while for Muslims we observe a negative effect of religious attendance on cooperation. Our findings are robust to the inclusion of potential confounders and a range of alternative model set-ups. Our study thus shows that religious involvement can indeed foster prosocial behaviours and attitudes, although this effect is in the current study context mostly restricted to religious service attendance and majority religions.

scholarly journals Religious Service Attendance, Educational Attainment, and Hypertension at Baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 452-457
Author(s):  
Ana C Varella ◽  
Isabela M Benseñor ◽  
Maria J M Fonseca ◽  
Rosane H Griep ◽  
Alexandre C Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Religious Involvement ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Religious Service ◽  
Religious Service Attendance ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Religious Services ◽  
Service Attendance

Abstract Background Some religious dimensions have been associated with different health-related outcomes over many years. Attending religious services is one of these dimensions that were associated with hypertension, with inconsistent results. And religious involvement seems to be closely influenced by sociodemographic factors, such as education. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between religious service attendance and hypertension according to levels of education. Methods We analyzed baseline data of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Frequency of religious service attendance and presence of hypertension were assessed in all 15,105 participants at baseline. The analyses were stratified by two levels of education (less than high school and high school or more). Logistic regression models were used to obtain the association between religious service attendance and hypertension in both groups. Results For those with high school or more, attending religious services was positively associated with hypertension (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.28). In contrast, for those with less than high school, attending services was inversely associated with presence of hypertension (adjusted OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.55–0.96). Conclusions There seems to be a paradox in the association of religious service attendance and hypertension depending on the level of education.

scholarly journals Social Capital and Citizens’ Attitudes towards Migrant Workers

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdoulaye Diop ◽  
Yaojun Li ◽  
Majed Mohammmed H. A. Al-Ansari ◽  
Kien T. Le
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Demographic Attributes ◽  
Citizens Attitudes

This study examines Qatari citizens’ attitudes toward migrant workers. While much research has been conducted on citizens’ attitudes toward the abolition, tightening, or loosening of the Kafāla system in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with regard to migrant workers’ residency rights, and on their contribution to the economic development of these countries, little is known about how citizens’ religiosity and social engagement impact their acceptance of migrant workers. In the present study, we address this question by examining the effects of religious and social capital on Qatari citizens’ preferences for having Arab and Western migrant workers as neighbours, drawing on data from two nationally representative surveys in Qatar. The results indicate that, even after controlling for a wide range of socio-demographic attributes, social capital in terms of trust and bridging social ties has a strong effect on the Qatari nationals’ preferences.

scholarly journals On the justification of use of the term "social capital"

2013 ◽  
pp. 595-608
Author(s):  
Natasa Golubovic ◽  
Srdjan Golubovic
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
Economic Dimension

Social relationships which are at the base of social capital enable access to different resources. As a set of resources available through social relationships, social capital is in fact social and political phenomenon; resultant, in the sociological science, from institutions and activities of social groups. At the same time, social capital has its economic dimension reflected in the additional productivity which results from the synergy of social relationships. However, there are disputes among authors about whether we could those aspects of social structures which are usually labelled as social capital really regard as a form of capital. The aim of this paper is to investigate justification of use of the term ?social capital? to indicate resources available through social ties, which could enhance welfare of individuals and of the entitire society.

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