Religious Heterogamy and the Intergenerational Transmission of Religion in China

Research has long established that parents who do not share the same religious tradition produce less religious children than parents who do. Therefore, religious heterogamy and its negative effects on religious socialization have been associated with the generational decline of religion in Western societies. How about China, where religion has been resurging in the last few decades? Existing studies suggest two opposing possibilities: the restrictive national context may diminish parental impact on religious socialization, or the family influence withstands contextual pressures. Using the 2007 Spiritual Life Survey of Chinese Residents and logistic regression models, we examine patterns of association between having one or two religious parents during childhood and current religious affiliation, beliefs, behavior, and salience of respondents in China. Analyses reveal that despite China’s atheist education system and strict religion policies, having at least one religiously affiliated parent is associated with increased religiosity compared to having two nonreligious parents. As the number of interreligious marriages rises in Chinese society, religious heterogamy contributes to the growth of religion among younger generations. Whereas religious heterogamy in the West has a secularizing effect on the next generation and contributes to religion’s decline, religious heterogamy in secular nations such as China has a religionizing effect and contributes to religion’s rise.

Gender Differences in Parental Impact on Problematic Smartphone Use among Korean Adolescents

This study aimed to examine the effective parental impact in preventing problematic smartphone use in adolescents by identifying the parent-related factors. A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from a Korean national survey was conducted. Data from 2758 male and 2419 female adolescents, aged 10 to 19 years, were analyzed; the respondents were divided into normal and risk groups based on their standardized smartphone addiction diagnostic scale scores. Parent-related factors of smartphone addiction were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Among both male and female adolescents, mobile messenger usage, and family environment emerged as significant predictors of problematic smartphone use. In addition, for male adolescents, smartphone use frequency and parent’s awareness of content use were significant predictors. The findings indicated the importance of parental roles in preventing problematic smartphone use in adolescents. Parents should create a healthy family environment by avoiding smartphone overuse and modeling the appropriate usage of smartphones.

Factors Associated with Mindful Food Parenting Practices

Background and Purpose: The prevalence of childhood obesity remains a concern in the United States and puts children at risk for poor health. As parents are the primary caretakers of their children, the practice of mindful food parenting may help parents moderate their child’s food consumption and food choices. The purpose of this research was to identify the factors associated with mindful food parenting practices among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white parents in two low-income schools in rural northern California. Methods: Two hundred ninety three parents of 3rd through 5th grade elementary school children completed a four part mindful food parenting practices survey developed to measure the factors associated with mindful food parenting practices. Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed four mindful food parenting practices domains which were positively associated with several mindful food parenting practices such as eating family meals together and present-centered awareness (p=0.001) and cooking meals at home and hungerfullness awareness (p=0.001). Several demographic variables were associated with the mindful food parenting practices. Conclusions: As parents are more mindful and attentive to their child’s eating behaviors, there is a greater potential for a positive parental impact on their child’s food intake and types of foods consumed, and indirectly, the health of their child.

Teacher Diversity and the Right to Adaptable Education in the Religiously Oriented School: What Can We Learn From Students’ Perceptions?

This study examines students’ perceptions of disparities between teachers’ views and the school ethos in a religiously oriented school, and dissects the implications of such disparities on the children’s right to adaptable education. The study draws on 102 essays of students enrolled in an American Jewish high school that employs a diverse teaching staff. Findings demonstrate that teacher diversity in a religiously oriented school may fulfill the children’s right to adaptable education by motivating children to engage in social perspective taking, and to interact with multiple spheres of cultural affiliations. Teacher diversity may also serve children as they formulate their own views, while not undermining parental impact. In addition, the findings portray the children’s perceptions of the teachers’ duty to respect the communal spheres of adaptability by eschewing indoctrination, remaining open and respectful, and attending to age differences. Subsequently, we offer policy recommendations regarding the need to encourage teacher diversity in religiously oriented schools.