religioisity and social groups

Age and religiosity trend

• older people are generally more religious than younger people. They are more likely to believe in God, pray regularly and attend religious services.

Why are Younger people less religious ?

1. secularisation

2. family socialisation

3. practical reasons

Secularisation

• religion is less central to modern life, so the younger generation have grown up with fewer religious influences in education, politics and the family.

• Voas and Crockett - each new generation is less religious than the one before

Family socialisation

• Young people are less likely to be brought up religious, especially if their parents have also drifted away from religion

• even parents how share the same faith only have a 50/50 chance of raising their child to be a churchgoer as an adult

Why are Older people more religious?

1. the ageing effect

2. social support and community

3. the period effect

the ageing effect

• people turn to religion as they get older

• Heelas - as we approach death, we naturally become more concerned about spiritual matters and the afterlife, thus, we are more likely to attend church

the period effect

• people born during a particular period may be more or less likely to believe religious because of the particular events they lived through, such as war or rapid social changes

social support and community

• older people may turn to religion for friendship, routine and support, especially after retirement or the loss of a partner

Gender and Religiosity trend

• women are more likely than men to believe in God, pray regularly, attend religious services and say that religion is importantly to them

reasons why women are more religious

1. socialisation and gender roles

2. more opportunity/less paid work

3. women and risk

socialisation and gender roles

Miller and Hoffman

• socialised to be more passive, obedient, and caring, which are qualities that are valued by most religions.

• primary careers and often have the responsibility of taking children to church and involving them into religion.

more opportunities

Bruce

• a women’s religiosity is a result of their lower levels of paid work

• over the past two centuries, religions has moved away from the public square of work and into the private sphere of the home (where many women reside)

women and risk

Miller and Hoffman

• religion can be see. as a way to reduce the risk of going to hell

• women are more risk-averse than men, and are thus more likely to engage with religion

Women and the New Age

Bruce

• women are more attracted to New Age beliefs because they are more nurturing and expressive

• New Age movement appeal to women’s roles as carers as they focus on self-healing and provide spirituality without patriarchy

Heelas and Woodhead

80% of participants in the holistic milieu in Kendal were female

Evaluation of women’s religiosity

• women may reject traditional religion due to its oppressive nature, often marginalising them

Ethnicity and religiosity trends

• Ethnic minorities in the uk are more religious than the White British population.

reasons for ethnic differences in religiosity

1. cultural defence

2. cultural transition

3. socialisation and family

cultural defence

Bruce

• religion helps defend identity and culture in a society where an ethnic group is a minority, offering a sense of stability in the face of racism or marginalisation

• meant found that white churches in the uk did not actively welcome black African and Caribbean Christians, thus, some of them turned to Black-led churches

cultural transition

• religion helps people adjust to life in a new country, especially for first generation immigrants, and religious institutions provide support such as language help and job networks

  Pryce

• African-Caribbean Christian’s in Bristol used religion, especially pentecostalism, to cope with racism and transition into British society

socialisation and family

• ethnic minorities often place a stronger emphasis on family. traditional, and obedience- values that align with religious practice

• ethnic children are more likely to be raised in religious households with strong expectations