Sociology of Religion Commons^™

“Gracias A Dios, Gracias Al Comandante”: El Uso De La Religión Como Una Herramienta Política En Nicaragua Desde 2006 / "Thank God, Thanks To The Commander": The Use Of Religion As A Political Tool In Nicaragua Since 2006, Azani Creeks

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio cualitativo examina la relación centenaria entre la religión y el poder político en Nicaragua, centrándose específicamente en su desarrollo y función desde la reelección de Daniel Ortega en 2006. A través de entrevistas, observaciones y análisis de contenido realizados en la ciudad capital de Managua, el estudio halla que el gobierno nicaragüense invierte mucho tiempo y dinero en la creación de alianzas públicas con líderes católicos y evangélicos, ya que el estado se declara inconstitucionalmente cristiano. Aunque los temas religiosos son un gran foco de atención del gobierno, este estudio muestra que no está claro si el pueblo …

“Religion Is Religion; My Life Is My Life”: Religious Influences On Family Planning Decisions In Kapchorwa District, Uganda, Sarah Mathys

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report seeks to understand the influence that religion has on family planning decisions in Kapchorwa District, in eastern Uganda. Increased uptake of family planning has significant impliations for sustainability and development in Uganda as a whole. As a district with a high unmet need for faily planning, Kapchorwa serves as an important case study. Because over 99% of Uganda’s population reports a religious affiliation, and because literature on family planning claims conservative spirituality as a major cause of low uptake, religion is a natural lens through which to study family planning perceptions and utilization.

Through focus groups and key …

The Influence Of Religious Homogeneity Upon Life Expectancy: A Cross-National Comparative Analysis, Donald J. Ebel

Sociology Department Publications

Research upon health and life expectancy has focused primarily upon individual and community level analyses, with extrapolations to national level data. In this study, the unit of analysis is shifted from individual health statistics to the national level. Life expectancy data for every nation and in the world (total n=191, restricted n=138) is explored, controlling for a variety of socio-economic factors. Two hypotheses are tested which offer the explanation homogeneity in both religion (H1) and ethnicity (H2), determines differences in life expectancy between nations. The first hypothesis, that religious homogeneity supports positive health outcomes is supported. The second hypothesis, that …

On Elemental Phenomenology: Sallis And Dzogchen Buddhism, Schwartz, Michael

Journal of Conscious Evolution

John Sallis’ volumes on the Force of the Imagination (2000) and Logic of the Imagination (2012) constitute, in the field of contemporary Continental thought, a novel philosophical view of the elementals. Tibetan Buddhism has a more than a thousand-year old tradition of teaching about and practicing with the elements. This study is a preliminary exploration of the cross-currents of these two elemental teachings.

The Political Implications Of Religious Non-Affiliation In Emerging Adulthood, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Religious non-affiliation has increased considerably in the U.S. over the last few decades. The contemporary generation of emerging adults is the first to have a sizable proportion raised with no religious affiliation. This article uses nationally representative, longitudinal survey data to examine how both non-affiliation in adolescence and switching to non-affiliation in emerging adulthood influence political interest, behaviors, orientation, and partisanship. The results show the following: 1) that unaffiliated emerging adults are less politically active than the religiously affiliated; 2) that the unaffiliated are relatively liberal and unlikely to be Republican; 3) that the unaffiliated are more likely than the …

Pathways From Religiosity To Couple’S Satisfaction Through Relational Virtues And Equality In Two Cultures, Ilya A. Okhotnikov

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

To explore relational processes of couple’s satisfaction this study drew on the relational spirituality framework (Mahoney, 2010) in order to test a relational religiosity model to evaluate the effects of public, private, ideological, intellectual, and experiential religiosity that were mediated by relational virtues of commitment, sacrifice, forgiveness, and sanctification and relational equality on couple’s satisfaction in two cultures. Data for this component used convenience samples of English-speaking respondents (hereafter American sample; n = 1,529) and Russian-speaking respondents (hereafter Russian sample; n = 529). Results provided evidence to partially support relational religiosity model; specifically commitment, while a statistically significant intervening element, …

Uncovering The Lost Knowledge Of The Imagination In Films, Seda, Daniel A.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Films have forever changed the way in which humans perceive reality and have provided significant opportunities to spread knowledge in ways that are both entertaining and deceptive. Uncovering the lost knowledge of the imagination shifts an individual’s perceptions of a shared experience and exposes film’s persuasive power to penetrate the psyche. This paper explores the constitutions of reality and how humans are able to tap into other realms of consciousness through mediums of creative expression. Topics such as the origins of life, the hidden knowledge of secret societies, and the burgeoning full disclosure movement for truth are discussed as a …

A Reader's Guide To Intergenerational Ministry And Faith Formation, Dudley Chancey, Ron Bruner

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

The concept of intergenerational ministry and faith formation has gained an increasing number of proponents over the last thirty years. Because of the burgeoning literature produced in this field, we have assembled an annotated bibliography intended to give practitioners and church members an overview of the printed work that addresses this important approach to ministry and spiritual formation.

Las Ofrendas A La Tierra En Un Mundo Global \ Offerings To Land In A Global World, Alison Wuensch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación aborda si las ofrendas a la Pachamama en el Cusco responden a la desvalorización de las culturas andinas en un mundo globalizado por el turismo, la globalización, la modernización, y la urbanización. El turismo místico en el Perú ha crecido desde las noventas con la promoción del estado peruano de la cultura viva, y una de las ceremonias andinas más importantes es la ofrenda a la Pachamama. El objetivo era identificar y explicar los efectos del turismo, la globalización, la modernización, y la urbanización en las ofrendas a la Pachamama según los chamanes y la observación. Fui a …

The Positives And Negatives Of Higher Education: How The Religious Context In Adolescence Moderates The Effects Of Education On Changes In Religiosity, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although longitudinal research suggests that declines in religiosity associated with higher education vary across religious traditions, it tells us little about variation in the effects of higher education on changes in religiosity more broadly. Higher education may promote increases in religiosity for some, particularly with many Americans now being raised in relatively secular homes. This research note uses multilevel growth curve models and four waves of longitudinal data to examine how the religious context in adolescence moderates the effects of higher education on changes in emerging adult religiosity, regardless of the direction of change. Religious tradition and parent religious service …

An Interpersonal Exploration Of Zen Buddhism: A Case Study Of Thiền Viện Trúc Lâm, Yuwen Michelson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Through ethnographic research, I plan to examine the institution of Zen Buddhist education. I study how the applied socio-cultural meanings of what it means to be a “Buddhist” affect individual and shared meanings of Zen Buddhism. I focus on how pedagogy and practice of Zen Buddhism influences personal interpretations of Buddhist thought and tradition.

Over the years, many Buddhist scholars have brought to light several methodological issues with the study of Buddhism via examination of the canon. These concerns range from issues of objectivity and intention to interpretation and creativity; while also including other complications regarding politics and power. Scholars …

Illuminating Infertility: An Exploration Of The Socioreligious Implications Of Infertility In Bali, Michaela Schwartz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this paper, I will examine infertility in Bali in a socioreligious context. I will use background research and interviews with infertile women and couples to draw connections between the customs, rituals, and traditions of Bali and the way people experience infertility. I hope to illuminate how Balinese religion and social structures affect the lived experiences of couples who cannot have children, both positively, negatively, and neutrally. Overall, my study aims to generate better understanding of the specificity of life in Bali for those who are unable to have children.

Dharma Dogs: A Narrative Approach To Understanding The Connection Of Sentience Between Humans And Canines, Anna Caldwell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India has the highest population of stray dogs in the world1. Dharamsala, a cross-cultural community in the north Indian Himalayan foothills, is home to a number of particularly overweight and happy canines. However, the street dogs of Dharamsala are not an accurate representation of the state of stay dogs across India. This paper explores why this may be through narrative stories about the day-to-day interactions between humans and dogs. The following research addresses religious motives as well as the lack thereof.

The Myth Of “Sharia” And Child Marriage, Megan S. Luckenbaugh

What All Americans Should Know About Women in the Muslim World

In American media, the term "sharia law" is repetitively used as a reason behind practices and actions linked to Islam which would be considered counter to Western morals. The term "sharia" is first clarified as having many definitions, but in legal terms each Islamic nation has their own version of "sharia." Child marriage is one of many topics often blamed on "sharia" and this essay attempts to debunk the Western portrayal of "sharia" by exploring the reality of child marriage in some Islamic nations. The examples depict both situations in which the people, despite the laws, are actively keeping this …

Los Médicos No Creen En La Brujería: El Choque Entre La Psicologia Occidental, El Catolicismo Y Las Creencias Ancestrales En La Salud Mental Boliviana, Olivia Legan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este ensayo explora el concepto de salud mental en Bolivia y discute cómo las creencias ancestrales y el catolicismo determinan el entendimiento boliviano sobre la salud. También se toma en cuenta el rol de la salud mental en la migración interna y la tensión entre el estilo de vida rural y urbano. En base a mis experiencias en un centro de terapia alternativa y un hospital psiquiátrico católico, voy a comunicar algunas maneras en que se recibe e implementa la psicología occidental en la sociedad boliviana.

This paper explores mental health in Bolivia and discusses how both ancestral beliefs and …

“Whatever God Has Yoked Together, Let No Man Put Apart:” The Effect Of Religion On Black Marriages, Cassandra Chaney Phd, Lucy Shirisia, Linda Skogrand

Faculty Publications

This qualitative study examined how religion strengthened the marriages of three (n = 6) African American couples. An ancillary purpose of this study is to examine the extent that spirituality influences the marriages of these couples. Through the use of a family-strengths framework, this study examined how a religious orientation (Hill, 1968) stabilized Black marriages. Qualitative analysis revealed the following four themes: (1) Religion is The Foundation of the Marriage; (2) Couples Consistently Practiced their Religion; (3) Couples Turned to Religion during Difficult Times; and (4) Religion Transcended Race. The findings indicate these couples practiced their religion …

Tupac’S Quest For Black Jesus: God As Deadbeat Dad And Afeni, The Migdala, John Freeman

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

Although Tupac Shakur, American rapper, maintained in a late interview that he had gotten past his abandonment by his father, the absence of that father no doubt left him to fend for himself, scarred and confused. This sense of abandonment extended to the theological realm. For Shakur, God the Father “can’t come where I’m at.” He is, in a sense, a “deadbeat dad.” Like the absentee father, He has placed him here, abandoned, the product of a broken home and broken world, with few resources by which to find his way. Understanding a father-less Tupac Shakur and his syncretic quest …

When Not To "Tie The Knot”: A Study Of Exogamous Marriage In Ezra-Nehemiah Against The Backdrop Of Biblical Legal Tradition, Gerald A. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Be Your Own Guru: Authoritarianism And The Problem Of The Guru In Conscious Evolution, Mcauley, Charles E.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper is an exploration of the problematic nature of the guru/disciple relationship, specifically, in Western Society. It begins with a discussion of the nature of spirituality and the spiritual quest. To contextualize the process, I also discuss my own spiritual path based in Roman Catholicism, Taoism, Buddhism and my thoughts on the philosophy of Krishnamurti. I explore the topic of the authoritarian follower in some depth. Its connection is symbiotic to the existence of the authoritarian leader. This connection is demonstrated within this paper as well. Additionally, I look at the flaws in some well-known guru figures and how …

The Effects Of Police Work On Family Life, Mercedes Spicer

University Honors Program

The job of a police officer is full of stressors, and these stressors can have an effect not only the police officer, but on the officer’s family as well. The main stressors police officers have to deal with are violence, time management, promotion, education, finances, and many different emotions. All of these stressors can lead to a disaster without proper treatment to diffuse the stress. Some ways that officers can get help is by having a religion, going to therapy, talking to a chaplain, and there are even several different ways that the spouse can help the officer dealing with …

Marriage Culture In Tunisia: Post-Independence To Post-Revolution Shifts, Emma Wilder Conover-Crockett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Personal Status Code became law in Tunisia in 1956, revolutionizing gender law and relationships. This law, development programs and nationalization pushed by President Habib Bourguiba, and modernization and globalization significantly altered the state of Tunisian marriage and gender relationships. Prior to the Personal Status Code, the basis of marriage in Tunisia was the preservation of family relationships, status, and finances. Throughout the last half century, it has evolved from a family-based endeavor to a partnership between two people, as the individual has simultaneously replaced the family and tribe as the main actor in society. These changes are reflected prominently …

Mari Et Femme, Sous Dieu: L’Évangile Du Genre Dans Le Mariage Chrétien Camerounais, Allison Aaronson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cette étude cherche à analyser les implications sur le genre d’une institution sociale influente, le christianisme, à travers l’optique des rôles conjugaux. Les interviews individuelles face à face étaient conduites en quatre semaines, avec pour objectif d’analyser ces rôles conjugaux chrétiens du genre dans l’espoir de mieux comprendre leur relation à l’émancipation désirée du genre. Ces interviewés ont inclut un échantillon divers des chrétiens mariés, des leaders religieux, et des membres de la société civile/ le gouvernement. Leurs réponses ont indiqué une influence forte d’un christianisme uniquement camerounais sur la conception des rôles conjugaux du genre. Ces rôles mettent les …

Seeds Of Peace: Visible Cooperation Between Jews And Muslims In Morocco, Namratha Somayajula

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A carrefour in various contexts, Morocco stands in a unique position between the Arab world and Israel for several reasons. The country is unique due to the historical presence of Judaism in the region that, over the years, became a Muslim-majority Islamic kingdom. The members of Morocco’s Muslim and Jewish communities coexisted for centuries, albeit with minor hurdles, as did the Muslims and Jews of Palestine. However, political events around the world in the twentieth century led to the rapid departure of Jews from their Moroccan homeland. Today, with so few remaining in Morocco, “Jew” often becomes synonymous with “Israel,” …

Youth Perceptions And Engagement With The Moroccan State’S Promotion Of Sufism, Katherine Butler-Dines

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this paper is to analyze if the Moroccan state’s efforts to promote Sufism have effected the youth perceptions of and engagement with Sufism. The study first contextualizes Sufism in Morocco and then addresses why and how the state has reformed the religious sphere since the 2003 Casablanca bombings. The King in a 2004 speech announced Sufism as of the cornerstones of Moroccan Islam and has since heavily promoted it through media, financial support of zawias, and the appointment of Ahmed Toufiq to Minister of Islamic Affairs. The state views Sufism as a tolerant, peaceful, and depoliticized way …

Religiosity And Social Problems Among Muslim Adolescents In Southern Thailand, Suhaimee Sateemae, Tarik Abdel-Monem, Mahsoom Sateemae

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Substantial commentary has been written about the historical context of the Malay-Muslim minority in the deep south of Thailand. Much of the recent scholarship on the Malay-Muslim minority of Thailand has focused on the ongoing ethnic insurgency in southern Thailand, the region’s troubled history of annexation, and its relevance to Thailand’s political landscape. However, there is little empirical research on the Malay-Muslim population itself, although it is assumed that expressions of their religious identity are a fundamental aspect of collective identity formation. In an effort to fill this gap, this study explored perceptions of religiosity and risk behavior among Muslim …

Religious Identity, Religious Attendance, And Parental Control, Young-Il Kim, W. Bradford Wilcox

Faculty Publications - Department of World Languages, Sociology & Cultural Studies

Using a national sample of adolescents aged 10–18 years and their parents (N = 5,117), this article examines whether parental religious identity and religious participation are associated with the ways in which parents control their children. We hypothesize that both religious orthodoxy and weekly religious attendance are related to heightened levels of three elements of parental control: monitoring activities, normative regulations, and network closure. Results indicate that an orthodox religious identity for Catholic and Protestant parents and higher levels of religious attendance for parents as a whole are associated with increases in monitoring activities and normative regulations of American adolescents.

Effects Of Parental Divorce And Childhood Paternal And Maternal Attachment On Religious Outcomes In Young Adulthood, Lyndsay A. Freeman

Graduate Theses

This study investigated the relationship between 72 respondents’ parental marriage status and childhood parental attachment on religious outcomes in young adulthood. It partly replicated a study by Zhai et al. (2007) with several notable differences, such as using recent data as opposed to archived data and examining both maternal and paternal attachments separately in light of the compensation hypothesis of religious attachment theory. An online survey was used to gather data. Chi-square tests revealed there were significantly more participants with insecure paternal attachments from families with divorced parents than from traditional families. Also, participants with insecure paternal attachments switched religious …

Meaning Of Hijab According To Urban Egyptian And Yemeni Muslim Women, Kenneth E. Jackson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Meanings of hijab held by urban Egyptian and Yemeni Muslim women were the focus of this study. In addition to the meanings held of hijab, the study also explored the relationships between demographic variables and perceptions of hijab. Three null hypotheses led the analyses pertaining to the differences between Egyptian and Yemeni respondents in their perceptions of hijab, demographic differences between those that wore a hijab and those that wore a niqab, and the demographic differences between those that wore a hijab and those that did not wear a hijab. Data analysis was based on the …

Parenting Style, Religiosity, Peers, And Adolescent Heavy Drinking, Stephen J. Bahr, John P. Hoffmann

Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine whether authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful parenting styles were associated with adolescent alcohol use and heavy drinking, after controlling for peer use, religiosity, and other relevant variables. Method: Structural equation modeling was used to estimate direct and indirect associations of parenting style with alcohol use and heavy drinking among 4,983 adolescents in Grades 7-12. Results: Adolescents whose parents were authoritative were less likely to drink heavily than adolescents forms he other three parenting styles, and they were less likely to have close friends who used alcohol. In addition, religiosity was negatively …

Religion On Divorce, Erik B. Doherty

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Prospective factors that lead to elevated divorce rates have been studied in an attempt to gauge their relative significance and overall impact. However, to date no Such factor or factors have been pin-pointed that can conclusively explain why divorce rates are so high. This article utilizes a three-model analysis that examines the effects of religion variables, as well as relevant control variables that have be found to be significantly associated with divorce rates by prior research. Thus, religion is the variable of focus for the study in relation to divorce rates. The results indicate that: 1) Catholics are less likely …