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Types of religiosity in young people. Antonio Muñoz García Visiting professor at Center for Psychology of Religion. Associate professor at University of Granada (Spain) Louvain la Neuve, March, 21, 2006. General Objective.
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Types of religiosity in young people Antonio Muñoz García Visiting professor at Center for Psychology of Religion. Associate professor at University of Granada (Spain) Louvain la Neuve, March, 21, 2006
General Objective • To describe the complexity of religious realm, and how it influence contents of Psychology of Religion (e.g. religious development).
What we will see? 1.Introduction 2.Religion in U.S.A. 3.Religion in Europe. 3.1. A broad outlook. 3.2. United Kingdom. 3.3. Belgium 3.4. Spain
Introduction: Psychology of Religion and its look toward social reality. • Psychologist of Religion is a researcher at University (Social function). • Is Psychology of Religion really connected with social realm?
Social reality is stimuli for promoting research and training in Psychology of Religion: • Discrimination • Racism • Prosocial attitudes • Religion and moral behavior • Terrorism and fundamentalism… • Religion in society… • … Introduction: Psychology of Religion and its look toward social reality.
Why observe society? • To define new concepts. • To suggest theories. • To propose new lines of research. • To understand the significance, perspective, and transcendence of our work. • To give more vitality to our research and teaching. We need more interdisciplinarity. Introduction: Psychology of Religion and its look toward social reality.
Reality is complex: We will select American and European context: • To understand that there are different perspectives and manners of interpreting reality and that a theory can be more adequate than other to explain a fact depending on cultural context. • To identify objectives, problems, needs… that Psychology of Religion can assume. Introduction: Psychology of Religion and its look toward social reality.
1. America and Europe: different manners of being religious • Religiosity in Europe can be “the exception, not the rule”, specially countries of Catholic tradition.
America and Europe: Different manners of being religious • Religion has increased in north Europe (Russian and communist countries). • Religion has decreased in United Kingdom, Netherlands and France. • Religion has not change in traditional Catholics countries.
Situation in Europe is…. Types of cases Commons cases (95%) Rare cases (2,5%) Rare cases (2,5%) America and Europe: Different manners of being religious
SWEEDEN NORWAY POLAND BENELUX GERMANY CZECH REPUBLIC FRANCE AUSTRIA SWITZERLAND ITALY PORTUGAL SPAIN GREECE
Decline in Europe is…. (Voas,2004) • Constant • Similar through time • Similar through countries. We find the same pattern in neighbouring countries and culture alike. • Switzerland & Austria • Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) • Norway & Denmark • Italy, Portugal, Spain America and Europe: Different manners of being religious
Each generation is less and less religious. • People who was born first is more probably that were religious. • This can be attributed to modernization…but U.S.A. is an exception. Why does happen this?
Religiosity = Religious affiliation + Attendance frequency + prayer frequency + self-description as religious + importance or religion in life.
Religiosity = Religious affiliation + Attendance frequency + prayer frequency + self-description as religious + importance or religion in life.
Religiosity = Religious affiliation + Attendance frequency + prayer frequency + self-description as religious + importance or religion in life.
1.1. Religion in U.S.A. • Religious involvement is high and this tendency has not decreased from sixties. Go to church, participation in groups or committees, economic support, relationships with other members of the church… Motives are not only religious: business men look for customers, respect, friendship, education, doing things with other people, social recognition…
Religion in U.S.A. • Less Protestant and Jews. • More Catholics and Muslims. Why? Individualism Relativism High percentage of immigrants are Hispanics
Religion in U.S.A. • Religious belonging: Feel of belonging to religious group. It means that we have a preference by one group to other. • Religious affiliation: to register officially as members of a religious group. • 1/3 of Americans change religious affiliation during life-span.
Religion in U.S.A. • Sunday school is accepted by parents who think public school is not good for moral and character education. • Religious activities out of religious organizations are significant: prayer, reading Bible…
Religious believes are the same that in the fifties but It has been losing faith in Bible and its divine origin. • Trusting in religious institutions is not considered necessary to be a good catholic. Religion in U.S.A.
There is a great difference between believers. In 1984 a 40% of Americans told to have experimented a feeling of being very near of a higher power. Religion in U.S.A.
Americans are more inclined to be members of religious organizations, pray and attend religious services, and to mix religion and politics than the Europeans.
Americans are more literal in their view of the Bible than the Europeans, and they tend to believe in a personal God whereas the Europeans believe in a higher power. Religion in U.S.A.
In summary, • The United States is religiously plural while the European countries tend to be religiously homogenous. • In the United States a religious market exists compared to the religious mono-culture in Europe. • Religion is a much more pervasive phenomenon in the United States and can be found in more societal spheres than in Europe. Religion in U.S.A.
Religion is more accepted and more visible in the public debate in the United States. Religion in U.S.A.
Americans are more involved in the religious life of the nation and spend more time and money on religion than their European counterparts. • Americans change denomination more often than Europeans and are also more tolerant of denominations other than their own. Religion in U.S.A.
More reasons to these differences are…. • Religious activities are means to do things with others. • Americans appreciate their religion more, due to the historical separation of church and state. • Economical: there is competition between denominations. Religion in U.S.A.
Americans are politically conservatives. • American are more post-materialistic and European more authoritative personalities. Religion in U.S.A.
What can this situation influence on religious development? • Hip.1.: People will be less religious. • Hip.2: People will be more spiritual. • Hip.3: People could be higher in religious/spiritual maturity. • Hip.4: This atmosphere contribute to have a more positive attitude to resolve existential doubts with religious elements.
2. Religion in Europe • Three cultural and religious areas: • Suiza & Austria (Alpine pattern) • Benelux pattern (Belgium, Netherlands & Luxemburgo) • Noruega & Dinamarca • Italia, Portugal, & España.
2.1. United Kingdom • Religion: • It is not as extended as time before. • It is not as significant for people as before. • It is no so significant at social level than before. Religion in Europe
There is less trust in religious institutions but It has not appeared alternative believes. • Those believes never are so higher than religious believes.
2.3. Spain • Strong Catholic tradition. • Religious pluralism • Religious indifference
Religious groups: 12453 Catholics groups & 1388 non Catholics groups: 1064 protestant. 10 orthodox. 4 scientific Christ 1 Witnesses of Jehovah. 1 Mormons 16 Jews 1 Unification church 254 Muslims 11 Baha`I 3 Hinduism 21 Buddhists Scientology Church is present but not as religious organization
Why Spain is not as religious as before? • Religious freedom was guaranteed by Spanish Constitution of 1978. • Immigration (1.000.000 Muslims and 1.200.000 Protestants) • Religion is significant in mass media but today sociologist says that Spanish religiosity is defined by “indifference”
Religious indifference: first, the Spanish youth • Parents of young people were who lived post-dictatorial stage of Spanish history. • Religious institution lost influence in educational institutions. • Family values has changed.
Sociological study (20041): N=1072 (50% male). Range: 13-24 years. • 12%: parents separated, divorced or not married. • 30% private and religious schools. 1González-Anleo, González, Elzo, Carmona (2004)
13-14 years: the highest in religiosity. 62% - practicing (Catholic). • Only 10% says to trust in religious institution.
Motivations to believe: • “it is better to believe in something” (35%) • “I have faith” (29%). • “I was teached since I was a child”.
Believes: • In life after die (48%) • Jesucrist: 25% think that he did not exist, and 55% believe in his divine nature. Same proportion with Virgin Mary. • Women and youngest, the strongest believers.
Religious practices and ideas • Ideas about salvation of soul, grace and sin are almost disappeared. • Because religious tradition has emphasized salvation through sacraments, religious practices have been affected by religious indifference.
There is new rituals and liturgies: origin: civil religion, fundamentalisms, social movement against globalization, sects and NRM, consumerism, ecology, etc. • Sacramental practices: Confession, Confirmation and Eucharistic are less practiced.
Non institutional religious practices: • 12% Atheist participate in visiting to Sanctuaries, pilgrimages, or processions, and almost the half of the sample. • Prayer: 33%, yes, 50% never in last weeks. • Reading of religious or spiritual books: 10%.
Attitudes toward church: • Image of church as institution that help others is positive. • It is not recognized Church authority about spiritual live (60% claim that “Belonging to church has not many sense to me”, and 75%, “I can believe in God even without Church”)
Catholics Church + Church - 19.2% Not believers Religion 20.6% 25.6% (catholics on earth) Modern spirituality 25% Catholics against church 9.5% Hedonist non-believers
Catholics pro-church (20.6%) • To carry out moral rules is more important than believe in God. God is judge. • 55% women. • Age: 13-14. • ¾ Religious education. • Believes in God, live after death, resurrection, sin. • Values = Catholic church • They identify themselves as members. • Traditional attitudes to drugs, sex, abort, euthanasia… • Low value of friendship. • To carry out moral rules is more important than believe in God. God is judge.