Religion and traditional values in East Asia

1. Religion and traditional values in East Asia The relevance of generational divides in East Asia origin surveys Henk Vinken Pyrrhula BV Netherlands Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

2. Central themes in religious studies Secularization / modernization Individualized religions / postmodernization Supply side change / rational choice Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

3. Concepts and research fundamentally Western Hofstede: “Issues prominent in the researcher’s culture but not necessarily relevant to the respondents will be included, and issues crucial in the respondents’ culture but not in the researchers’ may be overlooked”. ‘Global’ values surveys compare Western values Unlikely to cover all Western core notions, or non-Western notions of religious values and practices Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

4. East Asian (and Western postmodern?)religious values and practices SyncreticismPolytheismNot one value or practice of pinnacle importanceTranscendent and worldy deitiesPractices without expert mediationThis-worldy focus, including material benefitsEmbedded in family and bureaucracy(inseparable, e.g. respecting ancestors, seniors, bureaucrats) Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

5. Focus today: denomination in East Asian origin and Western origin values surveys Syncreticism would predict low proportionsBecoming adult in highly secularized times too? Check proportions and generational cleavagesAB Asia Barometer 2003AnB Asian Barometer 2001-2003EAVS East Asian Values Survey 2002-2004WVS World Values Survey 2000-2002ISSP Intern. Social Survey Programme Reli. Module II 1998 Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

6. The issue of wording AB Regard yourself to belong to any particular religion?AnBWhat is your religion?EAVSDo you have a personal religious faith?WVSDo you belong to a religious denomination?ISSPWhat is your religious preference? Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

7. Proportions(% mentions denomination) AB (Japan 26, China 10, S-Korea 60)AnB(Japan 47, HK 41, S-Korea 52, Mainland China 12, Taiwan 84 )EAVS(Japan 24, Beijing 9, Shanghai 19 Kunming 20, Hangzhou 20Taiwan 75, S-Korea 51, Singapore 80) WVS(China 6, Japan 41, S-Korea 63, Singapore 89)ISSP(Japan 33 [only]) Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

8. Generational cleavages in denomination? Overall: the younger, the lessYet, cleavages, even if significant, weak (Eta2 <.05) AB(In Japan & S-Korea)(Not in China)AnB(In Japan, HK, S-Korea,Taiwan)(Not in mainland China)EAVS(In Japan, Shanghai, HK, Taiwan & Singapore) (Not in Beijing, Kunming, Hangzhou & S-Korea) WVS(In Japan [strong], S-Korea and Singapore)(Not in China)ISSP(In Japan [strong]) Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

9. Other important factors? Impact religious variables: beliefs, importance, religiosity Impact demographics: generation membership, education Impact general context: nation/city indicators Impact cultural context: traditional (Eeast Asian) values Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

10. On traditional (east Asian) valuesAfter several factor analyses/dataset ABDesired accomplishments of sons/daugthers:fame: great scholar, power, wealth, respected personrelatedness: charitable, caring about family, good marriage partnerAnBPreservation: loose face working women boss, hiring less qualified relativeHarmony: put personal interests 2nd, not insist own opinion, accommodate in conflictEAVSGender roles: need son, wife follow husband, men work outside women inside homeRespect ancestors: respect ancestors, eldest son look after aging parentsWVSGender roles: working mother relates to child, housewife fulfillingPiety: goal is to make parents proud, regardless faults respect parentsISSPGender roles: husband earn money wife look after home, family suffers if women work Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

11. Traditional (east Asian) valuesA matter of culture Country-city of origin info most important China/Chinese cities and S-Korea most supportive traditional valuesExcept gender roles: China less traditionalRelationship with religious variables is weakNo virtuous canopy?Young and higher educated least supportiveEspecially as regards preservation & gender rolesHarmony and relatedness daughters unaffectedUniversals? Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

12. DenominationA matter of religion Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

13. DenominationStill a matter of religion Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010

14. ConclusionsDenomination a matter of religion Especially religiosity Culture of origin important if little known about religious variablesGenerational information hardly adds explanatory powerPreliminarySeeking to bring together East Asian scholarssuggesting, debating and testing the best measurementsWhyWould benefit academia: what is universal, particular in key religious conceptsWould benefit publics: unaddressed concerns, responsiveness politics Jacobs Foundation Conference 2010 – Schloss Marbach, Germany – 28–30 April 2010