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International Demography of Youth Spirituality

International Demography of Youth Spirituality. Laura Lippman & Julie Keith Child Trends. Intent. Document global patterns of adolescent and young adult religiosity and spirituality Explore how the U.S. compares to other countries. Overview.

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International Demography of Youth Spirituality

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  1. International Demography of Youth Spirituality Laura Lippman & Julie Keith Child Trends

  2. Intent • Document global patterns of adolescent and young adult religiosity and spirituality • Explore how the U.S. compares to other countries

  3. Overview • 3 International and 3 national (U.S.) datasets used to explore: • Young adults’ beliefs and relative importance of God and religion internationally • Adolescents’ involvement in religious organizations internationally • European young adults’ beliefs compared with religious practices • American adolescents’ and young adults’ beliefs and religious importance

  4. Spirituality v. religiosity • Spirituality – beliefs, experiences, or practices that foster a connection to a higher power; may be unrelated to religious practices • Religiosity – following specific practices, attending services, or identifying with the beliefs of a specific religion • Variation in spirituality and religiosity between countries and demographic groups • “Spiritual but not religious” phenomenon

  5. International comparisons • Three international studies used to explore global patterns of spirituality and religiosity: • World Values Survey • Civic Education Study • Young Europeans Survey

  6. World Values Survey • 1999-2001 • 20,000 18- to 24-year-olds • 41 countries, 8 regions • Measures • Do you believe in God? • How important is God in your life? • How important is religion in your life?

  7. WVS findings

  8. Civic Education Study • 1999 • 90,000 14-year-olds • 28 countries, 7 regions (mostly European) • Measure • Participation in an organization sponsored by a religious group

  9. CivEd findings

  10. Young Europeans Survey • 1997 • 9,400 15- to 24-year-olds • 15 European countries • Measure • Choose from 8 categories which best describe your religious involvement, including: • Practicing believer • Non-practicing believer • Practicing non-believer • Agnostic • Atheist

  11. YES findings

  12. Youth spirituality in the U.S. • Traditional indicators • Religious service attendance • Importance attached to religion • Religious affiliation or identification • Religious youth group participation • U.S. studies • National Study of Youth and Religion • Spirituality in Higher Education • Monitoring the Future

  13. National Study of Youth and Religion • 2002-2003 • 3,290 13- to 17-year-olds • In-depth telephone survey (entire sample) and in-person interview (sub-sample)

  14. NSYR findings • 84% believe in the existence of God • 65% believe in a personal God involved in people’s lives • 51% report that their faith is extremely or very important • 36% feel extremely or very close to God

  15. Spirituality in Higher Education • Spirituality in Higher Education: A National Study of College Students’ Search for Meaning and Purpose • 2000 • 3,680 undergraduates • 46 colleges and universities

  16. SHE findings • 77% believe we are all spiritual beings • 71% gain strength by trusting in a higher power • 67% report that religious/spiritual beliefs give meaning/purpose to their lives • 58% place a high value on integrating spirituality in their lives • Women report greater spirituality and commitment to religion

  17. Monitoring the Future Study • Annual survey of nearly 50,000 8th, 10th, and 12th graders (since 1975) • 420 middle and high schools • Measure • How important religion is in their lives

  18. MTF findings • Religious importance increased slightly from 1975 to 2003, though it took a dip in the early 1980s • Differences by demographic group • Girls (68%) are more likely than boys (57%) to rate religion as very or pretty important in their lives • Black students (56%) are more likely that White students (26%) to rate religion as very important

  19. Limitations • No internationally comparable data on adolescent spirituality • Cannot describe relationship between youth and adult spirituality (no longitudinal data) • Little information about demographic subgroups other than gender, age, and occasionally race

  20. Conclusion • Evidence for the “spiritual but not religious” phenomenon in Europe and U.S. • Widespread belief in God • Less importance placed on religion and formal religious practices • U.S. is between developing and developed countries in spirituality and religiosity • High rates of belief in God (characteristic of developing countries) • Less importance given to religion (characteristic of developed countries)

  21. International patterns • As a country’s economic development increases there is less emphasis on traditional religious values • More emphasis on secular institutions, educational and economic success, individual choice, and freedom of expression • Young adults from countries with a traditionally religious history score higher on religiosity • Young adults from countries with secular traditions attach lower importance to God and religion

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