The Effect of Non-Affiliation With Religion on Religiosity and Pro-Social Ties

135 Pages·2014·1.37 MB·English

UC Riverside
UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Title
The Effect of Non-Affiliation With Religion on Religiosity and Pro-Social Ties
Permalink
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/43v6x69q
Author
Suh, Daniel Hyun
Publication Date
2014

Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation
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University of California
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
RIVERSIDE

The Effect of Non-Affiliation With Religion on Religiosity and Pro-Social Ties

A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction
of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

in

Sociology

by

Daniel Hyun Suh

June 2014

Dissertation Committee:
Dr. Raymond Russell, Chairperson
Dr. Tanya Nieri
Dr. Alexandra Maryanski
The Dissertation of Daniel Hyun Suh is approved:

Committee Chairperson

University of California, Riverside
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge the contributions made by my committee members:
Professors Raymond Russell (chair), Tanya Nieri, Alexandra Maryanski, Katja Guenther,
and Amanda Huffer. Their efforts and patience are greatly appreciated well beyond what
can be stated here. I would like to mention my appreciation for Professors Raymond
Russell, Tanya Nieri, and Alexandra Maryanski, who were instrumental on all phases of
the research project. I would like to express my gratitude for Professor Raymond Russell
for his sage advice and mentorship throughout the dissertation project. His mentorship
throughout graduate school has been invaluable. I have had the good fortune to work
with and learn from his pedagogical and research approach, which helped in my
professional development. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their
continued support and encouragement.

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ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

The Effect of Non-Affiliation With Religion on Religiosity and Pro-Social Ties

by

Daniel Hyun Suh

Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Program in Sociology
University of California, Riverside, June 2014
Dr. Raymond Russell, Chairperson

This dissertation examines the effect of non-affiliation with religion on religiosity
and pro-social ties. Using panel data from the General Social Survey from 2006 to 2010,
longitudinal analyses confirm the negative effect of non-affiliation with religion on
religiosity.
A major development in the sociology of religion has found that an increasing
proportion of the American population identifies as religious non-affiliates (i.e., they
claim no affiliation with a religion, but are still religious) or affiliation with no
denomination (i.e., they are affiliated with a religion but claim no specific denomination
within that religion). Research indicates that non-affiliation and affiliation with no
denomination are associated with lower levels of religious beliefs and participation. This
study systematically differentiates religious non-affiliation from affiliation with no
denomination, with the latter being similar to their denominational counterparts. Implicit
in these findings regarding the variation across a spectrum of religious affiliation is the
importance of affiliation for beliefs and participation. The importance of collective
representation or social group regarding religious phenomena is grounded in a
Durkheimian theory of religion. Individuals are religious, yet their lack of affiliation or
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strong adherence to a particular socio-religious group appears to be a significant indicator
of individual religiosity.
The larger picture that emerges is that methodological consideration and treatment
of religious affiliation and non-affiliation require systematic attention and detail. The
current religious landscape reflects a pluralistic dynamic in regards to affiliation and
religiosity. Furthermore, the absence of a socio-religious group, affiliation, or “moral
community”, is critical in the outcomes of religious phenomena.

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Table of Contents
Abstract of Dissertation ..................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER ONE - Introduction
A Note on Religious Non-Affiliation, Non-Denominationalism, Religion Switching, and
Denomination Switching ............................................................................................................. 1
CHAPTER TWO - Religion and Crime
Background ................................................................................................................................. 7
Hirschi and Stark’s Hellfire and Delinquency ............................................................................. 9
The Inverse Relationship of Religion and Crime (Anti-Asceticism) ........................................ 11
Moral Communities Hypothesis ................................................................................................ 16
Reference Group Theory ........................................................................................................... 21
Spuriousness .............................................................................................................................. 22
Religion and Pro-Social Ties ..................................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER THREE - Theory
Durkheimian Perspective and the Moral Communities Thesis ................................................. 31
Durkheimian Paradigm .............................................................................................................. 32
Social Bonds and Contextual Moral Communities ................................................................... 36
CHAPTER FOUR – Methodology
Incidence of Non-Affiliation, Non-Denominationalism, Switching of Religions and
Denominations, Religiosity, and Pro-social Ties ...................................................................... 40
Dependent Variables of Religious Beliefs and Participation and Pro-Social Ties .................... 48
Specific Aims ............................................................................................................................ 59
Incidence of Non-Affiliation, Non-Denominationalism, Switching of Religions and
Denominations, and Drug Use .................................................................................................. 64
Specific Aims ............................................................................................................................ 74
CHAPTER FIVE - Results
Findings on the Effects of Switching and Non-Affiliation on Religious Beliefs and
Participation ............................................................................................................................... 76
Findings on the Effects of Switching and Non-Affiliation on Pro-Social Ties ......................... 89
Findings on the Effects of Switching and Non-Affiliation on Drug Use .................................. 97
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CHAPTER SIX – Discussion ......................................................................................... 103
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 115

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics of Respondent’s Demographics and Independent
Variables of Switching and Non-Adherence in 2006………………………………….46

Table 2: Descriptive Statistics of Dependent Variables of Religious Beliefs and
Participation and Pro-Social Ties for Full and Subsamples, 2006 and 2010………….50

Table 3: Correlation Matrix of Respondent’s Religion Switching, Non-Affiliation, and
Religiosity…………………………………………………………..............................54

Table 4: Correlation Matrix of Respondent’s Denomination Switching, Non-
Denominationalism, and Religiosity………………..………………………………....56

Table 5: Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Switching and Adherence……...58

Table 6: Descriptive Statistics of Respondent’s Demographics, Independent Variables of
Switching and Non-Adherence, and Drug Use…………………………………….....68

Table 7: Correlation Matrix of Respondent’s Religion Switching, Non-Affiliation, and
Religiosity……………………………………………………..……………………....71

Table 8: Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Switching and Adherence….….73

Table 9: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Religiosity on Denomination Switching and Non-Denominational
Protestants………………………………………………………………………….....77

Table 10: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Religiosity on Switching and Non-Adherence……………………..…79

Table 11: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Religiosity on Denomination Switching and Non-Denominational
Protestants…………………………………………………………………….……....82

Table 12: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Religiosity on Switching and Non-Adherence………………...…......84

Table 13: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Religiosity on Apostasy and Always None………………………...…87

Table 14: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Religiosity on Apostasy and Always None………………………......88

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Table 15: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Pro-Social Ties on Ever Switch Denominations and Non-Denominational
Protestants…………………………………………………………………………….89

Table 16: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Pro-Social Ties on Ever Switch Religions and Non-Affiliation……..91

Table 17: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Pro-Social Ties on Denomination Switching and Non-Denominational
Protestants…………………………………………………………………………….93

Table 18: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Pro-Social Ties on Religion Switching and Non-Affiliation…………94

Table 19: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Pro-Social Ties on Apostasy and Always None………………...……96

Table 20: Unstandardized Regression Coefficients, Standard Errors, and Odds Ratios for
Regression of Pro-Social Ties on Apostasy and Always None………………...……97

Table 21. ZINB Regression of Drug Use on Denomination Switching………...……98

Table 22. ZINB Regression of Drug Use on Religion Switching…………………….99

Table 23. ZINB Regression of Drug Use on Non-Denominationalism…………......100

Table 24. ZINB Regression of Drug Use on Non-Affiliation………………………..101

Table 25. ZINB Regression of Drug Use on Apostates and Always None……….....102

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