Publication year
2008
Citation Title
Religion as a resource for positive youth development: Religion, social capital, and moral outcomes.
Journal Name
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
Journal Volume
S
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
34-49
DOI
10.1037/1941-1022.S.1.34.
Summary
Urban youths completed questionnaires in their school classrooms to examine how social interactions, trust, and shared vision that youth have with adults surrounding religion influence youth’s moral behavior. Religiously active youth report more frequent interactions with nonfamilial adults. The influence of religion participation on youth moral behavior is mediated through trusting interactions with adults.
Key Findings
Youth who are more religiously active have a more significant experience of intergenerational community compared to less religiously active youths. These youth active in religion are more likely to interact with, trust, and share similar perspectives with a nonfamilial adult.
The influences of religion importance and participation on youth empathy and altruism are mediated through trusting interactions with adults, friends, and parents.
There was little variance in the fit of the model across gender, ethnicity, grade cohort, and family structure.
For latino/Latina and female youth, social trust and interaction were more characteristic of social capital than shared viewpoints (which is more important for Black and male youth).
Implications for Military Professionals
Facilitate support group for military children that offer opportunities to explore religion and religious activities
Collaborate with organizations connected with military children to explore other ways to increase youth's social capitol and moral outcomes besides religious activities
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support programs for military youths that foster trusting relationships with non-familial adults who share similar values and beliefs
Education military youth about the importance of values, goals, and beliefs, and incorporate activities that encourage reflection and discussion about these topics
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend the development of programs for youth that allow opportunities to be altruistic, such as creating infrastructures for volunteer activities
Recommend professional development of youth program workers regarding how to support the healthy development of military children’s personal values, goals, and beliefs
Methods
Students at one urban public high school in Los Angeles completed a questionnaire as an in-class assignment; 65% of eligibly participants responded.
Only the data from students who reported having a significant adult in their life was included in the study.
The participants completed measures of religiousness, social capital, social interaction, trust, shared vision (shared values, beliefs and goals in their relationships), altruism, and empathy.
Participants
Seven hundred thirty-five high school students participated (53% female).
The average age of participants was 15.89 years (SD = 1.24 years).
The majority of participants were either Black (39%) or Latino (39%).
Limitations
Students without significant adults were not included, so these results may not generalize to this group.
The measures were self-report which contains inherent limitations.
The sample was in Los Angeles, so the extent to which these findings apply to youths in non-urban, non-California areas is unknown.
Avenues for Future Research
Use multiple informants and non-self-report measures to examine the relationships among observed altruism, empathy, and religiosity with military youth
Include religious beliefs and experiences as components of religiosity
Examine the influence of religious activity on social capital and moral outcomes with a sample of military youth
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
Although existing literature demonstrates that developmental benefits are associated with religion for adolescents, little is understood about the dynamics of this relationship. Drawing on social capital theory, this study tested a conceptual model exploring socially embedded religious influences on moral outcomes. A three-dimensional model of social capital demonstrated how social interaction, trust, and shared vision enable social ties associated with religiousness to influence moral behavior. Structural equation modeling was used with data gathered from 735 urban youths to test a proposed model of the effects of religiousness on moral outcomes. Results suggested that religiously active youths report higher levels of social capital resources and that the influence of adolescent religiousness on moral outcomes was mediated through social capital resources. Suggestions for further research and implications for faith-based youth development organizations are considered.
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