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Random Drug Testing and Religion *
Author(s) -
Blackwell Brenda Sims,
Grasmick Harold G.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.1997.tb00436.x
Subject(s) - conservatism , normative , public opinion , protestantism , crime control , sociology , dimension (graph theory) , general social survey , criminology , survey data collection , social control , economic justice , social psychology , political science , criminal justice , social science , psychology , law , politics , statistics , mathematics , pure mathematics
Research recently has begun to examine the link between religion and social control. It has been noted that religion, in particular Protestant conservatism, does play a role in shaping public opinion, and as a result, public policy on crime, crime control, and justice. The present research examines the issue of public support for random drug testing by focusing on the role of religion, specifically religious affiliation, in shaping public opinion. Analysis of survey data from a city in the Southwest identifies two separate dimensions of public support for random drug testing–a utilitarian dimension that is grounded in safety concerns, along with a normative dimension that reflects conservative moral beliefs, including a concern with the “evil” of drugs. Evidence from the data also indicates that conservative Protestants, compared to liberal‐moderate Protestants, Catholics, and those with no affiliation, display higher levels of normative‐based support for random drug testing. Researchers are encouraged to further explore the role of religion in shaping public support for the development of drug policies and other more general social control policies.