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Age Differences and Dimensions of Religious Behavior
Author(s) -
Johnson Arthur L.,
Brekke Milo L.,
Strommen Merton P.,
Underwager Ralph C.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1974.tb00727.x
Subject(s) - stratum , solidarity , interpretation (philosophy) , psychology , age groups , demography , cohort , social psychology , orientation (vector space) , cohort effect , sociology , geography , political science , medicine , population , law , paleontology , geometry , mathematics , politics , computer science , biology , programming language
This research explores the magnitude, sources, and consequences of differences among age strata in various dimensions of religious orientation and practice. A national sample of 4444 Lutheran church members, ages 15–65, completed a 740‐item survey. From these data six age groups were empirically formed; these exhibited significant differences on 43 of 52 major scales. Patterns of age strata differences supported a “selective gap” theory rather than a “great gap” interpretation of contrasts among age strata. The youth stratum, 19–23, was found to be most heterogeneous in their beliefs, attitudes, or life styles. Although some within‐stratum solidarity was evident, it generally was weak and overshadowed by lineage solidarity. Implications of combined aging and cohort effects conclude the discussion.