Wednesday, June 28, 2006
[IWS] Religion in a Free Market: Religious and Non-Religious Americans -- Who, What, Why, and Where [June 2006]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Religion in a Free Market: Religious and Non-Religious Americans -- Who, What, Why, and Where [June 2006]
by Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar
http://www.paramountbooks.com/prodpage.cfm?cat_selected=&product_selected=203
From the pulpits to the op-ed pages, several messages about religion in the U.S. are heard again and again: It's said that Americans are flocking to churches and other religious institutions in greater numbers than ever before. That non-Christian faiths are growing rapidly. And that a new religious fervor among the young is filling up the pews.
All of these frequently heard messages are incorrect, according to an important new book, Religion in a Free Market, Religious and Non-Religious Americans: Who, What, Why, and Where. The book, by professors Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., is based on a major national survey which they conducted. The U.S. Census is prohibited from asking questions about religion, so this survey, the American Religious Identification Survey, contains the most complete and reliable source of data on religion in America today.
Religion in a Free Market argues that religion in America can best be understood as a product on offer in the marketplace of ideas. It says that "religious ferment in America is as strong as it has ever been, so whatever you learned about religion in the U.S. a generation ago is out of date."
Among the key findings: The share of the U.S. population that identified with a Christian faith tradition declined abruptly from 86.2 percent in 1990 to 76.5 percent in 2001.
The share of American adults who say they have no religion rose from 8 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2001, which amounts to approximately 30 million people.
Non-Christian faiths' share of the national population rose only very slightly from 3.3 percent in 1990 to 3.7 percent in 2001.
Contrary to impressions of religiously engaged youth, in general the old and middle-aged are far more likely than the young to believe in God and identify with a religious group.
The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2001 queried 50,000 American adults about their religious outlook and whether they believed in God, in miracles, and in a personal relationship with God. The survey also asked about their politics, collected their demographics, including marital status, number of children, household income, and state of residence. In addition, it asked about their use of media and whether they or anyone in their household was a member of a denomination. The results of the survey were weighted to represent the entire adult population.
So, in a country where 77 percent of the adult population self-identifies as Christian, what is the dominant religion? Catholics are still the largest group with nearly 51 million adherents in 2001, up from 46 million in 1990. Baptists are the next largest denomination, but their numbers have stayed about the same over the last decade, at about 34 million. At the other end of the spectrum are 33,000 Druids, 22,000 Santeria, and 11,000 adults who identified themselves as Rastafarian.
Religion in a Free Market argues that one reason the religious landscape in the United States is so rich and dynamic is because of the freedom of religion proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the Constitution. Because of this freedom, the U.S. is a hotbed of new religions, with those who are dissatisfied with their current religious group often finding or creating a new one. This freedom creates an open market where religious groups can find new recruits and many of them are turning to established marketing methods in their efforts to bolster their numbers.
An important question on the 2001 survey was whether the respondent had ever switched religions. About 14 percent of the adult population has switched. Catholics and Methodists were most likely to switch. Of the 9.5 million Catholics who switched, 2.6 million, or about 28 percent, chose "no religion." Most of the rest chose another mainstream Christian religion. Among the 3.8 million Methodists who switched, 23 percent became Baptist, and 18 percent became Catholic.
Switching is just one topic covered in Religion in a Free Market. Readers will learn about
How interfaith households make choices for their children. Why single women are good potential members for some religions. The impact of religion on the U.S. economy. Which religions dominate in various geographic regions of the United States and why. Who the Muslims are in the United States. You'll be surprised to learn that few of them are Arab-Americans. Which religions are most likely among ethnic and racial groups.
Most ideas about religion in the United States were formed more than a generation ago and are woefully out of date. Whether you are a reporter, a political consultant, a marketer, a religious leader, or a social scientist, this comprehensive picture of the religious and non-religious in the United States will bring you up-to-date on religion in America and help you understand the important changes that are taking place.
The authors: Barry Kosmin is Research Professor and Ariela Keysar is Associate Research Professor, Public Policy and Law Program at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
American Religion, Religious Brands, & Markets
The National Profile of Religious Identification
Belief and Belonging
Religious Switching
Who are the Religious and Non-Religious?
Household and Family Characteristics
Where Do You Find the Religious and Non-Religious
Gender and Socioeconomics
Socioeconomic Rankings
Patterns of Consumption of Modern Technologies
Religious Affiliation and Recruitment
Membership Patterns Among Specific Religious Groups
Religion and Political Party Preference
The Race and Ethnic Factor
Profile of the American Muslim Population
Current and Future Trends
(ISBN 978-0-9766973-6-7, 320 pages, June 2006)
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Religion in a Free Market: Religious and Non-Religious Americans -- Who, What, Why, and Where [June 2006]
by Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar
http://www.paramountbooks.com/prodpage.cfm?cat_selected=&product_selected=203
From the pulpits to the op-ed pages, several messages about religion in the U.S. are heard again and again: It's said that Americans are flocking to churches and other religious institutions in greater numbers than ever before. That non-Christian faiths are growing rapidly. And that a new religious fervor among the young is filling up the pews.
All of these frequently heard messages are incorrect, according to an important new book, Religion in a Free Market, Religious and Non-Religious Americans: Who, What, Why, and Where. The book, by professors Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., is based on a major national survey which they conducted. The U.S. Census is prohibited from asking questions about religion, so this survey, the American Religious Identification Survey, contains the most complete and reliable source of data on religion in America today.
Religion in a Free Market argues that religion in America can best be understood as a product on offer in the marketplace of ideas. It says that "religious ferment in America is as strong as it has ever been, so whatever you learned about religion in the U.S. a generation ago is out of date."
Among the key findings: The share of the U.S. population that identified with a Christian faith tradition declined abruptly from 86.2 percent in 1990 to 76.5 percent in 2001.
The share of American adults who say they have no religion rose from 8 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2001, which amounts to approximately 30 million people.
Non-Christian faiths' share of the national population rose only very slightly from 3.3 percent in 1990 to 3.7 percent in 2001.
Contrary to impressions of religiously engaged youth, in general the old and middle-aged are far more likely than the young to believe in God and identify with a religious group.
The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2001 queried 50,000 American adults about their religious outlook and whether they believed in God, in miracles, and in a personal relationship with God. The survey also asked about their politics, collected their demographics, including marital status, number of children, household income, and state of residence. In addition, it asked about their use of media and whether they or anyone in their household was a member of a denomination. The results of the survey were weighted to represent the entire adult population.
So, in a country where 77 percent of the adult population self-identifies as Christian, what is the dominant religion? Catholics are still the largest group with nearly 51 million adherents in 2001, up from 46 million in 1990. Baptists are the next largest denomination, but their numbers have stayed about the same over the last decade, at about 34 million. At the other end of the spectrum are 33,000 Druids, 22,000 Santeria, and 11,000 adults who identified themselves as Rastafarian.
Religion in a Free Market argues that one reason the religious landscape in the United States is so rich and dynamic is because of the freedom of religion proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the Constitution. Because of this freedom, the U.S. is a hotbed of new religions, with those who are dissatisfied with their current religious group often finding or creating a new one. This freedom creates an open market where religious groups can find new recruits and many of them are turning to established marketing methods in their efforts to bolster their numbers.
An important question on the 2001 survey was whether the respondent had ever switched religions. About 14 percent of the adult population has switched. Catholics and Methodists were most likely to switch. Of the 9.5 million Catholics who switched, 2.6 million, or about 28 percent, chose "no religion." Most of the rest chose another mainstream Christian religion. Among the 3.8 million Methodists who switched, 23 percent became Baptist, and 18 percent became Catholic.
Switching is just one topic covered in Religion in a Free Market. Readers will learn about
How interfaith households make choices for their children. Why single women are good potential members for some religions. The impact of religion on the U.S. economy. Which religions dominate in various geographic regions of the United States and why. Who the Muslims are in the United States. You'll be surprised to learn that few of them are Arab-Americans. Which religions are most likely among ethnic and racial groups.
Most ideas about religion in the United States were formed more than a generation ago and are woefully out of date. Whether you are a reporter, a political consultant, a marketer, a religious leader, or a social scientist, this comprehensive picture of the religious and non-religious in the United States will bring you up-to-date on religion in America and help you understand the important changes that are taking place.
The authors: Barry Kosmin is Research Professor and Ariela Keysar is Associate Research Professor, Public Policy and Law Program at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
American Religion, Religious Brands, & Markets
The National Profile of Religious Identification
Belief and Belonging
Religious Switching
Who are the Religious and Non-Religious?
Household and Family Characteristics
Where Do You Find the Religious and Non-Religious
Gender and Socioeconomics
Socioeconomic Rankings
Patterns of Consumption of Modern Technologies
Religious Affiliation and Recruitment
Membership Patterns Among Specific Religious Groups
Religion and Political Party Preference
The Race and Ethnic Factor
Profile of the American Muslim Population
Current and Future Trends
(ISBN 978-0-9766973-6-7, 320 pages, June 2006)
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 5:39 AM
