Darren E. Sherkat

The impact of protestant fundamentalism on educational attainment

Sociological interest in the material consequences of religious orientations died out following raging debates during the 1960s and 1970s. Using insider documents from conservative Protestant communities, the authors reopen this issue by examining how fundamentalist Protestant cultural orientations discourage educational pursuits. Using data from the Youth Parent Socialization Panel Study they demonstrate that fundamentalist beliefs and conservative Protestant affiliation both have significant and substantial negative influences on educational attainment above and beyond social background factors

Obedience and autonomy: religion and parental values reconsidered

A long research tradition examines the relationships between religion and parental values, defines broadly as the traits that adults find most desirable in children. Two such traits have been of particular interest: obedience and intellectual autonomy. The authors argue that contemporary Conservative Protestants are prone to endorse authoritarian parenting orientations disproportionately -that is, to value obedience at the expense of autonomy. In addition, they hypothesize that Catholics tend to embrace more authoritarian child-rearing values than do non-Conservative Protestants and other Americans

The effects of religion and social support on self-esteem and depression among the suddenly bereaved

This study examines the effects of religion and of the quantity and quality of social support on self-esteem and depression among the suddenly bereaved. Data are collected from medical examiner records and mail-back surveys from family members of victims of suicides and accidental deaths in a large metropolitan area of the United States. Recursive models of church attendance and social support on well-being are estimated using generalized least squares. We find that religious participation significantly increases self-esteem, but has no significant effect on depression. The findings also indicate that frequency of contact with friends and relatives, confiding with friends and relatives, and quality of recieved expressive support independently predict both self-esteem and depression.

Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity

Although previous scholarship has examined the relationship between religious involvement and a wide range of family outcomes, the relationship between religion and extramarital sexual behavior remains understudied. The authors investigate how religious affiliation, participation, and biblical beliefs explain differences in self-reported marital infidelity. This study examines data from the 1991-2004 General Social Surveys and finds that religious factors are associated with the likelihood of marital infidelity. Both church attendance and biblical beliefs are associated with lower odds of self-reported infidelity. Additionally, the authors find substantial denominational variations in the odds of marital infidelity, particularly among those who strongly affiliate with their religious group.

Sexuality and Religious Commitment in the United States: An Empirical Examination

I provide an empirical assessment of the religious commitments of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in the United States. I compare the religiosity of gay men and lesbians and bisexuals to each other and to male and female heterosexuals, while controlling for a host of sociodemographic factors that may contribute to differences across the gender/sexuality groups. To accomplish this, I examine data from the 1991–2000 General Social Surveys (GSS). During this period, the GSS asked respondents for the sex of their sex partners over the last five years. The GSS finds that 4.3 percent of men and 3.1 percent of women report same-sex sexual partners in the five years preceding the interview—this is a larger proportion than members of “other” races, Episcopalians, or Jews. I find that gay men have high rates of religious participation, while lesbians and bisexuals have significantly lower rates of participation. Nonheterosexuals are more likely to become apostates when compared to female heterosexuals, but no more so than are heterosexual men. My findings are at odds with religious pundits who suggest that alternative sexuality mixes with religion more often for females than for males. The results are in concert with contemporary theories regarding the formation of religious preferences, and risk preferences and religiosity.

BEYOND BELIEF: ATHEISM, AGNOSTICISM, AND THEISTIC CERTAINTY IN THE UNITED STATES

Atheism, agnosticism, and undoubting belief in a one true god are pivotal issues distinguishing religious adherents. Shifts in the rates of atheism and agnosticism can influence the composition of religious markets. Demand side rational actor models and the new demographic approach to religious commitments emphasize the influence of life course dynamics on religious desires. I examine multiple predictors of different types of belief in God using data from the General Social Surveys. I employ ordinal logistic regression to test the effects of social status, gender, race, region and city size, family structure, and denominational affiliation on the odds of being an atheist, agnostic, doubting believer, or a consistent believer. I also examine trends in these belief configurations, and whether cohort variations might evidence a coming shift in the relative rates of belief and unbelief.

Predictors of breast cancer screening in a panel study of African American women.

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study examines the predictors of breast cancer screening participation in a panel study of African American women over age 40. We examine the effect of depression, age, beliefs and concerns about breast cancer and its risk, communication with social networks regarding screening, marital status, participation in religious organizations, breast cancer family history, and participation in a breast cancer education program. Methods: Participants were recruited from 30 African American churches, two low-income housing projects, and from a health fair at a historically African American University (N = 364). Participants were interviewed upon recruitment, and three months later. Multinomial logistic regression models are estimated to assess the relative impact of covariates on the odds of getting a mammogram while controlling for other factors. We also assess predicted probabilities of screening at specific levels of covariates. Results: We find that age, marriage, an educational intervention, talking with friends, and believing that early detection can lead to cure had a positive impact on getting a mammogram between T1 and T2. In contrast, depression significantly reduces the odds of getting a mammogram. Family histories of breast cancer and church participation have no effect on rates of mammography net of other factors.

African-American religious affiliation in the late 20th century: Cohort variations and patterns of switching, 1973-1998

This article investigates shifts in religious affiliation among African Americans over the last three decades and across cohorts. I examine data from the 1973–1998 General Social Surveys to analyze denominational growth and decline, and patterns of religious switching. I compare variations in religious loyalty/switching and patterns of mobility across eight salient religious groupings; cohort variations are tested across pre– and post–civil rights cohorts. I examine a range of log–linear and log–multiplicative models to summarize patterns of switching and to see whether patterns vary across cohorts. I find that the “black mainline” Methodist and Baptist denominations lose members from switching and have lower market share because of the ascendance of conservative sects. Further, nonaffiliation is growing, particularly in the post–civil rights cohort. I found no variations in patterns of mobility over time or across cohorts—only in the rates of switching that drive the levels of mobility.

Race, Gender, and Health Care Service Utilization and Costs among Medicare Elderly with Psychiatric Diagnoses:

Objective: To investigate race and gender differences in health care service utilization and costs among the Medicare elderly with psychiatric diagnoses. Methods: The authors employ a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries from Tennessee (N = 33,680), and among those with a psychiatric diagnosis (n = 5,339), they examine health care service utilization and costs by race and gender. Results: African Americans had significantly higher rates of diagnosis for dementia, organic psychosis, and schizophrenia, whereas Whites had significantly higher rates for mood and anxiety disorders. White and African American men have higher rates of utilization of emergency and inpatient services and lower rates of outpatient utilization compared to White women and African American women. African American men have significantly higher health care costs. Discussion: The findings suggest that race and gender interact to influence service utilization and preventive care, thereby driving up costs of care, for elderly persons with psychiatric diagnoses.

Group Therapy for Depressed Elderly Women

Abstract We describe and evaluate a group therapy program targeting depression among elderly residents (N=303) of subsidized high-rise apartments in Nashville, TN. This eclectic program was comprised of 12 sessions (a total of 24 hours) that included modules on exercise and preventive health behaviors, cognitive and re-motivation therapy, reminiscence and grief therapy, and social skills development. Our multivariate regression analyses of pre-post measures using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) showed that the effects of the group therapy varied by race, age, and level of initial depression among the participants. The program was effective in reducing depression, but only among Caucasian women who reported at least moderate depression prior to the program, and it yielded greater benefits for women between 55 and 75 years of age.