Religion as a Determinant of Economic and Demographic Behavior in the United States

Abstract

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Sanitation and Religion in South Asia: What Accounts for Differences across Countries?

“…In the United States, the role of religion for outcomes such as marriage, fertility, women’s labour force participation, education, and wages has been widely documented (Lehrer, 2004). In the context of India, there has been considerable discussion among demographers on the role of religion in explaining aggregate differences in fertility and child mortality between Hindus and Muslims (Dharmalingam & Philip Morgan, 2004; Guillot & Allendorf, 2010; Jeffery & Jeffery, 2002; Philip, Stash, Smith, & Mason, 2002).…”

Religion, Politics, and the Social Capital of Children

“…In fact, religious institutions often use strategies to promote childbearing (Lehrer 2004;McQuillan 2004;Morgan 1996;Wilcox, Chaves, and Franz 2004), as some church leaders influence daily behavior of members through broadcasted norms and ensuing "sanctions ranging in format from guilt to damnation" (Lesthaeghe and Surkyn 1988, 13). Indeed, frequency of church attendance, regardless of denomination, is a strong predictor of an individual's preference for families of three or more children (Hayford and Morgan 2008;Lesthaeghe and Surkyn 1988).…”

“…Traditionally, most fertility studies involving religious influence have addressed the differences between Catholics and Protestants, as Catholics tended to have larger families; but currently, this gap is almost nonexistent due to later marriage by Catholics (resulting in fewer children) and larger families of Protestants who attend church frequently (Lehrer 2004;McQuillan 2004;Mosher, Williams and Johnson 1992). More recent studies focus on the fertility differentials between mainline and evangelical Protestants, mostly attributed to doctrinal 5 differences of evangelicals espousing stronger pronatalist views (be fruitful and multiply) and an aversion to contraceptives and abortion (playing God) (Marcum 1981;McQuillan 2004).…”

“…Some of the highest fertility rates in the United States occur in areas with higher concentrations of evangelical Christians 1 or Mormons (Lesthaeghe and Neidert 2006), at the individual level, though individually evangelical Christians only have slightly more children than those of other faith traditions (Hout, Greeley and Wilde 2001;Lehrer 2004;Mosher, Williams, and Johnson 1992). Their families may not be larger than most, but the presence of children in the home may affect political engagement differently for evangelical mothers as compared to their peers.…”

Investigation of the role of parent attitudes, SES and religiosity in university students’ discriminative attitudes

“…The study findings showed that Muslims with high level of dominant society immersion were exposed to the most ethnic and religious discrimination. Strikingly, Lehrer (2004) posited that religious affiliation might be a significant indicator of economic and demographic outcomes in American culture and therefore, religious involvement in the dominant belief system (Christianity) has usually crucial effects on health and economic well-being. Similarly, parents' ethnic-racial and religious socialization practices play a role in transmission of information, values, and perspectives about ethnicity, race, and religion to their children.…”