1

Marina Martinez

Sociology 1

Professor Alvarado

March 11, 2015

Article 1 Summery

Thomas P. O’Conner’s article “The Relative Influence of Youth and Adult experiences on Personal Spirituality and Church Involvement,” deals with research conducted my O’Conner and his colleagues in 1976 they surveyed 206 middle class adults. The researched focused on three denominations; Catholic, Baptist, and Methodist. All the participants were surveyed at the age of 16 years old. The researches wanted to find out the influenced between youth and adult involvement with church. For instance, “the goal for this study was to assess the relative strength of youth and adult influence on their personal religious and institutional church involvement at age 38.” (15)

None the less in order to perform the experiment O’Conner and his team used a research method. For instance, “the type of research method applied to this research are quantitative and qualitative methods and the best theory for explaining the findings was social learning theory.”(15) Furthermore, the researchers wanted to find out the influenced and experience caused religious changes in youth ages 16 and adults age 38. At 16 years of age youth follow the religious patter their parents were raised with. Moreover, when teenagers get older they start questioning their parents religious view and become more open minded. Sometimes friends and people outside of their family circle are a huge influence to their religious changes. The media, internet, radio, social networks are also influence on youth. Thus parents no longer have that power to influence youth and their friend’s opinions are more important than their parents. As a result these influence also causes teenagers at the age of 16 to become inactive in church. At the age of 20 to late 20’s adults start to be more knowledgeable about their own religion and other different ones. Depending on the influence adults around the age of 22 stay loyal to their religious practice and other become inactive completely. Adults at age 30 to 38 tent to be more involve in church.

There are three theories that demonstrate influenced on adult religious practice and church involvement: “family life cycle theory, social learning theory, cultural broadening theory.”(15) In family life cycle theory explains “the needs and tasks an individual must address during different parts of the family life cycle determine his or her church involvement.” Furthermore, social learning theory “views religious theory behavior as a learned behavior arising out of a particular life context. As life contexts change, people change, primarily by observing role models and practicing new behaviors.”(16) Cultural broadening theory explains that it is “required that a community of people support one another’s beliefs in it in daily interactions.”(16)

The subjects tested were age 38 mostly all white both men and women. All part of the three denominations, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist. The subjects were either single, married, divorce, or on their second or third divorce. Some achieved a college education, bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree or a doctorate. According to O’Conner the three denominations demonstrate at the ages of 16 to 38 the rate of church attendance drops (18). When subjects stop attending church they are considered to be inactive in church. 69% or Baptist, 81% of Catholics, and 86% of Methodist became inactive at one point in their lives, more specifically at the age or 21. The reasons are most felt lazy and bored, they lost interest or too busy, doubted their faith, disagreed with church laws, disliked services and worship style, disliked the pastor, and influenced by their partner or spouse. By the age of 38 some of the subjects became active inreligion affairs and church involvement.

Those who didn’t become inactive was due to their church involvement. Adults at age 38 were involve in bible study, Sunday school, Catholic school, youth programs, and worship service. Furthermore, between men and women it was determined that men were more involved in church than women. O’Conner states that “church involvement is mostly determined by adult experience, not earlier religious upbringings, practices, or beliefs.”(15)

The reasons for becoming active in church again are because some got married and had children, needed spiritual healing, influence by spouse, or due to experiences or events that happen. To be specific some subjects became active due to an illness on themselves or a loved one, family death, 14% of the subjects claimed they learned about other religions, thus changing religion and moving towards culture relativism.

Discussion Question

  1. What is the difference between teenagers and adult attitudes towards church involvement?
  2. Do you think it is important to stay active in church? Why or Why not?
  3. The article deals with influencing youth to stay involve on church at a young age. For example bible study, Sunday school, worship service, etc.

What connection is there between Catholics, Methodist, and Baptist in youth programs?