AND I HAVE FILE Based on the graphs from the Pew Research Center we examined in class this week, explain the connection between geographic location and religiousness.Why do you think religious attitudes are such a strong predictor of political affiliation? Provide an example to explain your answer.What do you think are the main causes of aging populations in Western societies? Outline the biggest challenges you think our society faces in managing the ‘greying’ population over the next 50 years.
religion_politics.pptx
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Religious, Political and
Economic Life
Some interesting facts…
• Religion and politics very
interrelated in the US
• JFK was the first Roman
Catholic President
• Despite separation of church
& state, Christian beliefs &
values part of national culture
(civil religion)
• US more religious than any
other Industrialized nation
What is religion?
• A form of socialization
• Religion both private and
public
Sociological Approaches to Religion
• Key Questions:
– How is faith influenced
by the larger social
world?
– How does faith shape
our social world?
Pew Research Center: Religious Landscape
Study
• http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/
Religion in Everyday Life
• ‘Highly religious’: more
engaged with family,
more likely to volunteer,
report higher levels of
happiness
• Findings in total
population and within
religious groups
Overall Trends
• What is the relationship between levels of US religiousness and…
– Education?
– Age?
– Socio-economics?
– Geography?
– Politics?
Right Leaning
• Steadfast Conservatives
• Business Conservatives
Left Leaning
• Solid Liberals
• Faith & Family Left
• Next Generation Left
Independent/Unaffiliated
• Skeptics
• Bystanders
• Young Outsiders
Comparison of Political Typologies
• http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/26/typology-comparison/
Why are religious attitudes such a strong predictor of political
affiliation? How does this link to the geography of the US?
Political participation
63% of voters went to the
polls in 2008
• Up from 61% in 2004
and 54% in 2000
Voter apathy versus
political apathy Why?
Why is voter participation low?
• No compulsory
registration or voting
• Registration required early
• Two-party system leaves
many voters disaffected
• Multiple levels of local,
state, and national
elections may be
confusing
Exercise: Gaining the Youth Vote
• Why do you think so many
young adults in the 18-30
age group are politically
inactive?
• What issues are they most
concerned with?
…
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