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A Triangulated and Exploratory Study of the Relationships Between Secularization, Religiosity, and Social Wellbeing

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Abstract

By comparing mainly religious America and secular Europe, several scholars (e.g. Harris, Paul, and Zuckerman) suggested a strong correlation between secularization (non-religiosity) and social well-being. The authors of this paper argue that the preceding thesis may be too simplistic and Western-centric. Without attempting to affirm any specific hypothesis, these authors employed exploratory data analysis and data visualization to unveil patterns found in worldwide data, including the 2013 United Nations Human Development Report, the 2014 Gallup’s Global Wellbeing Index, and the 2013 World Values Survey. It was found that the relationship between secularization and social well-being is not straightforward or clear-cut. In some cases, secularization or lack of religiosity is seemingly linked to better quality of life (e.g. disbelief and inequality-adjusted human development index), while in other cases, the relationship is reversed (e.g. skepticism and adolescent birth rate). In most situations there is no association at all.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, USA

    Chong Ho Yu, Danielle Reimer, Anna Lee & Hyun Seo Lee

  2. Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, USA

    Jean-Paul Snijder

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  1. Chong Ho Yu
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  2. Danielle Reimer
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  3. Anna Lee
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  4. Jean-Paul Snijder
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  5. Hyun Seo Lee
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Correspondence to Chong Ho Yu.

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Yu, C.H., Reimer, D., Lee, A. et al. A Triangulated and Exploratory Study of the Relationships Between Secularization, Religiosity, and Social Wellbeing. Soc Indic Res 131, 1103–1119 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1290-9

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