I just read a study on the positive effect of parent religiosity on children's social skills, self-control, and approaches to learning. To some who think that religion breeds intolerance, such studies may prove to be enlightening of the beneficial aspects of religious involvement. Here's some interesting quotes from the article:
"Kids with religious parents are better behaved and adjusted than other children."
"The kids whose parents regularly attended religious services... were rated by both parents and teachers as having better self-control, social skills and approaches to learning than kids with non-religious parents."
"Bartkowski thinks religion can be good for kids for three reasons. First, religious networks provide social support to parents, he said, and this can improve their parenting skills."
"Secondly, the types of values and norms that circulate in religious congregations tend to be self-sacrificing and pro-family."
"Finally, religious organizations imbue parenting with sacred meaning and significance, he said."
The study noted that secular interventions designed to accomplish the same goals were not as effective and the study did not have an answer as to why this might be.
3 comments:
Dr. Jeff Bjorck, a Fuller professor who recently gave a lecture on religious coping, argued that research says that religious coping involves more than just social support. What some researchers don't understand is that people perceive God giving them support above and beyond the support of the congregation. The article humbly acknowledges that the researchers did not have a full explanation for the benefit of religion over that of secular interventions, but that is inexcusable due to the emerging literature that points out this trend.
I also have to take some offense at the lack of mention that religious parents might actually be better behaved, more loving, and provide better social environments than non-religious parents. To completely ignore the possibility that religious parents may actually be better people as a result of their religious attendance is insulting. While the attempts at explaining the positive effects of religion in this article were correct, they weren't comprehensive of the reasons that are given in the research literature and that are self-evident from common sense.
The article is interesting. I would not agree that religious parents are better behaved and more loving. I was once involved with a family that was very loving and taught good morals, but they were not Christians.
Often times there are religious children who turn the other direction. For example, the stereotype of "pastor son" holds true in a lot of cases.
I think that most of the time religious families are better off, but we should not take offense that people do not put Christian parents on a pedestal.
Well the point of the article is not about the exceptions to the rule, it is about the general pattern. It seems that the general pattern indicates that children of religious parents are better behaved.
And I don't feel like I was taking offense at Christian parents not being put on a pedastal, I just feel that completely neglecting the possibility is insulting. But maybe you're right, I shouldn't expect too much, given the prejudices people have against religious people.
Hmm, pastor's son's eh? Had a personal experience with this have we? :p
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