On Weber, Pathogens, and Culture: A Global Empirical Analysis of Religion and Individualism
Collectivism-individualism framework is widely employed to explain differences in economic development and democratization. However, little empirical work has been done about the religious microfoundations of this framework. This study closes this gap by providing a global empirical analysis of reli...
| Published in: | Journal for the scientific study of religion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2022
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| In: |
Journal for the scientific study of religion
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Individualism
/ Collectivism
/ Islam
/ Protestantism
/ Religiosity
/ World Values Survey
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| RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy AG Religious life; material religion AX Inter-religious relations BJ Islam CB Christian life; spirituality NCA Ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
pathogen prevalence
B Islam B Protestant Ethic B Weavers B Individualism B Religiosity B Collectivism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Collectivism-individualism framework is widely employed to explain differences in economic development and democratization. However, little empirical work has been done about the religious microfoundations of this framework. This study closes this gap by providing a global empirical analysis of religion and individualism. Distinguishing between piety and religious identity, the study proposes theoretical mechanisms linking religion to varieties of individualism controlling for diffusive effects of denominational size and collectivism inducing exogenous factors. A series of multilevel model estimations using the World Values Surveys along with denominational composition and historical pathogen prevalence confirm that religiosity inhibits social and expressive individualism but engenders economic individualism. Some support is found for Weber's religious ethic thesis as differences emerge among religious denominations. Pathogen prevalence and denominational size somewhat strengthens the negative correlation between religiosity and individualism. These results are robust to alternative specifications and have significant implications about the role of religiosity in shaping individualistic attitudes. |
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| ISSN: | 1468-5906 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12778 |