IN SEARCH OF DENOMINATIONAL SUBCULTURES - RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION AND PRO-FAMILY ISSUES REVISITED

While researchers have long contended that religious denominations pro mote and sustain ''subcultural'' differences within the American publi c, this claim has rarely been subjected to rigorous empirical examinat ion We argue that an adequate investigation requires attention to (1) group differences in central tendencies and (2) group differences in h omogeneity. Further, comparisons of both types of group differences sh ould be adjusted to account for denominational variations in sociodemo graphic characteristics. Focusing on attitudes toward ''pro-family'' i ssues (e.g., attitudes toward gender roles, abortion, sexuality), we d evelop such an analysis using data from the 1982-1991 General Social S urveys. Results suggest the existence of both ''conservative'' and ''l iberal'' subcultures regarding certain of these issues. Of particular interest are several intriguing patterns of attitudinal heterogeneity within putatively conservative denominations. Several promising direct ions for future research on religious variations in social values and attitudes are discussed.