THE SEMI-INVOLUNTARY INSTITUTION REVISITED - REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN CHURCH PARTICIPATION AMONG BLACK-AMERICANS

Citation
Cg. Ellison et De. Sherkat, THE SEMI-INVOLUNTARY INSTITUTION REVISITED - REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN CHURCH PARTICIPATION AMONG BLACK-AMERICANS, Social forces, 73(4), 1995, pp. 1415-1437
Citations number
75
Categorie Soggetti
Sociology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00377732
Volume
73
Issue
4
Year of publication
1995
Pages
1415 - 1437
Database
ISI
SICI code
0037-7732(1995)73:4<1415:TSIR-R>2.0.ZU;2-1
Abstract
This study explores contemporary regional variations in African Americ an religious life. Building on a rich tradition of historical and ethn ographic research on the Black church, we contrast the religious envir onments that have traditionally prevailed in the Black communities of the rural South and urban non-South. We emphasize regional variations in (1) the social role of religious institutions, (2) the availability of alternative lifestyles and secular opportunities for status and re sources, and (3) the social norms and community expectations regarding church involvement A series of hypotheses regarding patterns and corr elates of church participation are then tested, using data from the Na tional Survey of Black Americans. Findings indicate that historical re gional variations in African American religious life persist in the co ntemporary period. Moreover, our results suggest that the rural southe rn Black church retains ifs traditional ''semi-involuntary'' character and we discuss the broader theoretical implications of this issue for future research in the sociology of religion.