Perceptions of the Collegiate Religious and Spiritual Climate Among Religious and Nonreligious College Juniors

• In Event: Divergent Perspectives on Religion and Education

Abstract

Marginalization creates a distinct set of circumstances for non-religious college students. Not only must they negotiate the academic and social transitions of college, they must also contend with lived realities that are shaped by their minority status. Religious identification serves as a critical backdrop for the ways in which students adjust to college, engage others, and manage educational demands. This study utilizes data generated by the Collegiate Religious and Spiritual Climate Survey (CRSCS) to examine perceptions of and experiences with the campus climate among non-religious students relative to their religiously-identified peers, and the ways in which other dimensions of identity (gender, race/ethnicity, and religious/spiritual/ideological commitment) intersect with religious identification in shaping perceptions and experiences.

Authors

• Alyssa N. Rockenbach, North Carolina State University

• Nicholas A. Bowman, Bowling Green State University

• Matthew Mayhew, New York University