Spirituality, Shopping, Buying, and Owning: The Relationship between Faith and Consumerism in Older Emerging Adults

• In Event: 1580 - Section on Sociology of Religion Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 04. Religion and Attitudes

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between religiosity and consumerism among emerging adults, specifically how religion affects the relative importance of shopping, buying, and owning in the lives of Americans between the ages of 24 and 29. Drawing on data from Wave 4 of the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), we assess whether religious tradition, service attendance, importance of faith, praying alone, and attempting to observe the Sabbath influence consumerist beliefs and values. We find religion has little impact on consumerist values, while earnings and education have significant impact. As earnings increase, consumerist proclivities increase, while more education is associated with less consumerist beliefs. Getting financial help from parents and financial giving also have some influence on consumerist beliefs. The former is associated with increased consumerism and the latter decreased consumerism. These findings suggest American religion, at least among older emerging adults, does not counter the quasi-religion of consumerism.

Authors

• Peter Mundey, University of Oklahoma

• Brian J. Miller, Wheaton College