God vs. Self: Who is in control? Divine control, mastery, and the socially marginalized

• In Event: 2329 - Section on the Sociology of Religion Referred Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 3. Religion and Stratification

Abstract

An individual's sense of control, a measure of mental health and human agency, varies by both social status and religiosity. Past research indicates that within the US SES consistently enhances one's sense of control and religiosity often does too, but not always. In particular, the effect of believing that God directs one's fate, a sense of divine control, has on one's sense of personal control differs depending on SES. Using data of Baylor Religion Survey wave 5, this paper investigates how and why religious belief affects people differently, depending on subjective SES and race, in net of objective SES. Results suggest that divine control is most self-empowering to those who have less worldly status and power.

Authors

• Yingling Liu, Baylor University

• Paul Froese, Baylor University

• Christopher G. Ellison, University of Texas-San Antonio