Examining Millennial Religious-Political Associational Structures Using Latent Class Analysis

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

Abstract

Past literature has established a significant relationship between religiosity and political belief and behavior. Specifically, high religiosity has become increasingly associated with conservative identification, and conversely, secularism correlates with liberalism. However, many scholars argue that this apparent dynamic of polarization only applies to a small portion of the population, with most Americans occupying a religious and political middle ground. In this study, I propose that linear analyses of relationships between religious and political constructs may not capture the heterogeneity of religious-political associational structures. I examine this heterogeneity using latent class analysis of a sample of millennials. I identify six different classes which vary by religiosity, view of God, and political interest and engagement. I find that 30% of the sample falls into previously-studied politically active, religiously and ideologically polarized classes, while the other 70% exhibits different combinations of religiosity and political engagement. Classes differ significantly in demographic characteristics such as race, education level, and census region.

Author

• Jesse Smith, The Pennsylvania State University