Water or Wine? Drinking with Jesus: Religiosity and Cultural Conservatism vs. Liberalism as a Predictor of Drug and Alcohol Use on Four Different University Campuses

• In Event: Drug and Alcohol on College Campuses and Among Young Adults

Abstract

University campuses in the United States often reflect the surrounding culture, including the political and religious ideology of the region (Rice, 2008). For convenience, this study conceptualized religious and political thinking and participation along a spectrum, ranging from traditional/conservative to liberal/progressive. Conservatism is defined as a community where individuals generally hold values and attitudes resistant to change. Liberalism is defined as a community of individuals with values and attitudes open to change. Research finds that campus drinking links to the embedded cultural ideologies of the region (Presley, Meilman, & Leichliter, 2002). Students in more liberal settings typically drink as a part of social interaction with peers, whereas students enrolled in more conservative settings hide their behavior often drinking in isolation to fight off depression (Wylie & Hill, 1989). This study examined a similar linkage for self-reported drug use among students on four different university campuses. Results suggest a typology for usage, with the following criteria: 1) progressive vs. conservative cultural expectations; 2 a person’s commitment to the dominant ideology predicted substance use. As liberalism increased substance use increased, however, use was moderated by social relationships. Whereas, among conservative students, usage generally decreased, but included more dangerous usage including isolated usage.

Authors

• Shelby Madden, Dixie State University

• R.C. Morris, St. George State University