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Category: Race & Ethnicity
Carmel Chiswick on the Economics of American Judaism
Carmel Chiswick (University of Illinois, Chicago and the George Washington University) discusses the economics of American Judaism, showing how higher wage rates and the “cost of time” shaped the way that Jewish immigrants practiced their faith. We look primarily at the German and Russian/East German Jewish immigration of the 19th century and how the socio-economic circumstances of those groups shaped the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements. Our conversation also covers the issues of immigration, education, and assimilation, ending with a discussion of what America Judaism looks like today, what it is likely to become, and how it is influencing Judaism worldwide. Stay tuned for some exciting new podcasts coming soon. [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Gerald De Maio on the Electoral Religion Gap
With the election season heating up, we revisit the issue of whether religion plays a role in voting behavior in the United States. Prof. Gerald De Maio (Baruch College, CUNY) discusses his collaborative research with Louis Bolce on the “religion gap” in American politics. This research indicates that those who attend church more regularly, or who hold more orthodox religious views, tend to vote much differently than seculars. De Maio and Bolce’s research also shows how the media has failed to pick up on this electoral divide while touting other “gaps” — e.g., gender, age, soccer moms — that are much less salient when it comes to predicting election outcomes. We speculate how the “religion gap” will play out in the November 2012 elections. To download, right click on the download link above and select “save target as…” or subscribe for free on iTunes. And please “like” our Facebook Fan Page (Research on Religion with Anthony Gill) to get information about upcoming episodes and see the cartoon that was mentioned in this podcast. [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Richard Flory on Why We Go to Church (and other stuff)
Why do people bother to go to church when a recent Barna Group survey revealed that 60% of all regular attendees could not recall any new insight from their most recent church service? Prof. Richard Flory discusses this finding and several others and speculates on the role the churches play in our lives, arguing that the communal aspect of gathering may be highly underrated when compared with the spiritual education aspect of churches. We also discuss the role that churches can play in the community and whether or not such engagement will help to make church more relevant for youth. Subscribe to us on iTunes for free and never miss an episode! [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Christopher Scheitle’s Religious Road Trip
What do you get when to take a seasoned sociologist and a senior research associate, put them in a rented Dodge Charger for six weeks, and them tell them to find academic enlightenment? A religious road trip, that’s what! Christopher Scheitle tells us tales of his trip with Roger Finke to far flung places such as Memphis, Houston, Colorado Springs, San Francisco, Detroit and Brooklyn in search of what the American religious experience is all about. They visit a wide variety of congregations and take away some important lessons about the diversity and similarities of religious folks in the United States. We also find out who is the better driver – Chris or Roger. Share this experience with your friends and colleagues with our social networking links below. Thanks! [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Scott Poole on Monsters
A week before Halloween, we investigate the darker side of the supernatural with a look at how monsters have been portrayed in American history and what that says about US history. Historian Scott Poole (College of Charleston) talks about his new book, “Monsters in America” and shows how our obsession with, and imagery of, monsters has reflected some very dark trends over the past 400 years. From aliens to zombies, we cover it all in this special spooky version of the increasingly popular podcast! Warning: Not for the faint of heart. Hey! You at least gotta tell your friends about this one! Use those social media buttons below. That’s why we put them there. [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Patrick Mason on Anti-Mormonism and Mitt Romney
With Mitt Romney making waves as a presidential candidate frontrunner for the Republican Party, we visit with Prof. Patrick Mason to discuss the history of anti-Mormon bigotry in the United States tracing it back to the founding of the faith in the 1820s. Subscribe to us on iTunes and let your friends know about us by using the social media links below. Thanks! [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Margarita Mooney on Religion & Haitian Immigrants
To what extent can religious organizations assist immigrants adopting to a new country? Prof. Margarita Mooney (UNC) explores the role of the Catholic Church in assisting individuals of the Haitian diaspora in three communities — Miami, Montreal, and Paris. She discusses the role of personal faith and religious institutions in helping immigrants make the often difficult transition to living in a new environment, and notes that the efforts of Notre Dame d’Haiti in Miami were much more successful than similar efforts in Canada and France. She explains why this is the case and what importance that has for society at large. Our interview also digs into various methodological concerns of doing direct participant observation, a great discussion for students and non-academics who want to understand how social scientific research is conducted. Tell your friends and colleauges about us by connecting with the social media below! [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Ken Wald on the Puzzling Politics of American Jews
Why are American Jews more liberal than their socio-economic non-Jewish counterparts? Connect with us on Facebook by clicking the icon below and to the right! [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Darin Mather on Evangelicals and Racial Attitudes
Darin Mather, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, discusses changing racial attitudes among younger evangelicals (defined as being born after 1957) and their elders, showing how the former are much more tolerant than the latter. Mather’s research also demonstrates that younger evangelicals are becoming more tolerant of racial diversity and have a greater sense of racial solidarity much like their younger non-evangelical counterparts. However, we note that younger evangelicals differ from their peers on public policy issues such as affirmative action and economic assistance to historically disadvantaged communities. We explore reasons for these similarities and differences. “Like us” and link to us on our new Facebook fan page! See the logo below. [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] Louis Bolce on the Media and Anti-Fundamentalism
Prof. Louis Bolce reveals how the news media view Christian fundamentalists and how that media image translates into elite opinion. Based upon extensive use of survey research, Prof. Bolce notes that even though there has been a growing “religious gap” in the American electorate (larger than the “gender gap”), media outlets did not pick up on this trend in a serious way until the 2004 presidential election. The coverage of fundamentalists and evangelicals at that time tended to reinforce stereotypes about this group among individuals who are most attentive to the news. Subscribe to Research on Religion via iTunes or Zune … and tell a friend about us! [ READ THE FULL ARTICLE ] |
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