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Risky Business: Assessing Risk Preference Explanations for Gender Differences in Religiosity |
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Abstract:
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It is well known that women are more religious than men. Miller and Stark (2002) explained this “gender gap” in religiosity as a consequence of men’s greater biological propensity to take risks, or their “risk preference.” Accordingly, they viewed a lack of religious participation as an other-worldly risk. In this paper, we analyze some of the assumptions of risk-preference theory and measure belief in an afterlife to better operationalize other-worldly risk. Using General Social Survey data, we find that risk preference theory cannot adequately explain the gender gap in religiosity because the gender gap is actually larger for those who do not believe in an afterlife than for those who do. We conclude by proposing alternative explanations for findings that contradict Miller and Stark’s theory, with greater attention to sociological understandings of gender. |
Most Common Document Word Stems:
risk (126), gender (93), religi (86), social (67), theori (57), women (47), gap (42), attend (41), believ (41), belief (41), prefer (41), religios (41), stark (34), miller (34), men (34), religion (32), risk-prefer (28), world (27), role (27), individu (27), may (26), |
Author's Keywords:
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religiosity, gender differences, risk-preference theory, socialization, religious belief |
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Association:
Name: American Sociological Association
URL: http://www.asanet.org
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Citation:
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MLA Citation:
| Kroll, Jeffrey. and Roth, Louise. "Risky Business: Assessing Risk Preference Explanations for Gender Differences in Religiosity" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Marriott Hotel, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Philadelphia, PA, Aug 12, 2005 <Not Available>. 2009-05-25 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p20629_index.html> |
APA Citation:
| Kroll, J. C. and Roth, L. M. , 2005-08-12 "Risky Business: Assessing Risk Preference Explanations for Gender Differences in Religiosity" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Marriott Hotel, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Philadelphia, PA Online <PDF>. 2009-05-25 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p20629_index.html |
Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: It is well known that women are more religious than men. Miller and Stark (2002) explained this “gender gap” in religiosity as a consequence of men’s greater biological propensity to take risks, or their “risk preference.” Accordingly, they viewed a lack of religious participation as an other-worldly risk. In this paper, we analyze some of the assumptions of risk-preference theory and measure belief in an afterlife to better operationalize other-worldly risk. Using General Social Survey data, we find that risk preference theory cannot adequately explain the gender gap in religiosity because the gender gap is actually larger for those who do not believe in an afterlife than for those who do. We conclude by proposing alternative explanations for findings that contradict Miller and Stark’s theory, with greater attention to sociological understandings of gender. |
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| Document Type: |
PDF |
| Page count: |
27 |
| Word count: |
7299 |
| Text sample: |
| Risky Business: Assessing Risk Preference Explanations for Gender Differences in Religiosity Scholars of religion have long noted that women are almost universally more religious than men (see Walter and Davie 1998 and Stark 2002 for reviews). Many explanations for this gender gap are centered on differential socialization although Miller and Stark more recently explained this gender gap as a consequence of men’s greater biological propensity to take risks (Miller and Stark 2002). Defining irreligion as a risk of divine |
| work 0.26* 0.22 Unemployed -0.16 0.58 Out of labor force 0.13 0.08 Number of children 0.20** 0.23** Sex-role traditionalism 0.45** 0.43** N 8 267 5 275 3 667 5 245 5 234 1 479 1 477 2 R 0.02 0.05 0.1 0.1 0.12 0.18 0.19 * p < .05 ** p < .01 Source: GSS 1998 2000 and 2002. 27 |
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