Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ReligSpace (The Effect of Manifestations of Religion in the Public Space on Sociopolitical Integration of Minority-Religion Immigrants)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-04-01 al 2023-09-30
Recent globalization and immigration trends are motivating tremendous efforts to regulate manifestations of minority religions in the public space, such as religious structures, stores, attire, and rituals (hereafter, spatial religious manifestations). Yet the empirical literature has, to date, not taken on the methodologically and conceptually challenging undertaking of theorizing, operationalizing, and assessing this dimension of religion. In particular, it remains unclear what causal effect manifestations of religion in the public space have on minority-religion immigrants’ sociopolitical integration: do they, by validating immigrants’ identity, facilitate a sense of belonging and the endorsement of local practices, or nurture alienation and hostility toward the host society?
Integrating up-to-date theories and methods from political science, psychology, sociology, and geography, and optimizing external and internal validity, ReligSpace is the first large-scale research examining the causal effect of exposure to spatial religious cues on sociopolitical integration, studying minority-religion immigrants of the three monotheistic religions in three urban settings.
ReligSpace is divided into three work packages: (1) conceptualization and operationalization of spatial religious manifestations; (2) comparative naturalistic and survey-embedded experiments examining the effect of real- world spatial religious cues on minority-religion immigrants’ sociopolitical integration; and (3) a panel survey with geocoded data analyzing the conditions in which spatial religious cues are particularly instrumental in local-level integration. The comparative experiments and surveys are conducted in Tel Aviv, Paris, and London, using innovative VR technologies and unique GPS navigation devices.
Besides developing a novel approach to the study of religion in politics, ReligSpace opens new horizons in the understanding of aggregated cultural effects in real-world settings, with insights into the dynamics that would advance a more inclusive society via nuanced policies and informed urban planning.
Based on the materials we have developed in the theoretical part (WP1), we published two journal articles:
1. “Religion and Democratic Commitment: A Unifying Motivational Framework” was published in Advances in Political Psychology (April 2021).
2. “A Motivational Framework of Acculturation” was published in Brain and Behavior (June 2021). Both articles are available open access. We have also presented our work at some conferences: The 2020 ISPP Annual Meeting; The 78th Annual MPSA Conference; The 2021 MoHeaP Virtual Workshop; The 2021 ISPP Annual Meeting; The 2021 IACCP summer school (see section 3.1 below).
Integrating up-to-date theories and methods from political science, psychology, sociology, and geography, and optimizing external and internal validity, ReligSpace is the first large-scale research examining the causal effect of exposure to spatial religious cues on sociopolitical integration, studying minority-religion immigrants of the three monotheistic religions in three urban settings.
ReligSpace is divided into three work packages: (1) conceptualization and operationalization of spatial religious manifestations; (2) comparative naturalistic and survey-embedded experiments examining the effect of real- world spatial religious cues on minority-religion immigrants’ sociopolitical integration; and (3) a panel survey with geocoded data analyzing the conditions in which spatial religious cues are particularly instrumental in local-level integration. The comparative experiments and surveys are conducted in Tel Aviv, Paris, and London, using innovative VR technologies and unique GPS navigation devices.
Besides developing a novel approach to the study of religion in politics, ReligSpace opens new horizons in the understanding of aggregated cultural effects in real-world settings, with insights into the dynamics that would advance a more inclusive society via nuanced policies and informed urban planning.
Based on the materials we have developed in the theoretical part (WP1), we published two journal articles:
1. “Religion and Democratic Commitment: A Unifying Motivational Framework” was published in Advances in Political Psychology (April 2021).
2. “A Motivational Framework of Acculturation” was published in Brain and Behavior (June 2021). Both articles are available open access. We have also presented our work at some conferences: The 2020 ISPP Annual Meeting; The 78th Annual MPSA Conference; The 2021 MoHeaP Virtual Workshop; The 2021 ISPP Annual Meeting; The 2021 IACCP summer school (see section 3.1 below).
Below are the achievements of the project so far. During the first period of the project, the PI, Prof. Pazit Ben-Nun Bloom was on maternity leave from September 2019 to January 2020.
We have devised scales measuring levels of acculturation and religiosity to be applied in our surveys and experiments. We conducted a series of pretests to validate these scales. First, we have developed new scales for measuring religiosity, religious expressions, and religious motivations. We tested a model of relations between religious motivations and religious expressions using data from Christians in the United Kingdom (Study 1; N = 418) and Jews in Israel (Study 2; N = 505). This model advances research on the psychology of religion beyond the refinement of typologies by demonstrating links between religious phenomena using a non-reductionist, integrated account. A paper presenting the conceptualization of religiosity was published online in Advances in Political Psychology (“Religion and Democratic Commitment: A Unifying Motivational Framework” early view online)
Second, we have adjusted and tested acculturation measures. Based on the current literature, we designed a scale distinguishing between motivations and means in acculturation, measuring separately (1) the motivation, and (2) the means, to (1) preserve one’s heritage culture, and (2) adopt one’s host culture. We propose that as a motivated process, acculturation must be understood using a motivational framework, in which individuals seek to preserve or reject their heritage culture, as well as to adopt or reject their host culture. We use theories of goal constructs to inform a motivational model of acculturation, distinguishing between motivations and means in acculturation. We tested the utility of this model in two distinct samples comprising immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Israel (N = 239) as well as immigrants from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to Britain (N = 236). Results revealed that the motivation to preserve one’s heritage culture and the motivation to adopt one’s host culture were each uniquely associated with the respective means for doing so. Furthermore, motivations in acculturation and means in acculturation interacted to predict acculturation outcomes. These findings point to the instrumentality of analyzing the process of acculturation using a motivational framework and point to novel avenues for research in acculturation. A paper was published in Brain and Behavior (“A Motivational Framework of Acculturation” Vol 11; Issue 8; e2267). The Paper is available open access.
In addition, we developed static pictures designed in an immersive model presenting spatial religious cues vs. control in outdoor and indoor public spaces. We carried out survey-experiment pretests in a student- (PP lab) and iPanel- (general Jewish public) samples validating these experimental materials. These pretests examined the realism and recollection of these spatial religious cues as well as potential demand effect (e.g. manipulation awareness) and basic effect on democratic norms.
We have embarked on data collection for the field experiment in Tel Aviv, first with native Jewish subjects (July 2021) and later with Muslim immigrants (September 2021) (see Part B, section 2).
We have devised scales measuring levels of acculturation and religiosity to be applied in our surveys and experiments. We conducted a series of pretests to validate these scales. First, we have developed new scales for measuring religiosity, religious expressions, and religious motivations. We tested a model of relations between religious motivations and religious expressions using data from Christians in the United Kingdom (Study 1; N = 418) and Jews in Israel (Study 2; N = 505). This model advances research on the psychology of religion beyond the refinement of typologies by demonstrating links between religious phenomena using a non-reductionist, integrated account. A paper presenting the conceptualization of religiosity was published online in Advances in Political Psychology (“Religion and Democratic Commitment: A Unifying Motivational Framework” early view online)
Second, we have adjusted and tested acculturation measures. Based on the current literature, we designed a scale distinguishing between motivations and means in acculturation, measuring separately (1) the motivation, and (2) the means, to (1) preserve one’s heritage culture, and (2) adopt one’s host culture. We propose that as a motivated process, acculturation must be understood using a motivational framework, in which individuals seek to preserve or reject their heritage culture, as well as to adopt or reject their host culture. We use theories of goal constructs to inform a motivational model of acculturation, distinguishing between motivations and means in acculturation. We tested the utility of this model in two distinct samples comprising immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Israel (N = 239) as well as immigrants from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to Britain (N = 236). Results revealed that the motivation to preserve one’s heritage culture and the motivation to adopt one’s host culture were each uniquely associated with the respective means for doing so. Furthermore, motivations in acculturation and means in acculturation interacted to predict acculturation outcomes. These findings point to the instrumentality of analyzing the process of acculturation using a motivational framework and point to novel avenues for research in acculturation. A paper was published in Brain and Behavior (“A Motivational Framework of Acculturation” Vol 11; Issue 8; e2267). The Paper is available open access.
In addition, we developed static pictures designed in an immersive model presenting spatial religious cues vs. control in outdoor and indoor public spaces. We carried out survey-experiment pretests in a student- (PP lab) and iPanel- (general Jewish public) samples validating these experimental materials. These pretests examined the realism and recollection of these spatial religious cues as well as potential demand effect (e.g. manipulation awareness) and basic effect on democratic norms.
We have embarked on data collection for the field experiment in Tel Aviv, first with native Jewish subjects (July 2021) and later with Muslim immigrants (September 2021) (see Part B, section 2).