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ERIC Number: EJ699228
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Oct
Pages: 13
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0160-7960
EISSN: N/A
Similarities and Differences between Religiosity and Spirituality in African American College Students: A Preliminary Investigation
Berkel, LaVerne A.; Armstrong, Tonya D.; Cokley, Kevin O.
Counseling and Values, v49 n1 p2 Oct 2004
Spirituality is emerging as a significant area of inquiry for physical and mental health professionals (for a review see George, Larson, Koenig, & McCullough, 2000). Defined as the degree to which individuals endorse a relationship with God or a transcendent force that brings meaning and purpose to their existence, spirituality affects the ways in which one operates in the world (Armstrong, 1996). Research in this area has consistently shown evidence of associations between spirituality and both mental and physical health (e.g., Larson & Larson, 2003). Given this important association, it is vital for scholars to better understand how spirituality relates to other variables of interest in health research, particularly religiosity. A small but growing body of literature focuses specifically on relationships between spirituality and health for African Americans (e.g., Brome, Owens, Allen, & Vevaina, 2000; Musgrave, Allen, & Allen, 2002). The primary purpose of this preliminary investigation was to examine similarities and differences among several types of religiosity and spirituality. A secondary purpose of this study was to clarify conflicting findings regarding sex differences in religiosity and spirituality. A convenience sample of 171 African American undergraduate and graduate students from two large eastern universities was used for this study. The participants completed a one-page demographic sheet that recorded age, race, sex, sexual orientation, years of education, marital status, religious affiliation, and number of religious services attended annually. This study, although preliminary in nature, has implications for counselors working with African American clients. It highlights the multidimensionality of religion and spirituality, cautioning counselors to more thoroughly assess (a) if religion or spirituality is important for their clients and (b) which aspects of religion or spirituality are most important, and the implications of this.
American Counseling Association, 5999 Stevenson Ave., Alexandria, VA 22304. Web site: http://www.counseling.org.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: Students
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A