ERIC Number: EJ769673
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 26
Abstractor: Author
Reference Count: 51
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0743-5584
The Identity Formation Experiences of Church-Attending Rural Adolescents
Good, Marie; Willoughby, Teena
Journal of Adolescent Research, v22 n4 p387-412 2007
The purpose of this study was to access adolescents' voices regarding the impact of religiosity on everyday experiences of identity construction. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 adolescents ages 15-19 living in a rural community; half were regular and committed members of a local church, and the other half never attended church. We wanted to differentiate between the responses that were primarily related to rural culture, and those that were related to religion. Clear differences emerged between the church group and the control group with regard to role models, turning points, career goals, family goals, and commitment to Christian values. Results suggest that differences between urban and rural adolescents in identity-related domains (i.e., career, family) may be a product of religious rather than geographical factors.
Descriptors: Adolescents, Role Models, Control Groups, Rural Education, Identification (Psychology), Adolescent Attitudes, Interviews, Religion, Christianity, Career Planning, Rural Urban Differences
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A

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