The Impact of Religious Rituals on Cultural Identity: Review of the Relationship between Religious Practices and Cultural Belonging

Authors

  • Juan Santiago United States International University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47941/ijcrs.1346

Keywords:

Religious Rituals, Cultural Identity, Impact, Formation, Intergenerational Transmission

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of religious rituals on cultural identity- a review of the relationship between religious practices and cultural belonging.

Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive's time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.

Findings: The findings revealed that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the impact of religious rituals on cultural identity. Preliminary empirical review demonstrated that religious rituals play a crucial role in the formation, maintenance, and negotiation of cultural identity within diverse religious communities and cultural contexts. Engaging in religious rituals fosters a sense of belonging, strengthens cultural values and traditions, and contributes to the intergenerational transmission of cultural identity. Furthermore, religious rituals serve as symbolic expressions of cultural identity, reinforcing social cohesion and providing individuals with a sense of shared identity and purpose.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Social Identity theory, Symbolic Interactionism and the Cultural Identity theory may be used to anchor future studies on the impact of religious rituals on cultural identity. The study recommended for foster intergenerational dialogues, promoting of cultural education, facilitation of interfaith exchanges, encouraging of ritual adaptation, supporting of community engagements and making collaborations with cultural organizations.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Arnett, J. J., Fritz, J. M., & Bellur, S. (2016). The Developmental Context of Cultural Identity Formation. In B. Soenens, M. Vansteenkiste, & S. Van Petegem (Eds.), Contemporary Perspectives on Research in Motivation in Early Childhood Education (pp. 147-166). Springer.

Bell, C. (2017). Ritual: Perspectives and dimensions. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication.

Berger, P. L. (2014). The sacred canopy: Elements of a sociological theory of religion. Open Road Media.

Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. University of California Press.

Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. (2010). Censo Demográfico 2010: Características Gerais da População, Religião e Pessoas com Deficiência. Retrieved from https://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/

Çancı, H., & Odukoya, O. A. (2016). Ethnic and religious crises in Nigeria: A specific analysis upon identities (1999-2013). African Journal on Conflict Resolution, 16(1), 87-110.

Chan, A. L., & Lee, S. Y. (2019). The impact of religious rituals on cultural identity: A mixed-methods study in a multicultural context. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(1), 124-139.

Chang, S., & Smith, R. (2017). Quantifying the impact of religious rituals on cultural identity: A survey-based approach. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42(2), 298-315.

Edmonds, E., & Turner, L. (Eds.). (2018). Making religion, making the state: The politics of religion in modern China. Brill.

Filc, D. (2015). Latin American inclusive and European exclusionary populism: colonialism as an explanation. Journal of Political Ideologies, 20(3), 263-283.

Gifford, P. (2019). Ritual and ritual studies. In R. Segal & K. von Stuckrad (Eds.), Vocabulary for the Study of Religion (pp. 193-203). Brill.

Hall, S. (1990). Cultural identity and diaspora. In J. Rutherford (Ed.), Identity: Community, culture, difference (pp. 222-237). Lawrence & Wishart.

Katzenstein, P. J. (2018). Cultural norms and national security: Police and military in postwar Japan. Cornell University Press.

Kwak, K., & Berry, J. W. (2017). The impact of religious rituals on cultural identity in immigrant communities: A comparative study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 48(5), 653-670.

Lopez, S. J., & Mendez, L. (2015). Exploring the psychological mechanisms of religious rituals on cultural identity: An experimental study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(4), 562-576.

Lopez, S. J., & Mendez, L. (2015). Exploring the psychological mechanisms of religious rituals on cultural identity: An experimental study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(4), 562-576.

Maduagwu, M. O. (2021). Language and African Cultural Identity: A Reflection. Arts and Social Science Research, 11(1), 21-21.

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. (2021). Population Estimates Monthly Report. Retrieved from https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/2020np/index.html

National Population Commission, Nigeria. (2010). Nigerian Population Census 2006: Final Results. Retrieved from http://www.population.gov.ng/

Nguyen, H. T., & Chen, F. (2016). The intergenerational transmission of cultural identity through religious rituals: A longitudinal study. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 22(1), 38-47.

Office for National Statistics. (2021). Ethnicity facts and figures: United Kingdom. Retrieved from https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/uk-population-by-ethnicity/national-and-regional-populations/population-of-england-and-wales/latest

Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. (2011). Census of India: Data on Religion. Retrieved from http://www.censusindia.gov.in/

Pew Research Center. (2015). America's Changing Religious Landscape. Retrieved from https://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

Pew Research Center. (2018). The Global Religious Landscape: Sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from https://www.pewforum.org/2018/06/13/sub-saharan-africa/

Roth, W. D., & Ivemark, B. (2018). Genetic options: The impact of genetic ancestry testing on consumers' racial and ethnic identities. American Journal of Sociology, 124(1), 150-184.

Sample, J. T., & Johnson, L. K. (2018). The role of religious rituals in cultural identity formation: A qualitative study. Journal of Cultural Psychology, 15(3), 301-318.

Smith, G., & Woodhead, L. (2018). Religion and Brexit: populism and the Church of England. Religion, State & Society, 46(3), 206-223.

Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel & W. G. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of Intergroup Relations (pp. 7-24). Nelson-Hall.

Tsui, A. B., & Tollefson, J. W. (2017). 1 Language Policy and the Construction of National Cultural Identity. In Language policy, culture, and identity in Asian contexts (pp. 1-22). Routledge.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2021). QuickFacts United States. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221

Wong, Y. J., & Kim, B. S. (2016). The influence of religious rituals on cultural identity among youth: A cross-cultural study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(11), 2259-2273.

Downloads

Published

2023-07-10

How to Cite

Santiago, J. (2023). The Impact of Religious Rituals on Cultural Identity: Review of the Relationship between Religious Practices and Cultural Belonging. International Journal of Culture and Religious Studies, 4(2), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.47941/ijcrs.1346

Issue

Section

Articles