Role of Church Affiliation and the Sexual Behaviour Choices of Students in Selected Universities in Nairobi County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/ijhss.1641Keywords:
Church Affiliation, Sexual Behaviour Choices, Religiosity, and SpiritualityAbstract
Purpose: The current study sheds light on the role of church affiliation in shaping sexual attitudes and behaviour. Not enough was known about how Christianity can influence the construction of values and beliefs that discourage risky sexual behaviour among adolescents at universities in Kenya. Little was understood on the role of church affiliation explaining variation in adolescent sexuality among Christian communities at universities. Spirituality is an understudied subtype of religiosity yet it may explain patterns of sexual behaviour. Most studies that have examined the relationship between sexual behaviours and religiosity have focused on sexual intercourse. These studies have not examined other sexual behaviour choices, like internet sex.
Methodology: Using a mixed-methods design, the relationship between church affiliation and sexual behaviour was examined. In quantitative analysis, a stratified probability sample of (n=176 students) who attend regular prayer sessions in three universities: the Kenyatta University (KU) Main Campus, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Karen Campus, and the Daystar University was used. Qualitative interviews were conducted with university administrators, chaplains, and other church workers. Undergirding the study was the social identity theory, which articulates the idea of people seeking to gain membership and acceptance in any social group.
Findings: The findings suggest church affiliation has a significant effect on sexual attitudes, values, and behaviour. There seems to be an interaction between extrinsic and intrinsic religiosity, with frequent church attendance appearing to induce more conservative sexual beliefs, attitudes and behaviour. Church affiliation had a significant effect on sexual behaviour choices, which includes internet sex and cohabitation and extreme sexual activities.
Downloads
References
Abar, B., Carter, K. L., & Winsler, A. (2009). The effects of maternal parenting style and religious commitment on self-regulation, academic achievement, and risk behaviour among African American parochial college students. Journal of Adolescence, 32(2), 259- 273.
Bearman, P. S., & Brückner, H. (2015). Promising the future: Virginity pledges and first intercourse1. American Journal of Sociology, 21(2),48-67.
Beckwith, H. D., & Morrow, J. A. (2005). “Sexual Attitudes of College Students: The Impact of Religiosity and Spirituality, Journal, Vol. 39, Issue 2, p357-366.
Creswell, JW (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications
Denzin P., Coleman, Simon. (2006). "Materializing the Self: Words and Gifts in the Construction of Charismatic Protestant Identity," pp. 163-184 in Fenella Cannell (ed.), The Anthropology of Christianity. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Haerich, O. (2012). Essentials of Environmental Issues: The World and Nigeria in Perspective. Ibadan: Daily Graphic Publications.
Leedy, Paul, Ormrod, J. (2001). Practical Research: Planning and Design. (7th Ed.). Upper Saddle, Prentice-Hall.
Kabiru, C.W. & Orpinas, P. (2009) Factors associated with sexual activity among high school students in Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Adolescence 32(4), pp. 1023–1039
Landor, A., Simons, L. G., Simons, R. L., Brody, G. H., & Gibbons, F. X. (2011). The role of religiosity in the relationship between parents, peers, and adolescent risky sexual behaviour. Journal of youth and adolescence, 40(3), 296-309.
Lefkowitz, E. S., Gillen, M. M., Shearer, C. L., & Boone, T. L. (2004). Religiosity, sexual behaviours, and sexual attitudes during emerging adulthood. Journal of Sex Research, 41, 150-159.
Mastai, P. (2010). Risky sexual behaviours among female in-school adolescents in Delta, Nigeria: Self-Esteem, Parental Involvement and Religiosity as Predictors. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 10(31). Matter of Attitude". Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 45 (4): 413 – 426.
Morhason-Bello, Oladokun, W. Enakpene, R. Fabamiro, T. Obisesan, W. and Ojengbede, Y. (2008). Christianity, religiosity and adolescent risky sexual health behaviour in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1), 48-55.
Rowatt D. and Schmitt, A. (2013). The Way of the Elders: West African Spirituality and
Tradition. Saint Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications
Thorton, Arland, and Donald Camburn. (1989). "Religious Participation and Adolescent Sexual Behavior and Attitudes." Journal of Marriage and Family, 51(3): 641-53.
Zaidi, R. Couture-Carron, Maticka-Tyndale and Arif, M. (2014). A profile of the sexual experiences of African, Caribbean and Black Canadian youth in the context of Canadian youth sexuality. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 25(1), 41-52.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr. Marseline Cherono Rotich, Dr. Margaret Gecaga, Dr. Josephine Gitome
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.