Even in predominantly religious societies, there are substantial individual differences in religious commitment. Why is this? One possibility is that differences in social conformity (i.e. the tendency to think and behave as others do) underlie inclination towards religiosity. However, the link between religiosity and conformity has not yet been directly examined. In this study, we tested the n...

The physician-patient relationship, which is the cornerstone of medical practice, is based upon a transaction between a sufferer and a healer. The healer is not only confronted with the patient's immediate medical needs but also with psycho-social problems which the illness causes, or is caused by. The physician therefore fulfills many functions: those of a technologist, philosopher, priest, so...

Many studies have documented the benefits of religious involvement. Indeed, highly religious people tend to be healthier, live longer, and have higher levels of subjective well-being. While religious involvement offers clear benefits to many, in this paper we explore whether it may also be detrimental to some. Specifically, we examine in detail the relation between religious involvement and sub...

the purpose of this article was to study, from a sociological point of view, the factors affecting commitment of shiraz high school students to religious values. the study was carried out within the theoretical framework of weber, parsons, inghart and mead. the data was collected through a questionnaire from a sample of 380 high school students in shiraz in the academic year 2001-2002. independ...

Previous research suggests that gays and lesbians not only look to the law as an important site of social recognition but also pursue strategies to legitimate their relationships outside of the law, such as having commitment ceremonies in religious institutions. While previous research suggests that homosexuality is a divisive issue within religious communities, we know little about how heteros...