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The Evolution of Secularization: Cultural Transmission, Religion and Fertility. Theory, Simulations and Evidence

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Author Info

  • Ronen Bar-El

    (Department of Economics and Management, The Open University, Israel)

  • Teresa García-Muñoz

    () (Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa - Universidad de Granada)

  • Shoshana Neuman

    () (Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel;CEPR, London; IZA, Bonn)

  • Yossef Tobol

    (Inter-Disciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel)

Abstract

This study presents an evolutionary process of secularization that integrates a theoretical model, simulations, and an empirical estimation that employs data from 32 countries (included in the International Social Survey Program: Religion II – ISSP, 1998). Following Bisin and Verdier (2000, 2001a), it is assumed that cultural/social norms are transmitted from one generation to the next one via two venues: (i) direct socialization – across generations, by parents; and (ii) oblique socialization – within generations, by the community and cultural environment. This paper focuses on the transmission of religious norms and in particular on the 'religious taste for children'. The theoretical framework describes the setting and the process leading to secularization of the population; the simulations give more insight into the process; and 'secularization regressions' estimate the effects of the various explanatory variables on secularization (that is measured by rare mass-attendance and by rare-prayer), lending support to corollaries derived from the theory and simulations. The main conclusions/findings are that (i) direct religious socialization efforts of one generation have a negative effect on secularization within the next generation; (ii) oblique socialization by the community has a parabolic effect on secularization; and (iii) the two types of socialization are complements in 'producing' religiosity of the next generation.

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File URL: http://www.ugr.es/~teoriahe/RePEc/gra/paoner/per10_03.pdf
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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada. in its series Papers on Economics of Religion with number 10/03.

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Length: 55 pages
Date of creation: 01 Oct 2010
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:gra:paoner:10/03

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Keywords: cultural transmission; religion; fertility; secularization; ISSP;

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References

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Stephen E. Spear & Warren Young, 2011. "MD Dialog on: Optimum Savings and Optimal Growth: the Cass-Malinvaud-Koopmans Nexus," Working Papers 2011-22, Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University.
  2. Adi Schnytzer & Yisrael Schnytzer, 2011. "Animal Modeling of Earthquakes and Prediction Market," Working Papers 2011-20, Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University.
  3. Adi Schnytzer & Janez Šušteršič, 2011. "The Regression Tournament: A Novel Approach to Prediction Model Assessment," Working Papers 2011-10, Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University.
  4. Eyal Baharad & Jacob Goldberger & Moshe Koppel & Shmuel Nitzan, 2012. "Beyond Condorcet: optimal aggregation rules using voting records," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 72(1), pages 113-130, January.
  5. Adi Schnytzer & Barbara Luppi, 2011. "Painful Regret and Elation at the Track," Working Papers 2011-09, Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University.
  6. Adi Schnytzer & Guy Weinberg, 2011. "Testing for Home Team and Favorite Biases in the Australian Rules Football Fixed Odds and Point Spread Betting Markets," Working Papers 2011-13, Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University.
  7. Gil Epstein & Alessandra Venturini, 2011. "The Impact of Worker Effort on Public Sentiment Towards Temporary Migrants," CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1109, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London.
  8. Arthur Fishman & Nadav Levy, 2011. "Search Costs and Risky Investment in Quality," Working Papers 2011-04, Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University.
  9. Andrew T. Young & Daniel Levy, 2005. "Explicit Evidence on an Implicit Contract," Emory Economics 0519, Department of Economics, Emory University (Atlanta).
  10. Patacchini, Eleonora & Zenou, Yves, 2011. "Social Networks and Parental Behavior in the Intergenerational Transmission of Religion," CEPR Discussion Papers 8443, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  11. Lozano, Fernando A., 2012. "What Happened to God's Time? The Evolution of Secularism and Hours of Work in America, Evidence from Religious Holidays," IZA Discussion Papers 6552, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  12. Adi Schnytzer & Sara Westreich, 2011. "Information and Attitudes to Risk at the Track," Working Papers 2011-16, Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University.
  13. García Muñoz, Teresa & Neuman, Shoshana, 2012. "Is Religiosity of Immigrants a Bridge or a Buffer in the Process of Integration? A Comparative Study of Europe and the United States," IZA Discussion Papers 6384, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).

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