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Empirics on the Origins of Preferences: The Case of College Major and Religiosity

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Author Info
Miles S. Kimball
Colter M. Mitchell
Arland D. Thornton
Linda C. Young-Demarco

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Abstract

Early life experiences are likely to be important for the formation of preferences. Religiosity is a key dimension of preferences, affecting many economic outcomes. This paper examines the effect of college major on religiosity, and the converse effect of religiosity on college major, using panel data from the Monitoring the Future survey as a way of gauging the extent to which various streams of thought, as taught in college, affect religiosity. Two key questions, based on the differences in college experience across majors, are whether either (a) the Scientific worldview or (b) Postmodernism has negative effects on religiosity as these streams of thought are actually transmitted at the college level. The results show a decline in religiosity of students majoring in the social sciences and humanities, but a rise in religiosity for those in education and business. After initial choices, those respondents with high levels of religiosity are more likely to enter college. Of those who are in college, people with high levels of religiosity tend to go into the humanities and education over other majors.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 15182.

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Date of creation: Jul 2009
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15182

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
Z11 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economics of the Arts and Literature
Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Social Norms and Social Capital; Social Networks Economic Anthropology

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  17. Rachel M. McCleary & Robert J. Barro, 2006. "Religion and Economy," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(2), pages 49-72, Spring.
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