The Impact of Religious Affiliation on Reducing Divorce Acceptance in the Age of Secularism

Document Type : Razavi

Author

Assistant Professor of Demography, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan

Abstract

With the emergence of secularism and the transformation of social values, attitudes toward divorce are changing. Therefore, investigating the perspectives of religious followers regarding these changes is essential for understanding the future dynamics of family structures and the role of religion in contemporary society. This study aimed to examine the impact of religious affiliation and beliefs on attitudes toward divorce and its acceptance. Using data from the World Values Survey, information from 72,000 individuals across 60 countries was analyzed. The findings revealed that Muslims exhibited the highest importance of religion in life and participation in religious ceremonies, while non-religious individuals showed the lowest levels. Non-religious individuals had the highest acceptance of divorce. Among followers of different religions, Jews demonstrated the highest acceptance scores, while Muslims had the lowest. Multivariate analysis indicated that even after controlling for individual, religious, and cultural characteristics, religion still had a significant impact on attitudes toward divorce. Overall, positive attitudes toward divorce and its acceptance were higher among non-religious individuals, secularists, post-materialists, libertarians, those with low religious participation, men, rural residents, and those with secondary or university education. These findings emphasize that despite the spread of secularism, religion remains a powerful and influential force shaping attitudes and plays a key role in family structures. The results can contribute to raising awareness about the impact of secular and religious factors on Iranian family structures. Therefore, policymakers should design programs to strengthen family cohesion and reduce divorce acceptance among various groups.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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