Sources of Religiosity among University Students
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Abstract
The present study aims to analyze the phenomenon of Islamic religiosity among university youth through a socio-religious approach that focuses on the sources of religiosity and the factors that determine it. It seeks to shed light on a central problem concerning the extent to which various social factors contribute to shaping patterns of religiosity among university youth and the sources from which university youth derive their religiosity, as well as how the roles of these sources vary in light of current transformations. The study assumes that religiosity among university youth is formed through a dynamic interaction among three principal social sources: the family, the peer group, and religious media, with the degree of influence of each varying according to the social and cultural context. The study relied on the descriptive analytical method, using a questionnaire administered to a snowball sample of 130 male and female students, with attention to diversity in gender, specialization, and academic level.
The main finding is that the family remains the primary institution of religious socialization, although its effectiveness depends on its type, whether conservative or open. Conservative families succeed in transmitting regular religious commitment, while open families transmit a milder form of religiosity; the family's role was also found to be limited to moral and disciplinary religiosity rather than doctrinal and devotional religiosity. The results further showed that the peer group occupies a central position in religious formation, particularly regarding difficult or sensitive matters, and that this role is reinforced by the length of time spent together, being associated with increased faith, the correction of errors, and the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice. In addition, the results revealed that religious media constitutes a parallel institution that contributes to reinforcing religious feeling and consolidating Islamic values, particularly when programs are followed regularly
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