Men,Women, and Religiosity in Northern Ireland: Testing the Theories

ABSTRACT

Previous research suggests that females are more religious than males. Four theories have been put forward to explain this. This article uses cross-sectional survey data from the 2008 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey to test two of these theories, based on a newly developed scale measuring religiosity. The analysis indicates strong support for the socialisation theory, but not necessarily for structural location. Separate analysis for men and women indicates a similar pattern, although the effect of individual variables is different for men and women. The article concludes with a discussion of measurement issues.