The Relationship Between SES and Religiosity

Abstract

The relationship between religion and socioeconomic status (SES) have been a subject of research for decades. People of lower SES are often observed to be more religious than people who are high SES. Locus of control (LOC) is a psychological construct referring to the extent to which individuals believe that they have control over the outcomes in their lives. It is found that people who are low SES tend to have a more external LOC, compared to individuals who are high SES, who have a more internal LOC. This coincides with the observation that people who are low SES tend to be more religious, since religion is an external factor. This paper reviews meta-analyses, experimental studies and dissertations written by various scholars to analyze and evaluate how SES affects religiosity and locus of control.