Religion and Child-Rearing Values in Turkey

Abstract

Numerous studies have examined the connection between religion and child-rearing values—operationalized in terms of the importance placed on specific traits in children—in the United States and other mainly Christian societies. Much of this work involves the relative priority placed on “intellectual heteronomy” (obedience to authority) versus “intellectual autonomy” (thinking for oneself). Here, we augment this work focusing on Turkey, a predominantly Muslim society. Using data from the World Values Survey (n = 3,401), findings indicate that religious factors are strong positive predictors of the emphasis on (a) obedience to authority and (b) good manners, but inversely associated with an emphasis on (a) intellectual independence and (b) imagination. The estimated net effects of religion are strongest and most consistent for intellectual autonomy. Furthermore, the links between religious variables and child-rearing orientation are robust across age/cohort, gender, and educational categories. Implications and future directions are discussed.