Religiosity and identity interference among graduate students in the sciences
Christopher P Scheitle1, Ellory Dabbs1
1West Virginia University, United States.
Social Science Research
|December 14, 2020
Summary
Religious scientists often hide their faith, which harms their sense of belonging and identification as scientists. This study explores the social dynamics of religious identity concealment in academia.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of science
- Religious studies
- Social psychology
Background:
- Concealing stigmatized identities can negatively impact an individual's sense of belonging.
- Religious identity is often stigmatized within academic science.
- Many religious scientists may conceal their identity to avoid stigma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the concealment of religious identity among religious students in U.S. science graduate programs.
- To investigate whether concealment mediates the relationship between religiosity and identification as a scientist.
Main Methods:
- Survey data from U.S. science graduate students.
- Structural equation modeling to analyze relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- Religiosity was positively associated with concealment of religious identity.
- Concealment of religious identity was negatively associated with identification as a scientist.
Conclusions:
- Findings highlight social and cultural conflicts between religion and science, rather than epistemological ones.
- Results contribute to understanding identity conflict, stigma management, and social identities in scientific workplaces.
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