The Reality of Religious Labels

A Study of Muslim Religiosity

Authors

  • Riaz Hassan Flinders University
  • Carolyn Corkindale Flinders University
  • Jessica Sutherland Flinders University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/arsr.v21i2.188

Keywords:

Muslim Identity/Religiosity

Abstract

The meaning of the religious labels used by people to describe themselves and others is often problematic. Religiosity, religious behavior and experience vary in the way they are reported and understood. This study presents a methodological approach to investigating the relationship between self-reported religiosity and an objectively constructed index of religious intensity. The data were obtained from a multi-country study of Muslim religiosity in which over 6000 Muslim respondents were surveyed through a structured questionnaire. The survey questionnaire included questions on the self-reported religiosity of the respondent and forty four items to ascertain respondents’ attitudes toward key Islamic beliefs and practices. A multiple item religious intensity scale was extracted through factor analysis from these forty four items. The percentage distribution of self-reported religiosity is reported by country and globally and then cross tabulated against the religious intensity index. In all countries those who labeled themselves as very religious also had the strongest religious intensity. A correlational analysis between the two measures of religiosity was performed which revealed a highly significant correlation between the two measures. The sociological significance of this finding is that self-reported religiosity can be a reliable and valid measure of religious commitment. The paper concludes with a discussion of varying levels of religiosity found in different countries and offers some cultural explanations of the observed variations making a timely contribution to understanding Muslim religiosity in the modern world.

Author Biographies

  • Riaz Hassan, Flinders University
    Riaz Hassan is an ARC Australian Professorial Fellow and Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Flinders University, South Australia. His books, Faithlines: Muslim Conceptions of Islam and Society (Oxford University Press, 2002) and Inside Muslim Minds: Understanding Contemporary Islamic Consciousness (Melbourne University Press, 2008) have explored Muslim religiosity through a large-scale survey conducted in seven countries. His current research concerns suicide terrorism: life as a weapon. For more information, see http://www.riazhassan.com/ and http://www.socsci.flinders. edu.au/soci/staff/riaz/.
  • Carolyn Corkindale, Flinders University
    Carolyn Corkindale is a Departmental Researcher in the Department of Sociology and Project Manager, Becoming a Grandparent Study, both at Flinders University. She also manages psychosocial studies concerning adolescence, pregnancy, parenting and grandparenting. For more information, see http://www.socsci.flinders.edu.au/soci/staff/carolyn/.
  • Jessica Sutherland, Flinders University
    Jessica Sutherland is a Research Assistant in the Department of Sociology, Flinders University and a Doctoral Candidate in the field of youth transitions in the National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS) at Flinders University. For more information, see http://www.socsci.flinders.edu.au/ nils/staff/Sutherlandbio.php.

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Published

2009-03-04

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Hassan, R., Corkindale, C., & Sutherland, J. (2009). The Reality of Religious Labels: A Study of Muslim Religiosity. Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 21(2), 188-199. https://doi.org/10.1558/arsr.v21i2.188