Religiosity and Life Satisfaction in Iran

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 PhD in Sociology, Tehran university

2 PhD Candidate in Sociology, Tehran university

Abstract

Life satisfaction has received considerable attention in scientific research during last decades. This paper addresses the relationship between life satisfaction and the level of religiosity in Iran. Using the data from the third wave of national survey of Iranian values and attitudes, this paper investigates the effects of religiosity dimensions including faith in God, personal prayer and mosque attendance on the level of life satisfaction. The national survey was conducted in 2015 with a national sample of 14,906 participants including both urban and rural population by ministry of culture and Islamic Guidance. Unlike previous studies, results indicate that difference in life satisfaction among Shiites and Sunnis is not statistically significant. In addition, findings of the regression models show that, at the national level, all three variables of trust in God (Tavakol), daily prayer, and mosque attendance have a direct positive relationship with life satisfaction. However, if the sample of the research is confined to the province of Tehran, such a relationship cannot be verified. It is concluded that this difference in the findings may be due to statistical constraints or the lack of proper knowledge regarding the relationship between religiosity and a sense of life satisfaction in the Iranian society.

Keywords

References

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Quarterly of Social Studies and Research in Iran
Volume 7, Issue 4 - Serial Number 28
January 2019
Pages 627-648

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