THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VALUES, RELIGIOSITY, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Abstract

The recent emergence of religious movements was examined from a historical and contemporary context. Various theoretical and empirical formulations regarding the changing nature of social structures, individual values and social attitudes were explored.;The expressed values and levels of social responsibility for seven groups of 150 religious, semi- and non-religious individuals were analyzed. Rokeach's (1969) Value Survey (Form E), Berkowitz and Lutterman's (1968) Social Responsibility Scale, and vignettes involving specific emergency events were employed. Groups were included which represented Eastern religious (i.e., Hare Krishnas and Nichiren Shoshus), Western religious (i.e., Reformed Calvinists and Roman Catholics) and three groups of Agnostic, Unaffiliated Religious and Nonreligious individuals.;Religious subjects valued "salvation," "wisdom," "inner harmony," "obedience," and "forgiveness" while non-religious subjects valued "freedom," "mature love," "independence," and "intellectual." Major value differences were also noted between the Eastern and Western religions.;The seven groups reflecting Eastern and Western religions also differed with regard to measures of general and situational social responsibility. Groups representing Western religions and the Eastern-religious Nichiren Shoshus scored higher on measures of General Social Responsibility than all other groups. At the same time, however, the Eastern-religious Hare Krishnas scored lower than all other groups on measures of Generalized Social Responsibility and Situational Social Responsibility.;Historical and contemporary comparisons between the Hare Krishna cult, and cults in general are drawn.