Religious Identification, Switching, and Apostasy Among Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland : Individual and Cohort Dynamics Between Two Censuses 2001–2011

Doebler, Stefanie and Shuttleworth, Ian (2018) Religious Identification, Switching, and Apostasy Among Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland : Individual and Cohort Dynamics Between Two Censuses 2001–2011. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 57 (4). pp. 723-742. ISSN 0021-8294

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Abstract

Religious identification has historically been salient in Northern Ireland as an ethnic‐national identity marker. Thirteen years after the Good Friday Agreement that marked the start of the peace process in the country, the question arises whether religious affiliation in Northern Ireland has become less of an ethnonational identity marker and more of a personal choice. This article analyzes religious switching and apostasy between 2001 and 2011, using data from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study, a representative sample of approximately 28 percent of the population, linked to the 2001 and 2011 censuses. We found that the vast majority retained their self‐reported religious affiliation, a tiny minority switched between Protestantism and Catholicism, and a significant minority, particularly among the young, switched to “none/not stated” or between Protestant denominations. Religious switching is associated with young age, higher education, and also socioeconomic deprivation. Experiences of social frustration appear to drive many to leave their faith.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
Additional Information:
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Doebler, S. and Shuttleworth, I. (2018), Religious Identification, Switching, and Apostasy Among Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland: Individual and Cohort Dynamics Between Two Censuses 2001–2011. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 57: 723-742. doi:10.1111/jssr.12554 which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jssr.12554 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1200/1212
Subjects:
?? religious switchingapostasynorthern irelandcensusreligious studies ??
ID Code:
136821
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
04 Oct 2019 10:05
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
17 Sep 2024 10:41