Browsing by Subject "Religious Beliefs"
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Item Assessing the Impact of Religious Beliefs on Public Perceptions and U.S. Government Policies: The Case of Embryonic Stem Cell Research(2011-02-22) Robinson, Tomeka MichelleThis dissertation presents three separate studies designed to provide structure and evidence-based insight into the impact of religious beliefs on public perceptions and U.S. government policies regarding embryonic stem cell research. First, a systematic literature review of nine (n=9) empirical studies that examined individuals' religious beliefs and perceptions/utilization of genetic technologies/services will be presented. Based on the finding from the review, there was an equal balance between studies that found that religion was a factor positively affecting intention to submit to genetic testing and those that illustrated a negative association. Secondly, a qualitative examination of college students' from various racial/ethnic and religious backgrounds exploring the definition, interpretation, and conceptualization of the influence of religious beliefs on perceptions regarding embryonic stem cell research will be offered. Employing an emergent design, the data collection process encompassed thirty-seven in-depth interviews. The majority of participants in this study believed that ESCR should be conducted and federally funding in the United States, regardless of their religious beliefs. Lastly, the findings from the analysis of congressional records from the U.S. Congress for areas of convergence and divergence between discussions, voting, and legislation regarding stem cell research with the official stances of the major religious groups in the United States accessing the influence of religious rhetoric on political discourse regarding embryonic stem cell research will be discussed. Findings from this study suggest that religious rhetoric has a substantial influence on political rhetoric regarding ESCR.Item The Role of Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, and Religious Fatalism on Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help Among Coptic Americans.(2012-07-16) Boulos, Sallie AnnThe purpose of this current study was to determine the role of acculturation, ethnic identity, and religious fatalism regarding attitudes towards seeking psychological help among Coptic (Egyptian Christian) Americans. In addition, differences between groups of gender and generational status, first-generation adult immigrants versus U.S.-born second-generation Copts, were analyzed. The study had a total sample of 91 individuals that self-identified as Coptic by race and/or Coptic Orthodox by religion, who voluntarily completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Results indicate that ethnic identity and acculturation are strong predictors of religious fatalistic beliefs, and those who identified as having more Arab ethnic identity and less assimilation to dominate culture have stronger religious fatalistic beliefs than those who identified with more western culture and an American ethnic identity. However, religious fatalism and ethnic identity were not significant predictors of attitudes towards seeking psychological help, and other variables such as stigma, language barriers, and skepticism of western psychology may be better predictors of attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Between groups comparisons identified subtle differences between males and females, and between first and second-generation Coptic Americans on acculturation, ethnic identity, and religious fatalism, but the groups were not statistically significant from one another. Clinical implications and directions for future research will also be discussed.