The Study of Youth Religiosity in Sarpol-e-Zahab City and some Related Factors

Today, the values ​​of various societies are subject to a wide range of changes. These values ​​include a range that varies according to the characteristics of each society. In addition, within societies, the degree of commitment to and following these values ​​among members of each society varies according to the division of gender, class, place of residence, generation, etc. One of these values, regardless of the type and level of commitment, is religiosity. In the definition of religiosity, it is said that religiosity has ‘religious endeavors’ in such a way to influence the attitude, orientation, and individual actions. This research sought to investigate religiosity among the youths of Sar-e-Pol-e Zahab city and its related factors.

The research methodology was a survey approach. The study sample consisted of 635 youths with the age range of 19-29 years in Sar-e-Pul Zahab. They were selected using stratified sampling. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire. The measured dependent variable was religiosity which had three dimensions: emotional, belief, and practical. Social capital as one of the two independent variables of the study had the dimensions of participation, solidarity, trust, socio-economic basis, and ethnic identity. Another independent variable of the study was media consumption. The results indicated that the level of religiosity among respondents was slightly higher than average. Among the dimensions of religiosity, the belief dimension had the highest average, and the practical dimension had the lowest average. Results in relation to gender differences indicated that in terms of emotional and belief dimensions, the level of religiosity of women is significantly more than men. However, there was no significant difference between men and women in practical aspects. But, in relation to the marital status, the results indicated that the level of religiosity of married people in all aspects was greater than that of single people. Pearson correlation test indicated that three variables of social capital, national identity, and ethnic identity had a direct and significant relationship with religious dimension. Media consumption also had a negative and significant relationship with all three dimensions of religiosity. But, the relationship between economic and religious aspects was not meaningful. Finally, the direct and indirect relationships between independent variables and religiosity were tested in the path analysis model.