Trends for religious participation

Gender: Women more likely to participate in religion. More likely to be involved in sects.                                           2005 - FEMALE churchgoers - 1.8 million MALE - 1.36mil Reasons - Socialisation and the gender role. Women and the New Age. Stark and Bainbridge: Compensation for deprivation - organismic, ethical and social deprivation       Recent trends: Women leaving church faster than men, drastic decline in women between 30 - 45 going to church.

Ethnicity - 72% Brits say they are Christians          Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs majority belong to Eth. Minorities    Higher rate of participation among ethnic groups                 Reasons for trends: Bruce - cultural defence                       

Herberg - cultural transition                                                  

Pryce - Pentecostalism in Bristol

Age trends - older a person gets the more likely they are to attend church                                                                        - Under 15s more likely to go because they are made          - Over 65s more like to be sick/disables = unable to attend  Reasons for these trends - ageing effect - people become more spirtiual in old age                                                        - generational effect - as each generation becomes less and less religious the avg age of congregation rises - not because they are more attracted to religion but because they grew up at a time when religion was more popular