The Relationship between Religion and Deviance in a Largely Irreligious Country: Findings from the 2010 China General Social Survey

ABSTRACT

We examined the religion–deviance relationship in China, analyzing the 2010 China General Social Survey data to estimate ordinary least squares, logistic, and negative binomial regression models. First, we found respondents who followed some form of religion to be no different from those without religion in law or rule violation. Second, respondents of folk religion were more favorable to unconventional sex than those without religion, and those of organized religion were less so. Finally, respondents of organized religion were less likely to report daily drinking and smoking than their irreligious counterparts, whereas those of folk religion were not different from the religious nones.

Acknowledgment

The authors are grateful to Byron R. Johnson for his helpful comments on a previous version of this article.

Notes

¹ In a discussion of the supernatural, Confucius expressed a rather agnostic view on life and death. For example, when his student Chi Lu asked about serving the spirits and gods, Confucius said, “Not being able to even serve the living, how is it possible to serve the spirits? Not even knowing about life, how is it possible to know about death?” (The Analect: 11.11). In his teachings about offerings to ancestors and gods, however, he seemed to recognize the existence of the supernatural by suggesting that their presence should be felt when offerings are made (The Analect: 3.12). While Confucius did not object to a belief in the supernatural, Confucius had a rather indifferent attitude towards the spirits and gods given that Confucius discouraged talking about prodigies, force, disorders and gods (The Analect:7.21).

² For example, according to the 2010 Wave of China General Social Survey, no one mentioned Confucianism as their religion. Similarly, in the Spiritual Life Study of Chinese Residents Survey, only 12 of 6,984 respondents identified themselves as Confucian when they were asked about religious affiliation. (http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/analects.html)

³ Official website of State Administration for Religious Affairs of P.R.C. Retrieved August 12, 2015 (http://www.sara.gov.cn/zwgk/17839.htm).

⁴ Confucianism might also be likely to increase suicide because Confucian ethics of filial piety could generate strains and exacerbate the influence of negative life events, thereby contributing to fatalistic suicide. In addition, female subordination in Confucian culture is also positively associated with suicide as gender discrimination leads to emotional distress among women, especially younger ones (Zhang and Liu 2011).

⁵ As described in the next section, the 2010 China General Social Survey data provide items to construct measures of deviant learning and general strain theories, but not deterrence, social control, or self-control theories. As alternative measures of the latter theories, we used items of social support and sense of control or self-efficacy as proxies given that social support contributes to informal social control and self-efficacy is an outcome of self-control (Bandura 1997; Cullen 1994).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xiuhua Wang

XIUHUA WANG is a doctoral student of sociology at Baylor University. Her research interests involve testing the effect of religion on fertility, deviance, crimes, psychological, and mental wellbeing. She has published articles in China Agricultural Economic Review and Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion, and is co-author of the recent book A Star in the East: The Rise of Christianity in China with Rodney Stark.

Sung Joon Jang

SUNG JOON JANG is Research Professor of Criminology and Co-Director of the Program on Prosocial Behavior at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. His research focuses on the effects of strain and religion on criminal offending and desistance. Recent publications have appeared in Criminology, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Criminal Justice Review. He is leading a series of studies examining the process of identity transformation among inmates participating in a prison-based seminary, and is co-author of the new book The Angola Prison Seminary: Effects of Faith-Based Ministry on Identity Transformation, Desistance, and Rehabilitation.