Posted on 11/27/2013 5:57:51 AM PST by Gamecock
Dr. Donna Freitas, perhaps the nation’s leading expert on university hookup culture, has being doing research among college students and on college campuses regarding sex, the hookup culture, and student religiosity for several years. She has produced many scholarly publications and studies. One consistent finding she has observed is that evangelical college students are significantly less likely to hookup than any of their counterparts (Catholic or secular). Why? An excerpt from an interview:
The attitudes toward sexuality on evangelical campuses were remarkably different from everywhere else. Everyone is struggling with sex, but they do it in very different ways.
It’s impossible on an evangelical campus to have a conversation about sex without also talking about faith. This is simply because, at evangelical campuses, the Christian tradition stands at the very center of who the students are. Every decision is made by consulting that core identity. They don’t think about sex except in light of their faith. It’s just who they are: they are Christians. For these students, you cannot even think about choosing your major without consulting your faith. This is empowering, in many ways. These students have a strong sense of who they are, and where to go for advice. Most of the time, this is really great. But with regard to sex, it can be exceedingly stressful.
The opposite is true of all the other campuses I visited for the study, and it holds true even for the forty-five or so other campuses I have visited since the book was published. Whereas evangelicals cannot think about their sex liveswithout religion, students at secular or Catholic institutions cannot think about their sex lives with religion. The notion that religion would have anything important or useful to say to them about sexual decision-making is almost impossible to take seriously.
She also finds this:
Why such strong differences between evangelicals and Catholics? From another summary of her work:
The only exception Freitas found to the “hook-up” culture was at evangelical colleges: “Life at an evangelical school is, in a sense, enclosed by the Christian faith in a manner suggestive of what sociologist of religion Peter Berger calls the ‘sacred canopy.’” Like the moral communities that Burdette and her colleagues identify, Freitas discovered that “evangelical campus culture is religiously infused on every level.” Students who attend evangelical schools tend to expect that their peers are Christian, attend church, study the Bible, and pray often. Within evangelical student campus culture, the focus is on courtship and marriage while emphasizing chastity. Freitas says that “a quest for purity and chastity reigns supreme on these campuses.”
In contrast, when Freitas talked with students on Catholic campuses, she found a general sense of apathy toward the Catholic faith and its teachings on sexuality. Many responded with laughter, noting the “impractical,” “unrealistic,” and “archaic” nature of the Catholic teaching on contraception and pre marital sex. Unlike evangelical students, many Catholic students enter college without a strong foundation in Scripture, and many lack knowledge of Catholic moral teachings. While many evangelical students have a lifetime of Bible camps and strong Christian schools, few Catholic students bring a similarly strong catechetical background with them to college. Weakened teaching in theology or Scripture at the Catholic elementary and high school levels have left many Catholic young people ill-equipped to deal with the culture that greets them on a Catholic campus. And while this does not excuse the problems on Catholic campuses, it is clear that evangelical students arrive on campus much more biblically aware—and better-prepared theologically and scripturally—than most Catholic students are when they arrive on campus.
From another study (cited below*), we find that religious feelings are not an important factor in sexual purity among college students. What appears to matter is religious practice and teachings (spiritual disciplines).
I would also just like to point out, by way of encouragement, to evangelical parents a major implication of her research. Biblical Christianity works. To a significant degree, spiritual discipline and diligence by parents and churches in inculcating Christian teaching and practice among their youth is used by God to produce greater purity (and happiness). Apparently, there is empirical truth to the proverb (Prov. 22:6): Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it later in life.
*Penhollow, T., Yoiung, M., & Bailey, W. (2007). Relationship between Religiosity and Hooking Up Behavior. American Journal of Health Education, 38(6), 338+.
Troy Gibson is a Political Science Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, specializing in Religion and Politics in America. He attends Woodland Presbyterian Church (PCA) with his wife, Natalie, and three children, Caleb, Noah, and Sarah Ann.
She attended Catholic University but the study was at Catholic universities. Note my use of plural and singular and upper case and lower case.
At that age I personally would have found the hook-up culture to be creepy, cold and impersonal. Am stunned that so many young people apparently do not.
I went to Kent State as well. KSU was wild place! (70’s) We checked out Grove City for our daughter but she applied too late. I recommend GC to every teenager I know. Amazing school.
But still counted as Catholic for membership numbers.
No. I really suspect that we’ll get FR Catholics discounting the study for one reason or another.
And so far, I haven’t been disappointed.
Count on it.
:)
**While many evangelical students have a lifetime of Bible camps and strong Christian schools, few Catholic students bring a similarly strong catechetical background with them to college.**
Wondering if this is really true?
It’s a crying shame what’s happened to Catholic higher education.
As we speak, my oldest son is waiting to hear whether or not he has been accepted into his chosen colleges, and I have to tell you...finding an authentically Catholic college was no easy task.
I flat out refuse to send him to any Jesuit institution (even and especially Georgetown), and Notre Dame is off the list, too, as are Fordham, Villanova, and other big-name schools.
Personally, I’ve got my fingers crossed for Christendom (he does, too, BTW). It’s a small school, but they are doing things right down there. It seems to attract the kind of girls that know how to say “NO,” and the kind of boys that respect those kinds of girls. Do some get around the rules? Oh, I imagine they certainly do. But the school doesn’t have to encourage it, nor do they have to make it easy for them, and Christendom doesn’t.
Regards,
Ever since the Garden of Eden, righteousness seemed impossible. Every generation seems more depraved and yet, with God all things are possible (including righteousness).
My son graduated from Taylor in Indiana this past May. He transferred there from a secular college that’s south of Rochester that turned out to be not a good fit for him. Most of the students were into partying and there was a lot of hooking up going on. He played football and got a season ending injury in his first game and his team mates and coaches gave him very little help and support. After recovering from his injury, he went back there for another semester and played, but he was clearly not in his element there. His best friend had transferred to Taylor at the beginning of the semester and told my son many good things about the school and also the football team. After his final game, I gave him my blessing to transfer and he moved very quickly to make it happen and he was at Taylor for J term the following January.
The transfer to Taylor was a leap of faith and he didn’t even visit the campus beforehand, mainly relying on his best friend’s recommendation and also the encouragement and guidance that he got from the defensive line coach. What a wonderful experience he had academically, athletically, socially and most importantly, spiritually! Outside of football, he participated in a Lighthouse trip to Ethiopia and taught English as a second language at the Project Mercy Mission, he was in the Gospel Choir, worked at the DC on the catering staff for banquets and he met his wife there! There is no hooking up culture at Taylor and the school really prepares the students for the real world.
My son and his wife graduated from Taylor and are currently teaching at a brand new charter school in Colorado. The principle from the school is a Taylor alumnus and came to campus on a recruiting visit, they interviewed and both were offered teaching positions the day before graduation.
I’ve been watching the WATCHWORD BIBLE (http://superstore.wnd.com/video/The-WATCHWORD-BIBLE-The-New-Testament-10-DVD-Set )
It is written in the Contemporary English Version - God makes it very clear. He is Holy and wants us to be holy. Our bodies are the temple of Holy Spirit.
The simplistic text hits home regarding every kind of sin and temptation we face in this world.
It would make an excellent Christmas present for every family.
I would be interested to see where they are in 50 years. I would be they resemble Norte Dame more.
Yet your assumption and poor 'faith' attack is noted.
Singular, narrow minded, mocking judgement of others is often built on hypocrisy and sadly produces individuals lacking both intelligence and creativity through the fear based inability to have a heart and mind open to new information and love.
-John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi. Not really Catholic.
-Certain orders, err, sects of Roman Catholicism: Not really Catholic.
-Certain Roman Catholic schools. Nor really Catholic.
One would think the Pope would send out a memo instead of allowing all of these little popes to run around interpreting what/who is Roman Catholic and who/what isn't.
Good to know — I wondered about the article being honest.
ping...
Probably not. And I know that there are some Evangelical schools with a hook up culture. The author appears to be going to the “big name” schools for each group and comparing. Which for most Catholic schools isn’t the good ones.
“**While many evangelical students have a lifetime of Bible camps and strong Christian schools, few Catholic students bring a similarly strong catechetical background with them to college.**
Wondering if this is really true?
Assumption?
It's what I and other former Catholics are accused of constantly.
Singular, narrow minded, mocking judgement of others is often built on hypocrisy and sadly produces individuals lacking both intelligence and creativity through the fear based inability to have a heart and mind open to new information and love.
Then Catholic posters on FR need to stop engaging in it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.