This article contributes to an understanding of diversity in beliefs and practices among young religious ‘nones’ who report the absence of a specific religious faith. It focuses on those describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or otherwise of ‘no religion’ within (a) a large-scale survey of over ten thousand 13–17-year-olds, and (b) interviews, discussion groups and eJournal entries involvin...

Spirituality/religion serves important roles in coping, survival and maintaining overall wellbeing within African cultures and communities, especially when diagnosed with a chronic disease like HIV/AIDS that can have a profound effect on physical and mental health. However, spirituality/religion can be problematic to some patients and cause caregiving difficulties. The objective of this paper w...

This paper explores how interviews a¤ect the matching process when worker productivity is private information. Wages are determined by a single round of strategic bargaining after the worker is interviewed. The implications of this hiring process for the e¢ ciency of matching and the incidence and severity of statistical discrimination are considered. The better are …rms at identifying producti...

BACKGROUND Incorporating religious beliefs into mental health therapy is associated with positive treatment outcomes. However, evidence about faith-sensitive therapies for minority religious groups is limited. METHODS Behavioural Activation (BA), an effective psychological therapy for depression emphasising client values, was adapted for Muslim patients using a robust process that retained co...

To investigate deterrents to family planning practices among Swazi women, 205 structured interviews were conducted with conveniently selected women in the four geographical regions of Swaziland. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse data. These results revealed that cultural practices, religious beliefs, gender issues and health care practices were the main barr...

BACKGROUND Religious leaders are one of the key actors in the issue of female genital cutting (FGC) due to the influential position they have in the community and the frequent association of FGC with the religion. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perspectives of the local religious leaders in Erbil governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan Region about different aspects of FGC. METHODS In-dept...

This article explores the effect of priests’ sexual abuse on victimized girls and young women. The data were obtained from in-depth interviews with women who were seeking help years after the violation. The results revealed the following themes: the loss of innocence, a period of self-blame, the loss of religious faith, immense pressure to maintain silence, recognition of the imbalance of power...

A major research thrust in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is focused on how to retain students as STEM majors. The accumulation of seemingly insignificant negative experiences in STEM classes can, over time, lead STEM students to have a low sense of belonging in their disciplines, and this can lead to lower retention. In this paper, we explore how Judeo-Chris...

This paper explores the role of religious belief in the experiences of dying and death in a Catholic nursing home. The home appeals to residents and their families due to the active religious presence. Thus, religion is a salient element of the "local culture" which exists in this long-term care setting. The preeminence of faith within the organization and the personal religious convictions of ...