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How Does Race Moderate the Effect of Religion Dimensions on Attitudes toward the Death Penalty?

Author

Listed:
  • Soheil Sabriseilabi

    (Anthropology, Sociology, and Criminology, Troy University, Troy, AL 36082, USA)

  • James Williams

    (Social Sciences and Historical Studies, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX 76204, USA)

  • Mahmoud Sadri

    (Social Sciences and Historical Studies, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX 76204, USA)

Abstract

We examined the moderating role of race on the relationship between religion and death penalty attitudes in the United States. We operationalized religion by distinguishing four dimensions: religiosity, spirituality, afterlife beliefs, and denomination. Using 2018 General Social Survey data from 1054 adults, collected by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, we show that the impact of each dimension of religion varies across racial groups. Logistic Regression results showed that the likelihood of support for the death penalty was associated with religiosity, spirituality, belief in hell, being female, and being liberal. Adding race as an interaction term moderated the associations of religiosity and spirituality.

Suggested Citation

  • Soheil Sabriseilabi & James Williams & Mahmoud Sadri, 2022. "How Does Race Moderate the Effect of Religion Dimensions on Attitudes toward the Death Penalty?," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-11, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:12:y:2022:i:2:p:67-:d:788649
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wozniak, Kevin H. & Lewis, Andrew R., 2010. "Reexamining the effect of christian denominational affiliation on death penalty support," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 1082-1089, September.
    2. Cochran, John K. & Chamlin, Mitchell B., 2006. "The enduring racial divide in death penalty support," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 85-99.
    3. Paul Brace & Brent D. Boyea, 2008. "State Public Opinion, the Death Penalty, and the Practice of Electing Judges," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(2), pages 360-372, April.
    4. Buckler, Kevin & Unnever, James D., 2008. "Racial and ethnic perceptions of injustice: Testing the core hypotheses of comparative conflict theory," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 270-278, July.
    5. Mark Peffley & Jon Hurwitz, 2007. "Persuasion and Resistance: Race and the Death Penalty in America," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 51(4), pages 996-1012, October.
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