Strength of Affiliation

• Introduction
• Patterns
• Over Time

Strength of Affiliation (Demographic Patterns)

[ASKED ONLY OF PEOPLE WHO INDICATE A RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE] Would you call yourself a strong (STATED RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE) or a not very strong (STATED RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE)?

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Strength of Affiliation by Age (General Social Survey, 2006)

	18-30	31-44	45-64	65+	Missing	TOTAL
STRONG	27.3% 232	31.2% 402	38.7% 617	47.4% 359	6	35.8% 1610
NOT VERY	36.9% 314	37.7% 486	36.2% 577	33.2% 251	4	36.2% 1628
SOMEWHAT	10.2% 87	11.7% 151	10.5% 168	9.6% 73	3	10.7% 479
NO RELIG	24.6% 209	18.5% 239	13.8% 221	8.9% 67	3	16.4% 736
DON'T KNOW	0.1% 1	0.4% 5	0.2% 3	0.4% 3	0	0.3% 12
NO ANSWER	0.8% 7	0.5% 6	0.6% 10	0.5% 4	2	0.6% 27
TOTAL	100% 850	100% 1289	100% 1596	100% 757	18	4492

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Strength of Affiliation by Race (General Social Survey, 2006)

	White	Black	Other	TOTAL
STRONG	35.0% 1151	50.9% 323	24.0% 142	35.8% 1616
NOT VERY	36.8% 1207	26.3% 167	43.6% 258	36.2% 1632
SOMEWHAT	9.5% 312	10.4% 66	17.6% 104	10.7% 482
NO RELIG	17.9% 587	11.4% 72	13.5% 80	16.4% 739
DON'T KNOW	0.3% 9	0.3% 2	0.2% 1	0.3% 12
NO ANSWER	0.5% 18	0.6% 4	1.2% 7	0.6% 29
TOTAL	100% 3284	100% 634	100% 592	4510

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Strength of Affiliation by Religion (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Protestant	Catholic	Jewish	None	Other	Missing	TOTAL
STRONG	48.5% 1128	30.4% 339	39.7% 31	0.0% 0	52.4% 118	0	36.0% 1616
NOT VERY	40.1% 933	53.0% 590	43.6% 34	0.0% 0	33.3% 75	0	36.4% 1632
SOMEWHAT	11.0% 256	16.5% 184	15.4% 12	0.0% 0	13.3% 30	0	10.7% 482
NO RELIG	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	100.0% 739	0.0% 0	0	16.5% 739
DON'T KNOW	0.4% 10	0.0% 0	1.3% 1	0.0% 0	0.4% 1	0	0.3% 12
NO ANSWER	0.0% 1	0.1% 1	0.0% 0	0.0% 0	0.4% 1	26	0.1% 3
TOTAL	100% 2328	100% 1114	100% 78	100% 739	100% 225	26	4484

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Strength of Affiliation by Gender (General Social Survey, 2006)

	MALE	FEMALE	TOTAL
STRONG	29.8% 597	40.6% 1019	35.8% 1616
NOT VERY	37.3% 748	35.3% 884	36.2% 1632
SOMEWHAT	11.0% 221	10.4% 261	10.7% 482
NO RELIG	20.5% 411	13.1% 328	16.4% 739
DON'T KNOW	0.3% 7	0.2% 5	0.3% 12
NO ANSWER	0.9% 19	0.4% 10	0.6% 29
TOTAL	100% 2003	100% 2507	4510

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Strength of Affiliation by Church attendance (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Never	Yearly	Monthly	Weekly	Missing	TOTAL
STRONG	10.4% 106	15.6% 214	35.5% 244	74.4% 1048	4	35.9% 1612
NOT VERY	35.5% 362	56.8% 781	41.3% 284	14.3% 202	3	36.3% 1629
SOMEWHAT	5.0% 51	12.4% 171	18.3% 126	9.4% 133	1	10.7% 481
NO RELIG	48.2% 492	14.6% 201	4.2% 29	1.2% 17	0	16.5% 739
DON'T KNOW	0.3% 3	0.1% 2	0.3% 2	0.4% 5	0	0.3% 12
NO ANSWER	0.6% 6	0.4% 6	0.4% 3	0.2% 3	11	0.4% 18
TOTAL	100% 1020	100% 1375	100% 688	100% 1408	19	4491

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Strength of Affiliation by Political ideology (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Liberal	Moderate	Conservative	Missing	TOTAL
STRONG	30.3% 357	30.8% 518	46.4% 682	59	35.9% 1557
NOT VERY	36.2% 427	38.9% 655	33.4% 491	59	36.3% 1573
SOMEWHAT	8.1% 95	12.9% 217	10.1% 149	21	10.6% 461
NO RELIG	24.6% 290	16.9% 284	9.3% 137	28	16.4% 711
DON'T KNOW	0.5% 6	0.1% 2	0.3% 4	0	0.3% 12
NO ANSWER	0.4% 5	0.4% 7	0.5% 7	10	0.4% 19
TOTAL	100% 1180	100% 1683	100% 1470	177	4333

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Strength of Affiliation by Education (General Social Survey, 2006)

	Not High School	High School	Jr. College	B.A.	Grad Degree	Missing	TOTAL
STRONG	33.1% 229	35.4% 804	34.2% 129	39.1% 298	38.7% 156	0	35.9% 1616
NOT VERY	37.6% 260	38.2% 869	39.8% 150	31.8% 243	27.0% 109	1	36.2% 1631
SOMEWHAT	12.9% 89	9.7% 221	11.1% 42	11.4% 87	10.7% 43	0	10.7% 482
NO RELIG	15.6% 108	15.9% 361	13.8% 52	16.9% 129	22.1% 89	0	16.4% 739
DON'T KNOW	0.3% 2	0.3% 6	0.0% 0	0.1% 1	0.7% 3	0	0.3% 12
NO ANSWER	0.4% 3	0.5% 12	1.1% 4	0.7% 5	0.7% 3	2	0.6% 27
TOTAL	100% 691	100% 2273	100% 377	100% 763	100% 403	3	4507

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Notes

General Social Survey, 2006: The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) annually since 1972 except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. The 2006 GSS includes a topical module for mental health. Items in the 2006 GSS include questions on religious self-identification, denominational affiliation, personal beliefs, and religious upbringing.