A Quantitative Study on the Mechanism by Which Religious Consciousness Influences Subjective Well-being

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K20173
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0108:Sociology and related fields
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Shimizu Koki 北海道大学, 文学研究院, 助教 (20907563)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 日本人の宗教意識 / 主観的ウェルビーイング / 測定の不変性/等価性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the context of Japan's religious milieu, it has been observed that traditional and customary religious practices (such as participation in local festivals or visits to shrines) make a positive contribution to subjective well-being. Conversely, spiritual activities encompassing fortune-telling, pilgrimage to sacred sites, therapeutic interventions, and healing practices exhibit limited or potentially adverse effects on subjective well-being. Notably, these religious activities demonstrate an association with beliefs pertaining to divine entities and the posthumous realm, thereby indicating the significance of religious "meaning-making" as a pivotal factor mediating religious-cultural engagement and subjective well-being.

Free Research Field

宗教社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、日本人の宗教意識の構造を定量的に描き出し、その測定尺度の開発を試みるとともに、SWBへの寄与という面での欧米諸社会との共通性に着目し、さらにその関連メカニズムについての検討を行った。宗教意識について、日本と欧米諸社会との国際比較を行うための実験的な取り組みの事例を示すことで、日本を含む東アジアでは未だ傍流に過ぎない宗教に関する計量社会学的研究の方法論的発展に寄与した。