Spiritual, but not Religious: Insights from an Online Panel
Abstract:
Recent studies have suggested that a growing number of Americans identify themselves as ‘Spiritual, but not religious’. The socio-demographic portrait of this group of unchurched Americans, which has been nicely described by many authors (see, Fuller (2001) and Roof (1993)) is a one-point perspective of this group. Another perspective, which focuses on the role of spirituality on consumer behavior, however has received limited empirical research. In this article, we investigate the relationship between people’s self-identified religious/spiritual identity and self-reported consumer behavior using profile data collected from an online panel. In addition to presenting quantitative evidence of marketplace behavior and perceptions of those who are religious and/or spiritual, this article draws implications about consumer spirituality and concludes with recommendations for future research.
Recommended Citation:
Rao, K., Ball, D., & Hampton, R. (2006). Spiritual, but not Religious: Insights from an Online Panel. Paper presented at the Midwest Association of Public Opinion Research, Chicago.
Attached Documents:
- MAPOR 2006 Program (see page #7 for the mention)
- MAPOR 2006 Paper