Religious Identity of Adolescent Girls and Its Social Determinants in Kerman City, Iran

In the era of globalization, religious identity has faced challenges and developments in various cognitive, emotional and experimental dimensions. Girls in today's world are constantly rethinking their religious identity, and various social sources play a role in this rethinking. Thus, the present research examines the social factors influencing the religious identity of teenage girls in Kerman city.

 Methods and Data: 

In this research, the survey method and standard questionnaire tools were used to collect data. 390 people from the statistical population of teenage girls in Kerman were selected by multi-stage random sampling. 

The results show a positive and significant relationship between the independent variables (domestic media, scientific lifestyle, artistic lifestyle, advisory support, sports lifestyle, and social capital) and the dependent variable (adherence to the religious identity of adolescent girls). There is also a significant negative relationship between the use of foreign media, Internet lifestyle, new leisure types, virtual network, and cultural capital and adherence to the religious identity of adolescent girls. 

The regression model with six variables of the foreign media, scientific lifestyle, cultural capital, artistic lifestyle, Internet lifestyle, and social capital, respectively, explained 32% of the variable of adherence to religious identity in girls. Finally, it can be said that a new lifestyle, social capital, and cultural capital play an important role in adhering to the sacred character of adolescent girls. 

Key Message:

 In contemporary society, the religious identity of teenage girls is a product of the network of social relations, media space, and modern lifestyles. Since the basic foundations of identity formation start from a lower age, especially adolescence, the approach of community-oriented recruitment along with cultivation in the first groups and strengthening cultural and media programs to manage inevitable social changes is useful.