Intergenerational transmission of religious capital in a developing country: A case study of District Multan (Pakistan)

Abstract

Purpose

It is consensus among Muslim social scientists that religion as an informal institution plays a very important role in building the socio-economic structure of an Islamic state. The transmission of religiosity across generations has important economic implications for a family in particular and a society in general. The Tawhidi methodology is applied for a theoretical model and for the development of the model. The purpose of this study is to determine the transmission of religious capital in an Islamic society.

Design/methodology/approach

This study by using an index of religiosity for both parents and their offspring has explored the causal relationship between the religiosity across generations. By using three-tier analytical strategies, i.e. zero-order regression, model with control variables and model with mediating variables, this study has regressed two models for each control and mediating variable.

Findings

The findings for the core variable in all models confirmed the hypothesis of the study that parental religious traits are important determinants of the religiosity of their offspring. For the model of control variables, the variables of area, gender and age of the respondent along with the parental religious index are found to be significant with appropriate signs. For the model with mediating variables, only the variable of parental sharing of religious values along with the parental religious index are found to impact the religiosity of the offspring. Therefore, the nutshell of the findings is that the religious orientation of an offspring is highly influenced by the religious denominations of the parents. The formation of the religious capital is a continuous process and the ultimate result of divine knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

Data at the national level are not collected for this purpose by governmental organizations in a country like Pakistan because of shortage of funds. Therefore, data are collected by the authors.

Practical implications

This study will provide guidance to policy-makers for the formulation of their policies.

Social implications

Intergenerational transmission of religious capital plays a very important role in the moral development of an ideal society.

Originality/value

This is an original effort and is conducted for the first time in Pakistan.

Citation

Khawaja, M.J., Farooqi, F.S. and Azid, T. (2016), "Intergenerational transmission of religious capital in a developing country: A case study of District Multan (Pakistan)", Humanomics, Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 189-204. https://doi.org/10.1108/H-11-2015-0075