Influence of Confessional Belonging and Enchurchment on the Life Satisfaction of Believers

Abstract

The problem of studying subjective well-being (as people’s subjective estimation of their own life) is one of the principle topics in social studies for quality of life. Foreign sociology traditionally emphasizes the analysis of spiritual and religious determinants of people’s subjective well-being. In Russian sociology, the given area is still under-investigated. The article represents the discussion of the possibility for sociological study of subjective well-being of believers, including its cognitive component; i.e. people’s satisfaction with various aspects of their life. Empirical research through a survey was aimed at comparing the peculiarities of respondents’ estimations of their own life in a cross-confessional perspective (Orthodoxy and Protestantism). As to the Orthodox group, additionally the interconnection between the level of religiosity (based on the criterion of religious behavior) and subjective well-being was analyzed. As it turned out, the respondents are mostly satisfied with those spheres of life that are connected with interpersonal relations inside and outside the community. It was found that the most significant components of subjective well-being, that affect people’s general estimation of their life, are represented by satisfaction with relations with people of opposite sex, clergy, family members, as well as satisfaction with the material well-being, personal qualities and leisure. The exposed cross-confessional peculiarities of people’s estimation of their own life can be interpreted in the context of both cultural/confessional causes and psychological/social factors, which requires further investigation. In the two groups of the Orthodox, categorized according to the level of their churchattendance, the subjective evaluation of life generally depends on various indicators that characterize satisfaction with particular spheres of life. This finding point at the existence of not only Protestant and Orthodox profiles of well-being, but also the profile connected with religious behaviour inside the Orthodox group. In general, the level of church-attendance is positively connected with satisfaction with various spheres of life and common estimation of one’s own life. The obtained results can be used for developing or clarification of methodological tools and further empirical studies of the quality of life of believers. Refs 29. Tables 8.