Gender equality makes men less religious. The thing is that in conditions of gender equality, some of the advantages that religion gives to the representatives of the stronger sex are simply lost.
This conclusion was reached by psychologists from several US universities, whose article in Proceedings of the Royal Society B1.
Many religious practices, norms and rituals have clear patriarchal features, giving advantages to men and restricting the rights and freedoms of women. The authors of the study suggested that it is the patriarchal side of religion that often attracts men who use it to achieve reproductive goals, that is, to arrange their personal and family life in a beneficial way. At the same time, in societies with relatively greater gender equality, it becomes more difficult to enforce these patriarchal norms and rituals, so religion becomes less attractive to men.
To test the validity of this hypothesis, the researchers analyzed data on nearly 126 men and women living in 74 countries around the world. In surveys, these people reported whether they were adherents of any religion and, if so, how often they attended church and pray, as well as talked about their attitudes towards casual and premarital sex. The scientists also assessed the level of gender equality in each of the countries in the sphere of economy, education, politics and healthcare.
The results obtained fully confirmed the correctness of the hypothesis — the higher the level of gender equality in a society, the less religious men are in it.
At the same time, gender equality has practically no effect on the religiosity of women. The researchers believe that the results should be viewed from a rational angle: «Open participation in religious practices makes it easier for men to monitor women, control their sexual behavior or signal themselves as a potential partner,» the authors write.
“Religion is not only something symbolic, it has a lot of quite mundane functions that depend on the real state of affairs. Therefore, it is not surprising that people turn to religion when they have certain needs, and that religion becomes less attractive to them if these needs are satisfied in other ways. In a comment to PsyPost, study co-author Jordan Moon of Arizona State University2.
1. Jordan W. Moon, Adam E. Tratner and Melissa M. McDonald «Men are less religious in more gender-equal countries». Proceedings of the Royal Society B, February 2022.
2. Emily Manis «Study suggests men are more drawn to religion when it is consistent with their reproductive goals». PsyPost, April 2022.