Adolescent Development And Religion Essay

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The Effects of Religion and Spirituality in Adolescent Development Humans have a natural hunger to feel as if they belong to something more, as if they are not simply an accidental combination of genetic material, thrown onto this earth with no inherent purpose or plan. Religion is a fundamental concept to a plethora of people across the globe, making it a universal idea among every society, each practicing at least one form of spirituality. Despite the prevalence of this notion, it is heavily under studied by developmental psychologists, regardless of the fact that the study of religion has the potential to show researchers much more about other aspects of the developing mind, being that religion is not a tangible and present object one can …show more content…

As a result, familial relationships are developed and strengthened through different acts of religion practiced with one another. Spirituality promotes togetherness, knitting a family closer. A child’s teenage years are often precarious, characterized by a distinct separation of the parent and child, and the two parties may find extreme difficulty in relating to one another. However, religion is a bridge to this, creating common ground between adolescents and their parents (Kantrowitz et al). Bonding ideas, such as family prayer, and connecting activities, like attending a church service or spiritual sermon, allow for family members to spend time amongst one another and grow in relation together. Because pro- family attitudes and values are taught within religion, increased parental involvement and therefore all around heightened levels of engagement within a family in an adolescent’s life are often observed. This generates improved support systems for the child, allowing for them to grow as an individual and as a member of the family. Better relationships are formed through the time spent completing religious activities and rituals within the home, such as prayer or the practice of

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