Archive
How do you choose and gain access to a field site?
Your instructor may provide you with some guidance concerning the group or groups to be studied, or you may pursue this investigation based on your own research interests. Either way, you can …
Is it possible to study religion objectively?
Objectivity is the idea that unbiased scientific or social scientific knowledge can be reliably obtained through systematic observations of an external reality. Yet, when we study religious life using qualitative methods of …
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying my own religion?
It is certainly possible to study one’s own congregation, religious community or familiar spiritual practice, but there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to keep in mind when setting about such …
What are the guidelines for objective, reliable and valid research?
Honesty Be forthright about you see. Strive to avoid being swayed by biases, prejudice or personal wishes. Honesty also means recognizing how your own personal history and identity markers such as race, …
What methodologies can I use to study religious groups?
Social scientists answer this question in a number of ways. The two most common methodologies are quantitative and qualitative studies. Neither the qualitative approach nor the quantitative approach is inherently superior, but …
How do I analyze my interview data?
Once you have conducted your interviews and have transcribed the interviews, the next step is to organize and process your data in order to interpret and produce an analysis. The process can …
Richard Flory Speaks at Cal State Fullerton
CRCC Director of Research Richard Flory was the keynote speaker of the “Religious Talks,” an annual series of talks presented by the sociology department at Cal State Fullerton. Here’s an excerpt from …
Mapping Religious Institutions in Los Angeles
As a part of CRCC’s research on Religious Competition and Creative Innovation, 10 University of Southern California students traveled around the Los Angeles area this past summer to map religious institutions. They …
Why Do Buddhists Give Money in Sri Lanka, But Not in the U.S.?
During visit to observe a Los Angeles-based mindfulness group a few months ago, the teacher asked me to explain to her students the significant role that dana, one of the ten pāramitā …
Christian Standard: CRCC Shares its Research in Seoul
The Center for Religion and Civic Culture’s research team traveled to Seoul, South Korea in September and shared their findings about religious competition and creative innovation in Los Angeles with researchers in …
9/11 and Pope Francis: Bringing New York City’s Faith Communities Together
Timothy Cardinal Dolan welcomed Pope Francis to “A Witness to Peace,” a multi-religious gathering at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, by telling him, “We in New York are sinners.” “But,” …
Beyond Prayers and Protests: Building Trust Among the Police and Community in Downtown Los Angeles
This is the first in a series of essays about the Trust Talks. The next event is October 3. On a Saturday last April, a group of pastors and other faith leaders …
#ReligionInSeoul: CRCC studies Religion in Korea
As a part of CRCC’s research on religious competition and creative innovation, the CRCC team traveled to Korea to see how religion is changing there. Seoul provides a comparison case for Los …
VOA: Young Americans Seek Different Church Experience
While the number of American identifying as Christian is on the decline, small churches are attracting young people in particular. Richard Flory, director of research for the Center for Religion and Civic …
Is the Pope’s Concern for Immigration Just a “Numbers Game”?
This post originally appeared on Religion Dispatches. Pope Francis may differ greatly in tone from Pope Benedict, but on many social issues Francis can expect the same pushback his predecessor received in …
With Young Adult Catholics in Decline, Who’s Going to See Pope Francis?
This article originally appeared on Religion News Service: LOS ANGELES (RNS) When Regina Bunye catches sight of Pope Francis in Philadelphia on Saturday (Sept. 26), it won’t be her first glimpse of the …
My Clock Story: How Accusations Against Muslim Americans Do Harm
A few weeks before I graduated as an undergrad from USC, a false complaint was lodged against me with the dean of my school. A fellow student claimed that I was plotting …
Pope Francis Visits the United States
(Updated throughout the week.) Pope Francis makes his first visit to the United States this week, following his trip to Cuba. He’ll be meeting with President Barack Obama, addressing Congress and the …
What Real Estate Battles Say about Church
This post also appeared on Huffington Post Religion. What makes a church, a church? Is it the buildings? The programs? The members? These questions come to mind with recent real estate transactions …
Pope Francis Loves Nuns, But Can the Divide Between Sisters and Vatican Be Healed?
This post originally appeared on Religion Dispatches. Pope Francis confessed his love for a woman—for many women, actually—on national television this month. After talking with immigrant families in McAllen, Texas on the …