Date of Award

Summer 8-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Sociology & Criminal Justice

Program/Concentration

Applied Sociology

Committee Director

Ingrid Whitaker

Committee Member

Roderick Graham

Committee Member

Ruth Triplett

Abstract

The founder of the Center for the Study of Social Policy in Washington DC, Tom Joe (1987) released an article examining economic disparities between Black and White Americans. Across the measures of income, poverty and unemployment rates, Black Americans were found to be at an economic disadvantage. According to current data published by the U.S. Department of Commerce (2018), the economic wealth gap has remained unequal. Prior research examining racial inequality has found Protestantism to be a foundation from which Americans form their ideologies about social issues (Hunt, 2007; Edgell & Tranby, 2007; Taylor & Merino, 2011). Data provided by the General Social Survey (GSS) from 2016 was used to examine two research questions: (1) How is Protestant religion related to how people explain racial inequality? (2) How does the Region in which Protestant religion is practiced influence how people explain racial inequality? Researchers created a sample data set that only included Protestant (N=1137). Based on previous studies findings, his thesis first hypothesizes that Protestants that have a stronger religious affiliation, belief that the Bible is the literal word of God and higher attendance in religious services explain inequality from an Individual perspective. Researchers extend further in hypothesizing Protestants in Southern Regions have higher levels within religious measures and explain inequality to be the fault of the Individual. Results of logistic regression analysis and chi-square found that religion does have an effect on how Americans explain inequality. Region was found to have the most influence on religious measures and explanations. Belief in the literal word of the Bible was found to be the most statistically significant influencer and positively related to Individual reasonings. Southern respondents were found to be the most religiously devout and supported Individual reasonings for inequality. Implications for research include providing information that help to support the evidence of the persistence of racial inequality and to aid in determining a more effective resolve.

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DOI

10.25777/zygb-h880

ISBN

9798293843190

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