Religious Socialization in Turkey

Abstract

Individuals learn religious beliefs, values, norms, and teachings within a process called religious socialization. Religious socialization occurs through a process similar to the general socialization process. Thus, there are four main agents, which play a role in an individual’s religious socialization process: family, educational institutions, the broader social environment, and mass media. In this paper, we analyze the religious tendencies of individuals who undergo their religious socialization in the rapidly changing socio-cultural sphere of Turkey. The aim of this study is to analyze to what extent, and in which ways, the four main agents influence religious socialization in the Turkish context. Firstly, the concept of religious socialization is evaluated on a theoretical level, and secondly, the influence degree and ways of the four main agents on the process are analyzed in light of the field study findings conducted in Turkey.