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Health risks, social security, and religious choice of rural residents

Health risks, social security, and religious choice of rural residents Purpose – The reform and opening up have triggered a “revival” of religious belief in rural China. The purpose of this paper is to explain why rural residents are increasingly becoming religious, by analysing the inherent relationship between their risks and religious choice, and conducts a preliminary investigation of the common characteristics of rural believers and the determinants of their religious choice. Design/methodology/approach – The authors applied a logit model to test the determinants of rural residents’ religious choice. The authors used sample survey data collected in 2008 from the rural area of Songxian County, Henan Province. Findings – The results suggest that age, sex, political status, health risks, and social security have a significant effect on rural residents’ religious choice. On this basis, the authors have discussed the inherent logic of “disease-related religious practice”. From these results, the paper points out that lack of basic public services such as medical care due to the government’s withdrawal from these fields has increased the health risks of rural residents, triggering a “revival” of religious belief in rural China. Originality/value – This paper has improved on previous research in two ways. First, it analyses the relationship between health risk and religious choice, shedding light on the underlying causes of the religious revival in rural China. Second, the methodology involves an analysis of household survey data, thus filling the gap created by less-rigorous quantitative analysis in rural China-based religious research. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png China Agricultural Economic Review Emerald Publishing

Health risks, social security, and religious choice of rural residents

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References (24)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
1756-137X
DOI
10.1108/CAER-01-2013-0016
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The reform and opening up have triggered a “revival” of religious belief in rural China. The purpose of this paper is to explain why rural residents are increasingly becoming religious, by analysing the inherent relationship between their risks and religious choice, and conducts a preliminary investigation of the common characteristics of rural believers and the determinants of their religious choice. Design/methodology/approach – The authors applied a logit model to test the determinants of rural residents’ religious choice. The authors used sample survey data collected in 2008 from the rural area of Songxian County, Henan Province. Findings – The results suggest that age, sex, political status, health risks, and social security have a significant effect on rural residents’ religious choice. On this basis, the authors have discussed the inherent logic of “disease-related religious practice”. From these results, the paper points out that lack of basic public services such as medical care due to the government’s withdrawal from these fields has increased the health risks of rural residents, triggering a “revival” of religious belief in rural China. Originality/value – This paper has improved on previous research in two ways. First, it analyses the relationship between health risk and religious choice, shedding light on the underlying causes of the religious revival in rural China. Second, the methodology involves an analysis of household survey data, thus filling the gap created by less-rigorous quantitative analysis in rural China-based religious research.

Journal

China Agricultural Economic ReviewEmerald Publishing

Published: Sep 7, 2015

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