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activism of the Catholic Church on immigrants' rights in the United States

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Date Issued:
2009
Summary:
This paper tests the religious economy model for predicting Church behavior which predicts that religious firms will become more politically active on behalf of potential members in areas where competition for those members is most fierce. An analysis of data from a survey of 106 U.S. Catholic dioceses and archdioceses on outreach to Hispanic immigrants does not support this hypothesis. Religious competition and Church activism on immigration issues did not correlate. Rather, demand for services (measured as Hispanic presence within each diocese) was a better predictor of Church activism on immigration issues. This finding suggests that the "inelastic demand" assumption of the religious economy model must be dropped, re-opening demand side explanations for Church behavior across national and local contexts.
Title: The activism of the Catholic Church on immigrants' rights in the United States: testing the religious economy model.
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Name(s): Lazo de la Vega, Sandra
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Thesis
Issuance: multipart monograph
Date Issued: 2009
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: v, 51 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.
Language(s): English
Summary: This paper tests the religious economy model for predicting Church behavior which predicts that religious firms will become more politically active on behalf of potential members in areas where competition for those members is most fierce. An analysis of data from a survey of 106 U.S. Catholic dioceses and archdioceses on outreach to Hispanic immigrants does not support this hypothesis. Religious competition and Church activism on immigration issues did not correlate. Rather, demand for services (measured as Hispanic presence within each diocese) was a better predictor of Church activism on immigration issues. This finding suggests that the "inelastic demand" assumption of the religious economy model must be dropped, re-opening demand side explanations for Church behavior across national and local contexts.
Identifier: 461340384 (oclc), 209993 (digitool), FADT209993 (IID), fau:1367 (fedora)
Note(s): by Sandra Lazo de la Vega.
Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Honors College, 2009.
Subject(s): Church work with immigrants -- United States
Progressivism (United States politics)
Immigrants -- Religious life -- United States
Immigrants -- Social conditions -- United States
United States -- Emigration and immigration -- Religious aspects
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/209993
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT209993
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.
Is Part of Series: FAU Honors Theses Digital Collection.

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