Religiosity, Gender versus Value Priorities (The Case of Sawla Senior Secondary School Studetns in Gamo Gofa Zone)
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Date
2007-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether religiosity and
gender have significant contribution on value priorities among Sawla
Senior Secondary School Students in Gamo Gofa Zone. A stratified random
sampling technique was used to select . research participants. Three
different instruments, namely, a self-reported questionnaire comprising
value priorities scale items and religiosity scale items, focus-group
discussion, and semi-structured interview were employed to collect data.
T-test, Pearson r and interpretative and descriptive methods were used to
analyze data. T-test result displayed that there is significance difference in
the value priorities of male and female students. Females tend to value
more 'of tradition, benevolence, and conformity values whereas males tend
to value more self-direction, achievement and stimulation value. Pearson's r
revealed that there is a significance correlation between value priorities
and religiosity. As the degree of commitment to religion increases, people
tend to value more of tradition, conformity, benevolence values and tend to
give less emphasis to self-direction, achievement, and hedonism values.
The FGD and semi-structured interview results also supplement such
findings. Hospitality, education, trustworthiness, and tolerance were found
to be some of the values to be maintained. And procrastination,
selfishness, ethnicity, terrorism and, dependency were found to be some of
the values that need to be changed. The socialization process in the family,
the sex roles, stereotypes, personality differences, unique life experiences,
temperaments and the culture in which one belongs play the major role in
value priorities. These results highlight teachers in schools, parents in the
family, religious leaders in the Church/Mosque, social science researchers
and community leaders need to work collaboratively in enhancing the
acceptable, "good' values and in discouraging the irrelevant, unacceptable,
retarding and perhaps "negative' values.
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Religiosity, Gender versus Value Priorities