Religious affiliation and social interaction in a small town community.

Abstract

This study focuses on the political power structure of a small town community to be known in this study as Riverview, in the central plains of the United States. Its purpose is to examine the effects of religious affiliation on the social networking of the community as expressed in its voluntary organizations and its economic and political institutions. Since the founding of the town the power base of the community has shifted from domination by a single religious group to an uneasy sharing of responsibility by the major religious affiliations. There are four main denominations represented in the community of Riverview: the Catholic Church, two sects of the Lutheran Church, and a Congregational/Methodist Church. Identities and values of these religious affiliations go beyond the realm of the religious sphere to affect social and political interactions. Religious affiliations help to establish and maintain separate social systems for the individuals of the community. There is a social distance, for example, between Catholics and Lutherans, between Lutherans of different affiliations, and between Congregational/Methodists and both Lutherans and Catholics. People interact with individuals of different religious affiliation only when impelled to do so by political or economic need. There exists in the community a continuum of religious interaction, from a very low level in the kinship and church groups to a high level in local business and political affairs. Volunteer groups are in a state of transition, with sports teams showing low integration, while those organizations based on business interests demonstrate a fairly high level of religious integration. The appearance of increasing levels of integration of religious groups in Riverview is misleading. Most individuals spend the majority of their time with members of their own religious affiliation because the actual time spent in political activities is slight compared to time spent with the extended family in Riverview. Even with the high level of integration in political offices, individuals of differing religious affiliation are disinclined to spend time with each other at purely social events.