Beyond Sectarian Boundaries: Dimensions of Muslim Canadian Religiosity and the Prediction of Sociocultural Attitudes

An online study was used to evaluate the predictive validity of culturally relevant dimensions of religiosity in Muslim young adults. Students at a Canadian university who self-identified as Muslim (N = 189) completed measures of dimensions of religiosity: religious identity, religious practice, and religious knowledge. These dimensions were used to predict sociocultural attitudes including views on interfaith and interdenominational intimate relationships, support for veiling, and child naming intentions. Denominational (Sunni, Shia, or just Muslim [i.e., nondenominational Muslim]) differences were in line with past research and hypotheses. Importantly, dimensions of religiosity accounted for more variance in sociocultural attitudes than denominational affiliation within Islam. Results suggest the value of a psychological approach to understanding politically relevant sociocultural attitudes of religious groups living in numerical minority contexts and the importance of culturally appropriate measures when doing research with these groups.