Atheism, Secularity, and Well‐Being: How the Findings of Social Science Counter Negative Stereotypes and Assumptions

2009/11/26 by Phil Zuckerman · 241 citations
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology #Religion and Society Interactions #Religion, Society, and Development #Secularity #Atheism #Sociology #Secularism #Prejudice (legal term) #Religious studies #Epistemology #Social psychology #Psychology #Philosophy #Theology #Islam

paper · doi:10.1111/j.1751-9020.2009.00247.x

published in Sociology Compass 3(6), 949-971 (Wiley)

openalex publication_date 2009/11/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

Abstract What do we currently know about atheists and secular people? In what ways are atheism and secularity correlated with positive societal outcomes? This article offers a thorough presentation and discussion of the latest social scientific research concerning the identities, values, and behaviors of people who don’t believe in God or are non‐religious, and addresses the ways in which atheism and secularity are positively correlated with societal well‐being.

Citations

• Gender and Religiousness: Can Socialization Explanations Be Saved?
• Believe It Or Not: Religious and Other Paranormal Beliefs in the United States
• The Psychology of Gender Differences in Religion: A Review of Empirical Research
• Authoritarianism, Religious Fundamentalism, Quest, and Prejudice
• The Pursuit of Happiness
• Black-White Differences in Attitudes toward Homosexuality and Gay Rights
• Markets: Red Light States: Who Buys Online Adult Entertainment?
• Who Gives to the Poor? The Influence of Religious Tradition and Political Location on the Personal Generosity of Americans toward the Poor
• The Effectiveness of Soviet Anti-Religious Propaganda
• Parental Divorce and the “Switching” of Religious Identity
• Religiosity and Mental Health: A Meta–Analysis of Recent Studies
• Inequality and Violent Crime
• Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Politics and Generations
• Risk and Religion: An Explanation of Gender Differences in Religiosity
• The Influence of Religion on Attitudes toward Nonmarital Sexuality: A Preliminary Assessment of Reference Group Theory
• Atheism: Contemporary Numbers and Patterns

Cited by

• Atheism [wikipedia]