The Identity Formation Experiences of Church-Attending Rural Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to access adolescents' voices regarding the impact of religiosity on everyday experiences of identity construction. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 adolescents ages 15–19 living in a rural community; half were regular and committed members of a local church, and the other half never attended church. We wanted to differentiate between the responses that were primarily related to rural culture, and those that were related to religion. Clear differences emerged between the church group and the control group with regard to role models, turning points, career goals, family goals, and commitment to Christian values. Results suggest that differences between urban and rural adolescents in identity-related domains (i.e., career, family) may be a product of religious rather than geographical factors.