| NEW YORK — Does spirituality animate U.S. college and university students engaged in the arts and humanities more than their counterparts studying science or business?
Apparently yes, says a new survey conducted by the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).
It concluded that religious commitment is strongest among students majoring in such fields as fine arts (62 percent), education (59 percent) and humanities (57 percent) and lowest among majors in the field of biological science (43 percent), history or political science (41 percent), and sociology (37 percent).
The latest findings of an ongoing national study of 3,680 U.S. college and university students by UCLA’s Higher Education Research also found those most likely to be engaged in a “spiritual quest” were also among fine arts (43 percent) and humanities (42 percent) majors, but those least likely to be on such a path were majoring in business (24 per cent), computer science (23 percent) and physical science (19 percent).
Alexander Astin, co-author of the study, told Ecumenical News International the results seemed to confirm already-held stereotypes of the differences between those in the humanities and those in fields generally requiring more numerical and analytical skills.
Still, Astin said he was surprised by the findings, particularly the importance those in the arts and humanities placed on spiritual concerns, given the stereotype that those in the arts “are freethinkers and nonconformists who tend not to affiliate with traditional religions.”
Ironically, said Astin, there were not enough religion majors included in the survey to obtain “reliable results” about spirituality among those studying religion. A larger surveyplanned for later this year will correct that omission, he said.
There were four general fields of questioning: religious commitment, spiritual growth, engagement in spiritual quest, and level of “spiritual distress” — a question centered on wrestling with beliefs and exploring spiritual issues.
Astin said he was disappointed that spirituality resonated so little with those majoring in fields related to the health professions. “Medicine would benefit enormously from greater spiritual awareness, or I should say patients would, for obvious reasons.”
Nineteen majors were surveyed for the study and students participating in the survey attended 46 U.S. colleges and universities.
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