The Specifics of Religious Identity of Armenian Youth in Russia and Armenia

Objective. The aim of the study is to identify the role of values in the relationship between religious identity and psychological well-being of Armenian respondents in Armenia and the Krasnodar Territory of Russia.
Background. At present, religious identity, especially in Armenia, is an important marker of ethnic identity, a consolidating factor for Armenians as a social community and a process of forming the civil self-consciousness of an individual. Since the church plays an important role in the history and life of the Armenian people, for Armenians it is a symbol of national identity and a link between the Armenian diaspora and the title ethnos.
Study design. The study examined the relationship between religious identity of Armenians in Russia and Armenia and other social identities, the link between social identities and psychological well-being, their relationship with values. These characteristics were tested using univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression analysis (hierarchical regression), and moderation analysis.
Participants. The total sample consisted of 245 participants. Russian sample: 113 people (44% men, 56% women) aged 18-30 years (M = 20,3; SD = 2,5). Armenian sample: 132 people (13,6% men, 86,4% women) aged 18-41 years (M = 19,94; SD = 1,86).
Measurements. Russian-language versions of scales from the international project "Mutual Intercultural Relations in Pluralistic Societies" (MIRIPS) and the questionnaire by S. Schwartz PVQ-R. Psychological Well-Being Scale by C. Ryff. Author's questionnaire for socio-demographic characteristics.
Results. Armenians of Armenia and Kuban differ significantly in ethnic, civil, religious and local identities and psychological well-being. Religious identity in both groups was associated with ethnic, civil and local identities. The influence of values on the level of religious identity, as well as the effect of values in the relationship between religious identity and psychological well-being, was established.
Conclusions. There is a relationship between religious identity and other social identities; value orientations influence religious identity.

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