Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture

Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture
Abbreviation ISSSC
Formation 2005
Type Research Institute
Purpose The Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC) was established to advance understanding of the role of secular values and the process of secularization in contemporary society and culture. Nonpartisan and multidisciplinary, the Institute conducts academic research, sponsors curriculum development, and presents public events.
Headquarters Trinity College, Hartford, CT USA
Official language
primarily English
Key people
 Barry A. Kosmin Director
Ariela Keysar Assoc. Director
Juhem Navarro-Rivera Research Fellow
Affiliations Trinity College, Hartford, CT USA
Website www.secularisminstitute.org

The Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC) is located at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. ISSSC was established in 2005 to advance the understanding of the role of secular values and the process of secularization in contemporary society and culture. Designed to be multidisciplinary and nonpartisan, the Institute conducts research, lectures and public events.[1]

Author and professor Barry Kosmin, PhD created the ISSSC and remains the director of the Institute.

Barry Kosmin

Barry Kosmin at CFI Summit October 2013

Author of over 20 books, Kosmin is a research professor of public policy and law at Trinity College. In October 2011 Kosmin accepted a seat on the Board of Directors of Center for Inquiry (CFI), where, his responsibilities include the Council for Secular Humanism and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry as well as serving on the CFI affiliate committee.

He is the joint editor of the new academic journal Secularism & Nonreligion and was one of the principal investigators of the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS).[2] Kosmin is considered the leading expert "on the growing percentage of Americas who lack a religious identity, the so called "nones".[3] Kosmin has been featured on podcasts such as Center for Inquiry's Point of Inquiry and published in Free Inquiry magazine discussing the results of the ARIS.[3][4][5][6]

American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS)

Previously named the National Survey of Religious Identification in 1990, it was renamed the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) in 2001. The survey was originally created as a social experiment to record the response to the "What is your religion?" question. They found it was necessary to ask a series of questions such as "Do you want to have a religious funeral?" in order to get a better grasp of the answer to the main question.[7]

The 2001 survey intended to replicate the 1990 survey. Data was collected from over 50,000 households over a 4-month period.[8] In 2008 the ARIS again randomly called over 50,000 households and questioned adults about their religious affiliations, if any.[9] ARIS is the survey used by the U.S. Census in the Statistical Abstract of the U.S. to show the religious distribution of the U.S. Population.[10]

The results of the ARIS have been discussed in many news reports by ABC News,[11] The Christian Science Monitor,[12] and USA Today.[13]

Academics and curriculum development

ISSSC develops new multi-disciplinary courses based on a common theme every year with associated faculty at Trinity College, Hartford and the Claremont Colleges, California. The cross-discipline themes include (by year):

Social science research

International Survey: Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists (India 2008)[14]

Publications

2009
2008
2007
2006

References

  1. ↑ "Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society & Culture". Trinity College. 2000. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Kosmin Named to Board of Directors". Center for Inquiry. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Mooney, Chris (April–May 2011). "The Future of Irreligion, Part 1: A Conversation with Barry A. Kosmin" (PDF). Free Inquiry. 31 (3). Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Barry Kosmin - One Nation, Losing God". Point of Inquiry. 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  5. ↑ Mooney, Chris (June–July 2011). "The Future of Irreligion, Part 2: A Conversation with Barry A. Kosmin" (PDF). Free Inquiry. 31 (4). Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  6. ↑ Navarro-Rivera, Juhem (December–January 2011). "Media Stereotypes and the Invisible Latino 'Nones'". Free Inquiry. 31 (1). Retrieved October 16, 2011. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ↑ "National Survey of Religious Identification (1990): The Aim of the NSRI". ISSSC. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  8. ↑ "American Religious Identification Survey (2001)". ISSSC. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  9. ↑ "About ARIS 2008". ISSSC. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  10. ↑ "Table 74. Population of Group Quarters by State 2000-2010" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  11. ↑ Dan Harris. "America Is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious". ABC Newsdate=2009-03-09. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  12. ↑ Jane Lampman. "Survey sees a drift away from religion in America". Christian Science Monitordate=2009-03-10. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  13. ↑ Cathy Lynn Grossman (2009-03-09). "'Nones' now 15% of population". USA Todaydate=2009-03-09. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  14. ↑ "Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists". ISSSC. 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-31.

External links

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