Paper Instructions

Here are two options for your second paper:

1. Interview at least 2 children/adolescents of different ages (corresponding to different Piagetian cognitive levels), asking them to draw a picture of God and talking with them about their conception of God, prayer, and the like.   Then use the information we covered in class and in Paloutzian to describe and compare their conceptions of religion.  I'll be looking for information from you on:

• Cognitive developmental level of the children/adolescents. (Don't just rely on age!  Look for behavioral characteristics that are independent of religious concepts.)
• Religous developmental level of children. (Elkind's model.)
• Concept of God.
• Concept of prayer.
• Parental influences.
• Peer influences.  (Social comparison.)

 

2. Find an individual who would describe herself or himself as having experienced a conversion.  The conversion does not necessarily need to have been a conversion into religion.  It could be a conversion from a religion to an irreligious philosophy, from one religion to a drastically different religion, etc.   What the conversion does have to meet are the criteria set down by Coe (these criteria help you judge whether or not a true conversion has been experienced).  Use the information we covered in class and covered in Paloutzian to describe and analyze this person's conversion.  I'll be looking for information from you on the following issues:

• Coe's definitional characteristics
• Starbuck's sudden vs. gradual distinction
• Social comparison processes
• Social and dispositional factor interactions (e.g., Lofland and Stark's model).  Was this conversion the result of unconscious conflict resolution or conscious decision making, or both?
• Consequences of conversion.
• Ripe age issue.
• Religious backtound issue (e.g., stern vs. compasionate).