Effects of religious involvement on parent-child communication regarding schooling: A study of black youth in the United States

A growing number of Black teens are becoming religiously involved. This undoubtedly intersects with another trend in Black communities, the changing structure of the Black family. Research has shown that school-related dialogue between parent and child is an important factor in educational outcomes. This study set out to determine of there might be a promising connection between this emerging trend of religious involvement and parent-child communication regarding schooling. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 dataset, a social capital lens to examine the relationship between religious involvement and parent/child school-related communication frequency and content was used. Findings and implications were analyzed within the context of the Black family structure and the Black church.