From the 1800s, when polygamy became public, to the present day, Mormons have faced resentment and prejudice for various reasons. As anti-Mormon sentiment became strong when polygamy was introduced, anti-polygamists found more flaws in the Church of Latter Day Saints. Even today, people are intolerant to Mormons because of their movement’s past and the supposed differences between the general public and Mormons. Although Latter Day Saints may have different religious practices and beliefs, their lifestyle and familial interactions do not vary greatly from non Mormons’ habits and relationships.
Tim B. Heaton, Kristen L. Goodman, and Thomas B. Holman in “In Search of a Peculiar People: Are Mormon Families Really Different?” explain why many believe there are inherent differences between Mormons and non-Mormons by introducing the connection between religion and family. The link is based on that religion and family deal with the same concern – love or selflessness in relationships. The authors further that these two establishments have a “symbiotic relationship (87)” because religion shapes daily exchanges and supports family interactions, while a family provides an environment for “religious socialization (88).” Because “according to the Mormon doctrine, the family plays a central role in human salvation”, many believe that Mormons’ relationships would differ as their religion does from the public norm. Mormons do have different religious beliefs but as it’s pointed out in Heaton, Goodman, and Holman’s piece, it does not cause significant differences within their interactions.
Surprisingly, as stated before, although religious differences exist, many aspects of Mormons’ familial interactions do not diverge significantly from non-Mormons. Data was taken from the National Survey of Families and Households to evaluate areas such as religiosity, marriage and divorce, childrearing values and behavior, sexual behavior, household division of labor, role evaluation, disagreement and conflict, kinship, and quality of life to compare and contrast Mormons and non-Mormons. When analyzing theses areas, it was found that the only areas that actually had significant differences were that there are higher rates of church attendance for Mormon men and women, more Mormons are married, they have larger families and lower income, and they’re more likely to disprove of premarital sex and pregnancies. Every other area did not have any differences that were too noteworthy. The few differences and similarities lead me to believe that “Mormons and others differ more in attitude than in actual behavior (104).”
Questions:
Do you think that there were any unaccounted factors that would cause even greater differences between the lifestyles of Mormons and non-Mormons?
If there are not such vast differences, why is that Mormons are still looked with such disdain?
Do you think any of the behaviors in each area of familial interactions have evolved? How so? If so, was it significant?
Is there any aspect of Mormon’s human interactions that has vast differences that has gone unnoted?
I strongly believe that the general population of the United States continues look upon Mormonism with great disdain due to the existence of cultural myths and stereotypes that remain from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cultural myths and stereotypes seem to persist in the minds and hearts of a society long after the wrong ideas or notions have been disproved. As human beings, we like to categorize and label strangers using our society’s traditional stereotypes. This simplistic categorization allows for both solidarity and power within our neighborhoods and communities. We find connections with people like us by creating differences that highlight our supposed superiority, and we possess control over others when we claim that we are somehow "better."
ReplyDeletePerhaps the general public of the United States specifically views the Mormons as different because few people understand or encounter the LDS faith during their lives. This religion possess many tenets that one does not find within the mainstream Protestant religions of the United States. Despite the fact that “Mormons became models of patriotic, law-abiding citizenship, sometimes seeming to ‘out-American’ all other Americans,’ they continue to practice a unique faith that few people outside the LDS community fully comprehend (Mauss 22). Certainly a lack of understanding and familiarity provides a breeding ground for (even disproven) stereotypes.
You propose that Mormons are still looked upon with disdain even though they are not vastly different than the white non-Hispanic population in America. I think it has more to do with ignorance on the part of the American public than the Mormons’ actions. Americans are only interested in the succulent gossip; that the Mormons were once polygamous. They do not care to dig deeper and discover that the Mormons are no longer practicing polygamy or that Mormons are just like them. (Of course here I am generalizing the American public in the same way that I’m saying the American public generalizes Mormons.) Yet, this is not a fate solely reserved for the Mormons.
ReplyDeleteFor example, the residents of New Jersey are earning a (bad) reputation because of the television show Jersey Shore. Most people from New Jersey do not actually act like the reality tv stars on the show. However residents of Wyoming or California have no way of knowing this.
In the same way, people who have never met a Mormon (or people who do not know that they have met a Mormon) would not know if there are differences in their lifestyles. Until that point in time, they are just making assumptions.
I completely agree that society in general tends to categorize the Mormon population as a mysterious and very different people. This predisposition and prejudgment of Mormonism sterms from the long-standing tradition of regarding Mormons as such. The Mormon tradition has been the victim of stereotyping since its very conception, and I believe that this stems from their very tight-knit communities.
ReplyDeleteI know several Mormons and, from what I have observed, they are no different than any of my other friends in regard to my interactions with them. If more people would just take the time to get to know a Mormon family, I believe that their perception would change quite a bit.
I think there are numerous uncounted factors that would cause differences between mormons and Non-Mormons. The researchers in the Heaton et.al piece pointed out that there have been "dramatic changes in family behavior over the last several decades..."(89) and factors such as the Sexual Revolution, feminism, and the technology age have impacted non-mormon families as well as Mormons. Also, by the Mormons trying to assimilate into mainstream culture their views have also shifted. I agree with Christine that many stereotypes still exist because of ignorance. Until a few years ago I believed that all Mormons were polygamists and when I asked about their commercials on TV a family member responded that they were "just those people that marry a lot of women." Also when Hurricane Katrina hit and it was reported that Louisiana residents were being sent to Mormon areas to resettle members of my community said they would "turn those innocent black people into polygamists." A lot of the stereotypes would be overturned if people got to know Mormons better and as the study shows, find out they are not much different from other Americans.
ReplyDeleteMormons are still looked upon with disdain in the present day American society because a majority of Americans are ignorant to Mormon culture and religion and only know the bad aspects of their culture. I myself was very ignorant to Mormon culture and all I knew about Mormons was that they practiced polygamy, which isn’t even promoted in the religion today. People in general fight what they don’t know or understand and many Americans have never attempted to understand the Mormons but rather continue on with their preconceived notions of how Mormons live their lives.
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