Ilana Horwitz on Religion, Education, and Social Capital

Public policy often looks at race, social class, and gender when analyzing educational inequality. But what impact could religion have on academic performance?

In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Ilana Horwitz, Assistant Professor in the Department of Jewish Studies at Tulane University and the author of God, Grades, and Graduation. Ilana breaks down the findings from a nationally representative study out of Notre Dame, which showed that students raised in Christian backgrounds get better grades in middle and high school regardless of their socioeconomic status. However, middle and upper-class students tend to choose less selective colleges, in part because college selection for religious students is more of a social decision than an economic one.

Ilana explains that children who grow up religious tend to be conscientious, kind to others, and more self-disciplined, all qualities useful for performing well in school. Yet she does not argue that the country needs to be more religious. Instead, she advocates for identifying other institutions that offer the same kind of social capital as religion in order to instill a greater sense of purpose and hope among youth.

Resources:

• ‘God, Grades, and Graduation’ Review: A Faithful Way to Learn | Naomi Schaefer Riley | Wall Street Journal

• I Followed the Lives of 3,290 Teenagers. This Is What I Learned About Religion and Education. | Ilana Horwitz | New York Times

Show Notes:

• 01:15 | Describing some results from the National Study on Youth and Religion

• 04:30 | Religious students get better grades in middle and high school

• 06:30 | How do religious students choose colleges?

• 17:45 | Religion provides a sense of purpose

• 21:25 | Is this a call to action to be more religious?