Religion, Family, and Chinese Youth Development

Religion is a fundamental cultural factor profoundly influential on human mental health and behavioural choices, and, in addition, family is the most proximal and intimate socialization agent contributive to youth development. Religion, Family, and Chinese Youth Development explores how religious involvement of Chinese parents affects their psychological health and family socialization, which leads to various aspects of the development of Chinese youths. Specifically, a structural relationship between religion, family socialization, and youth development was constructed theoretically and tested empirically in the Chinese context, which can portray the linked lives of religious involvement of Chinese parents, parental psychological health, family processes, parenting practices, the development of psychosocial maturity, and the internalizing and externalizing outcomes of Chinese youths. Undeniably, the findings of this book provide insightful social and policy implications for researchers and human service practitioners related to Chinese societies. By clearly depicting and empirically testing the connections between religion, family, and Chinese youth development, the book can be a reference for clergy, family practitioners, researchers, policy makers, management of NGOs, and graduate students of social sciences.

Jerf W. K. Yeung holds a PhD from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research focuses on family and children, religion and health, and youth development, which has recently appeared in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Social Indicators Research, and Marriage & Family Review.

1. Religion and Empirical Research in Contemporary China 2. Religion and Psychological Health of Chinese Parents 3. Religion and Family Socialization: A Christian Perspective 4. Chinese Youth Development in the Family Context: Psychosocial Maturity 5. Chinese Youth Development in the Family Context: Psychological and Behavioral Outcomes 6. Linked Life: Religion, Family Socialization, and Youth development 7. Conclusion, Application, and Future Directions