When the degree of tolerance tells us about the identity strategy of the faithful: The case of practising Catholics and Jehovah’s Witnesses
When the degree of tolerance tells us about the identity strategy of the faithful: The case of practising Catholics and Jehovah’s Witnesses

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this research stem from the assumption whereby the religious group threatened by the large religious majority and the dominant one, are compelled to implement a form of strategy in order to maintain or to reinforce their status within a more threatening social area. Some groups appear to overcome this pertaining issue whereas others do not cope with it. This is the case of Jehovah Witnesses with a growing number of adepts. Based on that sectarianism conception, its sociocognitive processes and its effects, the present study intend to examine the relationship between a diverting social position (vs majority) and the affirmation of moral and social values. This project intends to access the moral judgement of 4 categories of people: Jehovah witnesses, Catholic worshipers, chess players and divers background individuals. We assume that, whatever the nature of the offence, the minority religious group, the one likely to be threatened, have a more positive view than the group less threatened, whether they are believers or not. Furthermore, concerning the level of tolerance however, the non believers appear to be more tolerant, JW as well as Catholics being less tolerant on conventional offences. On moral offences issues, JW seem to be more tolerant, unlike other groups. The outcomes of this project underline our previous assumptions and will be further discussed in the light of identity strategies carried out by each group concerned by this research.

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