432
25.12 Cii)
TABLE 43
Comparison of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal response
to Statement 17 - Religion as an idential
Agree Not Disagree Majority
strongly Agree sure Disagree strongly support
Statement
17. One of the places I feel
really important and worth-
while is in church
(disagree)
13.2 37.4
32.6 60.0
Aboriginal response (N=93) 4.4 12.1 46.2 24.2
Non-Aboriginal response (N=289) 3.1 12.2 24.7 27.4
25.12 (iii)' Discussion
There was little support for this statement by Aborigines (16.5 per
cent). Over a third disagreed (37.4 per cent) while 46.2 per cent
were ’not sure’. The rejection of this statement was even greater on
the part of the non-Aboriginal group,with 60 per cent rejecting it.
*
«
The hypothesis that church affiliation would be an important idential
for Aborigines was' not supported. `
A further question from Schedule III,tapping membership of groups
and group activities,provided information that 69.6 per cent of
Aboriginal people in the study never go to church or to a religious
meeting. Nineteen per cent go often or very often. For most of
the Aboriginal students,group participation in religious groups
does not provide a source of self-esteem.
The question of faith in individuals may be seen as allied to
the statements on trust, examined aboveɪ.
ɪsee p. 400ff.