Phramaha Phromphisit Phanchan. A research study on the relationship between the religiosity and alcohol drinking of young students : a case study of the first year students at Mahidol University . Master's Degree(Comparative Religion). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2007.
A research study on the relationship between the religiosity and alcohol drinking of young students : a case study of the first year students at Mahidol University
Abstract:
This study involves both quantitative research and qualitative research in order to study
(1) the teachings of Buddhism and other important religions regarding alcohol drinking and
their influences on the attitudes and beliefs of young students and (2) the relationship between
the religiosity and alcohol drinking of young students and the role of western culture regarding
the alcohol drinking of young students. Documentary research is studied from the Tipitaka, the
Commentaries, the Bible, and the Qur’an etc. Field research is conducted from questionnaire
of sample groups (400 first year students at Mahidol university) and interviews with sample
groups (8 first year students at Mahidol university). Data were collected during January-
February, 2006 and were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Coefficient, and content analysis.
The results of the documentary research reveal that Buddhism focuses on the individual,
namely, it prohibits alcohol drinking to develop a person’s mind so that he can easily make his
mind peaceful and achieve concentration (Samāthi) and finally insight (Paññā). Islam focuses
on society, namely, it prohibits alcohol drinking to maintain a person’s life, religion, tribe, and
wealth so that he can quickly and widely extend his religion and tribe. Christianity does not
prohibit alcohol drinking, if a person drinks in moderation; however it prohibits alcohol
drinking to encourage good action so that a person does not commit an offence against the
Lord.
The results of the field research reveal that, in the questionnaire, most young students’
religiosity is at the medium level and inclines to the low level (65.12%); most of their alcohol
drinking’s behavior is at the low level (22.97%); the high level of religiosity is not correlated
with the levels of alcohol drinking’s behavior; the medium level of religiosity is positively
correlated with the high level of alcohol drinking’s behavior (r= 0.128) and negatively
correlated with the low level of alcohol drinking behavior (r= -0.213); and the low level of
religiosity is negatively correlated with the high level of alcohol drinking’s behavior (r= -
0.161). The interviews reveal the opinion that a stream of Western culture can have an
influence on changing teenage students’ religiosity and alcohol drinking in modern times.
Therefore, young students who have religiosity at the low level tend to have alcohol
drinking behavior at the high level. They have religiosity at the medium level, they can have
alcohol drinking behavior at all levels. And we cannot predict the alcohol drinking behavior,
in modern Thai society, of those who have the high level of religiosity.
These findings suggest that the government and religious institutions should really
cooperate and encourage people to know that the production, selling, and drinking of alcohol
are immoral. Although young students have a medium level of religiosity, their religious
knowledge and practice are at the low level. Moreover, young students who have the medium
and high level of religiosity can also drink alcohol. Therefore, adults should be a good
example and seriously and continuously aim to establish religious knowledge and practice in
their children as well as general ethics to protect them and help them cope with the situation of
the spreading of alcohol drinking at present.