SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT INCLUSION Research Paper

SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT INCLUSION - Research Paper Example hat which makes one breathe, or to that in life worth breathing for. Spirituality is interpreted variously, depending on concerns, expectations, and experiences. For many, the spiritual domain is equated with a specific religious tradition or practice; for some, spirituality is a private experience of connection to some unifying and universal presence; and for others, it is tantamount to a profound sentiment of peace and contentment. For some they are uncomfortable with the parlance of spirituality (faith, belief, soul, God). Soet and Martin (2007) report that spirituality has received increasing attention as an area to be considered in counseling and college student development. But little has been written about specific interventions to address college students' spiritual needs.† (Strange, 2001 p.58) 3 In â€Å"Taking Religious Pluralism Seriously: Spiritual Politics on America's Sacred,† Barbara A. ... one poll, are not part of any religious tradition at all." (McGraw & Formicola, 2005, p.ix) 3 In 2002, the UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute initiated a main, multi-year program of research to study the spiritual development of undergraduate students during the college years. The Astin, Astin, & Lindholm study (2010) was intended to increase the understanding of how college students consider the spirituality, the role it plays in their lives, and how colleges and universities can be more effective in facilitating students’ spiritual development. (Astin, et al., 2010, p.1) Among the primary research questions were: 4 â€Å"What role does spirituality play in the lives of today’s college students?† 4 â€Å"How do students’ spiritual qualities change during the college years?† 4 â€Å"What are institutions doing that aids or inhibits students in their spiritual quest?† (Astin, et al., 2010, p.1) 4 According to the Spirituality we bsite of the UCLA, the school found that students showed the maximum degree of growth in the five spiritual qualities if they are enthusiastically engaged in â€Å"inner work† through self-reflection, observation, or contemplation. Students also showed significant increases in interest in the spiritual quest when their faculty practiced inclusionary policies. 4 â€Å"Religious Engagement, an ‘external’ measure which represents the behavioral equivalent to Religious Commitment, includes behaviors such as presence religious services, praying, religious singing/chanting, and reading sacred books. Attendance at religious services shows a sharp down turn during college, while other forms of engagement show alike but slighter declines. Over the third of the students (39%) attend services less repeatedly in university than they did in high