Religion, Social Class, and Educational Stratification
A research grounded look at how religious upbringing and social class shape educational outcomes in ways that institutions often overlook.
“A quarter of American kids sitting in public schools are deeply shaped by their religious upbringing, yet most scholars treat religion as irrelevant. My work shows how religion influences behavior, attitudes, and long term educational outcomes.”
Why Does Religion Matter for Education?
Religious upbringing affects the quantity and quality of education: Intensely religious kids earn better grades in secondary schools because they are conscientious and cooperative.
Intensely religious teens complete more years of schooling, but often at less selective institutions (a process called undermatching).
Religious upbringing is most academically beneficial to working-class and middle-class kids, especially boys.
KEYNOTE PROGRAM
God, Grades, and Graduation: Why Religion Still Matters for Educational Stratification
Topics covered:
- Sociology of Religion
- Adolescent Development
- Class Based Differences
- Student Engagement
- Longitudinal Research
Description:
Based on her award winning book God, Grades, and Graduation, Ilana challenges the common assumption that religion no longer plays a role in shaping educational outcomes. Drawing from a nationally representative, decade-long longitudinal study of more than 3,000 adolescents, she demonstrates how religious upbringing influences academic behaviors, expectations, and success. She explains why religion affects working-class students differently than professional-class students, and how class-based support systems shape these outcomes.
This keynote offers scholars and institutions a richer, more accurate understanding of how religion functions as a stratifying force in American life.
Participants will learn how to:
1
Understand how religious upbringing interacts with social class to shape academic achievement and long term educational pathways.
2
Recognize the mechanisms through which religion affects schooling behaviors, expectations, and college completion.
3
Integrate religion as a meaningful variable in educational research, policy discussions, and institutional strategy.
Grounded in a nationally representative study that followed over 3,000 teens for over a decade
- winner of the distinguished book award from the american sociological association's religion section
ADDITIONAL PROGRAM VARIATION
(For Sociologists and Research Communities)
Why Religion Belongs in the Study of Educational Inequality
Topics covered:
- Sociology of Education
- Structural Inequality
- Identity Formation
- Class and Culture
Description:
This version of Ilana’s talk is designed for academic researchers, graduate seminars, and scholarly audiences. Ilana examines why religion has been understudied in mainstream stratification research and what is lost when scholars overlook this dimension of identity.
Using clear evidence from her decade-long study, she shows how religion shapes students’ relational worlds, cultural toolkits, and perceptions of opportunity.
This keynote prompts scholars to reconsider long-standing assumptions and incorporate religion more thoughtfully into their analytical frameworks.
Participants will learn how to:
1
Identify the gaps in current educational stratification research and why religion should be included.
2
Understand how religious socialization influences student pathways in ways distinct from class, race, or gender.
3
Apply Ilana’s frameworks to broaden scholarly approaches and generate more robust empirical work.
Tailored for Maximum Impact
Ilana tailors this keynote to each audience’s expertise and goals. Whether speaking to sociologists, education scholars, department faculty, graduate students, or organizational researchers, she adapts her examples, datasets, and research themes to align with your needs and ensure the content lands with clarity.
Partnership and Extended Learning Opportunities
Institutions seeking deeper engagement can partner with Ilana for follow up seminars, classroom discussions, faculty workshops, or multi session research conversations. These additional programs help teams integrate religion more effectively into their research, teaching, or institutional frameworks.
If your institution is ready to understand the overlooked forces shaping student outcomes, bring Ilana Horwitz to your next event.
Her research driven insights reveal what scholars, educators, and leaders need to know to better support today’s students.