This study examines the experience of forgiveness, both being forgiven and forgiving others, as it relates to social relations and health among three racial groups. In the complex world in which we live, we are unfortunately often confronted by difficult, hurtful and harmful situations.
The Scientific Goals of the Study are:
1) To examine forgiveness, both being forgiven and forgiving others, among Middle Eastern Americans, African Americans, and non-Middle Eastern White Americans.
2) To assess social relations including social networks, the support exchanged, and relationship quality as well as health and well-being in each of the three groups, i.e. Middle Eastern Americans, African Americans, and non-Middle Eastern White Americans.
3) To examine whether people with more positive and less negative social relations are more or less likely to forgive both in the total sample and in each of the three groups: Middle Eastern Americans, African Americans, and non- Middle Eastern White Americans.
4) To examine the association between forgiveness and health as well as the role of social relations in the forgiveness-health link. We will examine this question for the total sample as well as the three subgroups of Middle Eastern Americans, African Americans, and non-Middle Eastern White Americans.
Funding:
Fetzer, John E., Institute
Funding Period:
07/01/2010 to 12/31/2011