THE ROLE OF RELIGIOSITY IN PROMOTING SOCIAL WELL-BEING AMONG ELDERLY AFGHAN REFUGEES IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The issue of the displacement of Afghan refugees, especially the older population, remained unexplored. The research studies in this area are small scale and qualitative. This study is based on large sample of 2367 Older Afghan refugees to investigate their social wellbeing based on their religious practices in their everyday life. This paper explores the contribution of religiosity to the social well-being of aged 55 and above Afghan refugees living in Pakistan and suggestions for policy change to the refugee’s support program. Through a quantitative research design based on a positivistic approach, the study conducted the proportionate stratified random sampling to sample out the older Afghan refugees in 29 districts in Pakistan. Structured interviews were used to gather the data, and the religiosity was evaluated with the help of a 12-item and 3-point Likert scale that evaluated the frequency and the importance of religious activities or practices. Regression analysis and correlation analysis were employed to analyze the relationships between religiosity and social well-being. whereas the descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic traits and social well-being indicators. The results show that there is a positive relationship between religiosity and social well-being as the higher the level of religious engagement the higher the level of social participation, emotional support, and network. The regression model indicated that religiosity is a major predictor of social well-being, which acts as a buffer to social isolation to enhance social cohesion among the elderly refugees. Such findings demonstrate the significance of religious activities towards enhancing sense of belonging and identity, which are relevant to the mental health and overall well-being of elderly refugees. The paper highlights the importance of policies and support mechanisms that make use of religiosity as an instrument of enhancing social involvement and social wellbeing of older refugees in host nations.