Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, Vol 32(2), May 2026, 175-183; doi:10.1037/pac0000827
Sectarianism is ingroup bias toward one’s sect, often accompanied by prejudice against members of other sects. It has led to destructive consequences in multiple societies, including Lebanon. However, few psychological studies have examined the determinants of sectarianism. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model proposes that child outcomes result from the interactions between the different environments that surround the individual. We focus in this study on the parental role, starting with parental socioeconomic status (SES) in the development of sectarianism. Drawing on theories linking SES to value transmission, we tested in Study 1 the relations between parental SES and adolescents’ endorsement of conservation values. A convenience sample of 326 parent–child dyads filled out online surveys. Parents reported their SES, and adolescents reported their level of conservation values. We found negative relations between all SES indicators and adolescents’ conservation values. In Study 2, we examined the relations between youths’ conservation values and sectarianism. A convenience sample of 474 Lebanese youths (18–25 years) reported their parental SES, conservation values, and sectarianism through an online survey. We found that conservation values positively predicted sectarianism. An exploratory mediation analysis revealed that youths’ conservation values partially mediated the relation between parental education and youths’ sectarianism. Our study is a first step toward understanding the role of parental SES in predicting sectarianism and encourages exploring the interactions between the different levels of Bronfenbrenner’s model in this context. It also provides insights for policy-makers about the role of parental SES and values in predicting sectarianism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)