General Findings: COPTIC DIASPORA SURVEY

General Findings: COPTIC DIASPORA COPTIC DIASPORA SURVEY* Report 3: SURVEY Coptic Diaspora Survey* Religious Attitudes and Practices Report 2:

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: JENNIFER BRINKERHOFF, PhD. Professor of Public Administration & International Affairs The George Washington University Elliott School of Public Affairs 805 21st Street, NW PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Suite 601 Washington, DC 20052 Phone: 202.994.1217 JENNIFER M. BRINKERHOFF Professor, Public Administration & International Affairs LIESL RIDDLE, PhD. Elliott School of International Affairs Associate Professor of International The George Washington Affairs University Business & International 805George 21st Street, NW, Suite 601 The Washington University Washington, 2201 G Street,DC NW20052 Funger Hall Suite 401 Some pictures courtesy of Jessica Smelser Washington, DC 20052 Phone: 202.994.1217

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE: NANA KWEKU NDUOM Candidate * PhD A survey project conducted in

International collaborationBusiness with: The George Washington University

Coptic Orphans

P.O. Box 2881 Merrifield, VA 22116

June 3, 2014

General Findings: COPTIC DIASPORA SURVEY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background ........................................................................................... 1 Why This Study? ................................................................................... 2 Methods ·····························································································3 Survey Respondent Profile .................................................................... 4 Religious Attitudes and Practices: Introduction.................................... 7 Religiosity ............................................................................................. 7 Motivators for Church Attendance & Religious Practice ....................... 9 Role of Clergy in Advising Congregants ............................................... 10 Clerical Advice: Detailed Analysis ........................................................ 11 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 16


Page 1

BACKGROUND The GW Diaspora Program, under the auspices of the GW Diaspora Capital Investment Project, conducted this survey in collaboration with and at the request of Coptic Orphans. The purpose of the survey was to identify the factors that keep Coptic diasporans interested in engaging in Egypt and in what particular ways. The existing GW Diaspora Capital Investment Project protocol was modified to include questions related to philanthropy and political engagement, in addition to its questions on investment interest and activities. This survey was funded by the Elliott School of International Affairs with promotional and design support from Coptic Orphans. The survey was conducted from November 2011 to January 2012, less than a year following the Egyptian revolution, and reflects respondents’ views from that time. This is the third report of the project. We first reported general findings. Our second report examined philanthropy attitudes and practices.*

Coptic Orphans Coptic Orphans’ main focus is on developing the potential of individual children through education, because it is the best way to help others make permanent improvements for themselves and their communities. Coptic Orphans’ partnership with the Coptic Church allows it to become part of the lives of people in villages from the Mediterranean ocean to Egypt’s southern border near Sudan, and to promote its programs through the

George Washington University’s Diaspora Program and Diaspora Capital Investment Project Housed in the Elliott School of International Affairs, the GW Diaspora Research Program is dedicated to the integrated study of immigrant communities that remain active in social, economic, cultural or political processes in their countries of origin and with compatriots worldwide. Primary focal areas center on identity, policy, and socio-economic development. The GW Diaspora Capital Investment Project, located in GW’s Center for International Business Education and Research, aims to generate and disseminate learning about diaspora investment and its role in development.

General Findings (Report 1)

The GW Diaspora Program is located at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

General findings reported previously are as follows: 1) The Coptic Church is instrumental in keeping Coptic diasporans connected to Egypt. 2) Coptic diasporans mostly engage on behalf of Egypt through philanthropy. 3) The Coptic diaspora is more interested and more capable of contributing to development in Egypt than its current activities reflect. 4) Investment in particular is an area where interest far surpasses experience. 5) Some Coptic diasporans engaged in the formal political process in Egypt for the first time following the 2011 revolution. This report provides a deeper analysis of respondents’ religious attitudes and practices. *Each report retains a description of the sample and respondent profile.


Page 2

WHY THIS STUDY? A Different Diaspora Focus Except in the case of fragile or contested states, studies to date have focused primarily on national diasporas, often assuming some homogeneity among what are large and highly diverse groupings. To our knowledge, this is the first diaspora survey of a subnational group and a religiously identified one. Studies such as these can begin to shed light on the types and scope of potential development contributions of minority-representative diasporas. For example, how does minority status in the country of origin influence such diasporans’ identification with the national homeland as opposed to a sub-group identification of “home”? How might it influence how they target their contributions? Are they more inclined to make some types of contributions that are, for example, more specific to the needs of the minority group, over others that may be national in focus? And in the case of a religious diaspora, how do faith and related institutions influence how and for what diasporas engage?

Who are the Copts? The Coptic diaspora represents minority status in the country of origin, as well as a religious identification. Copts are native Egyptian Christians who follow the Coptic Orthodox Church, under the auspices of His Holiness Pope Shenoudah III. The exact number of Copts residing in Egypt is contested, with estimates ranging anywhere from eight to twelve percent of the total population. Historically, Copts enjoyed periods of improved position in Egyptian society and government, though with intermittent periods of discrimination and backlash. Egypt is constitutionally an Islamic State, which empowers the Government to regulate, for example, the building of churches and church repair. For over a decade, the Copts have been singled out as victims of discrimination and human rights violations in reports on religious freedom in Egypt. Recent years, especially in the immediate period before and after the 2011 revolution, have seen an escalation in violence directed at Copts, including bombings and destruction of churches.

Copts in Diaspora Exact numbers of Copts living in diaspora, as well as their destination countries, are difficult to trace as destination countries do not collect data on subnational identity. According to the International Organization for Migration (2010) 71% of the Egyptian diaspora resides in Arab countries. The number of Egyptians living in the countries surveyed for this study—the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom—is estimated to be 533,000. As with most diasporas, the Coptic diasporans estimate their numbers to be much higher than official estimates, even higher than the estimates of all Egyptian national immigrants. Are Copts over-represented in diaspora, perhaps owing to push factors that encourage their leaving? Or are they underrepresented due to socio-economic status that limits opportunities to migrate? There are no data available to answer these questions. One study estimates that in Europe Copts make up 30% of Egyptian nationals residing there. One confirmed component of the Coptic diaspora experience is the important role the Coptic Orthodox Church plays in sustaining the Coptic identity abroad, connecting and reinforcing connection of Copts to the Mother Church as well as to Egypt, and even organizing and channeling diaspora contributions to Egypt.

Page 3


METHODS A cognitive pre-test of the survey with a diverse representation from the Coptic diaspora living in the Washington, DC, area enabled us to

Cognitive pre-test of the survey, held at Coptic Orphans, Merrifield, VA, October 20, 2011

ensure the questions were understandable and relevant.

The online self-administered survey was designed to examine the demographic profile of the Coptic diaspora and their identity attitudes toward their country of origin, country of residence, and local diaspora communities. Survey questions were also included to query respondents’ interest in and experience with philanthropy, investment , and political participation in Egypt. A cognitive pretest was conducted with a demographically diverse group of Coptic diasporans on October 20, 2011. In order to control for the effects of common methods bias without the ability to collect predictor and criterion data from different sources, we used temporal, proximal, psychological, and methodological separation of measurement in the survey design. We collected responses from individuals who varied significantly regarding age, occupation, income, and organizational affiliation. All participants were provided detailed descriptions regarding the purpose of the survey and data security, and were assured that all responses would be completely anonymous. In addition, participants were provided with definitions of all technical terms and detailed directions for completing each section of the survey. All participants provided their informed consent to participate. The survey was open from November 8, 2011 to January 13, 2012. The link was promoted primarily by Coptic Orphans through multiple methods, including:



Telephone: Coptic priests (197) where asked to promote the survey in their congregations



E-mail: Announcements were sent to 5,374 Coptic Orphans donors and 109 priests; GW also directly requested support from two Bishops in the US and one in Australia



Coptic Media, Associations, and NGOs: 28 were identified and 7 responded by promoting the survey with their audiences; Logos TV, an Orthodox TV station of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii also aired a program on the survey



Internet: Coptic Orphans promoted the survey and posted the link on its website, blog, Facebook and Twitter (7 tweets)



Print Media: In addition to Coptic Orphans’ newsletter, the survey was addressed in an article in Al-Youm Al Sab’e online newsletter (November 14, 2011), and advertised in the Diocese of Sydney’s “Spring of Love Magazine”

Page 4


SURVEY RESPONDENT PROFILE The majority of the sample resides in the United States (71%), but Coptic diasporans living in Canada (14%), Australia (11%), and the UK (4%) also responded.

Approximately 1/3 of US respondents are located in California. The sample is primarily US-based but it is well-distributed within the US.

Survey respondents residing in the United States were scattered across the nation, with participation from Coptic diasporans living within the jurisdiction of the Coptic Diocese of Southern California and Hawaii; the Coptic Diocese of the Southern United States; the New YorkNew Jersey area, where the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America is headquartered; the Washington DC area; the Midwest; and other parts of the United States. Coptic Orphans promoted the survey among its donors and the Coptic Orthodox Church more broadly. The distribution of the sample differs considerably from Coptic Orphans’ donor base, suggesting there is no related bias in the data. Over two thirds of the sample (67%) were born in Egypt and thus are first-generation migrants living in the countries of residence. Twenty-one percent of the survey respondents were born in the United States. It is not surprising, then, that 77.7% of respondents speak Arabic at home. English is spoken in the homes of 86.5% of respondents.

Over two thirds of the survey respondents (67%) were born in Egypt and 77.7% speak Arabic at home.


Page 5

The sample is close to balanced in terms of gender. Forty-five percent of respondents are female. The proportion of respondents who are male (55%) is only slightly higher than the equivalent in the domestic Egyptian population (51%).

55% of those surveyed indicated that they were male (n=874). This is slightly higher than the equivalent ratio in the domestic Egyptian population (51%).

Respondents varied in age, ranging from 18 to 90 years old. The age structure of the sample is relatively young but diverse. Forty-seven percent of the sample is less than 35 years old. Eighteen percent is age 36-45, 13% are 46-55, 13% are 5665, and 8% of the sample is age 65 or greater.

A wide range of age groups are represented in the sample. Yet, the sample is relatively young; 47% are younger than 35 years old.

More than 40% of the respondents have lived in the country of residence (COR) for more than 25 years. Almost 60% have resided in the COR for 25 years or less.


Page 6 The findings suggest Coptic diasporans are relatively well-educated, with a wide range of occupations, a high percentage of professionals, and, on average, a fairly high household income. Eighty-nine percent of the sample completed a bachelor’s degree or higher (44% bachelor’s, 21% master’s, and 24% doctoral). The high education rates within the Coptic diaspora are not representative of the Coptic population remaining in Egypt, suggesting that many of those who could emigrate chose to do so.

90% of respondents are college-educated, with 45% holding advanced degrees.

The sample represents a wide variety of occupations, with substantial proportions from the legal, medical, engineering and academic professions (51% combined). Over 53% of the sample reports annual household incomes of over $100,000, with 17% earning over $200,000 annually. 51% of respondents are in the legal, medical, engineering, or academic professions. 19% are in the business professions, including 7% who are business owners or entrepreneurs.

53% of respondents have household incomes greater than $100,000. 17% earn over $200,000 annually.


Page 7

Religious Attitudes and Practices: Introduction Respondents report being highly religious. Over 97% confirmed they think of themselves as having a religion or faith. Of these, over 96% indicated they were Coptic Orthodox. Respondents were also asked a series of questions to gauge the extent to which their faith impacts their daily lives. 89.5% reported such religiosity. The demographic analysis revealed some statistically significant variation, though only on the margins of the most faith-based options. These findings may reflect a bias in our sampling methods.

Religiosity (Importance of faith in daily living and Church attendance) We asked six questions regarding the importance respondents place on the role of faith in their lives. Questions addressed reading about religion, spending time in thought and prayer, living according to religious beliefs, and prioritizing religion as important in ones daily life. On average respondents scores for religiosity were quite high: mean of 6.4 of 7. None of the demographic factors were statistically significant. Country of birth, time in the COR, age, education, income--none of these influenced respondent's religiosity.

Respondents’ religiosity is not influenced by country of birth, time living in the country of residence, age, education, or income.


Page 8

Religiosity, cont.

A significant proportion of respondents with little to no education attends Church less than once a week.

Respondents attend Church services on average more than four times per week (mean = 4.2). Education was the only statistically significant predictor of the number of times per month respondents attend Church services (p < 0.01). Over half of those without Bachelors degrees reported attending Church services less than weekly. While almost three-quarters of those with Bachelors and Masters degrees attend weekly or more often. More than 65% of those with doctoral degrees reported attending services weekly or more often.


Page 9

Motivators for Church Attendance & Religious Practice We asked a series of questions related to social and comfort motivations for Church attendance and religious practice. Social motivators included attending Church services in order to make friends, spend time with friends, or simply enjoy seeing familiar people there. Overall, respondents generally disagreed with this motivator, with an average mean score of 2.2 (out of 7, with 3 being neutral). Women, those who have been in the COR fewer years, and younger respondents disagreed less strongly with this set of motivators than their counterparts. To a large extent, respondents seek comfort through their religious practice (average mean of 4.96 out of 7). Those born in Egypt, older respondents, and those with less education reported slightly more emphasis on comfort motivations than their counterparts. It seems respondents seek comfort from religious practice regardless of income. Those living in the US were slightly less likely to report seeking comfort through religious practice than those living in Canada and Australia.


Page 10

Role of Clergy in Advising Congregants We asked a series of questions about the role of the clergy in providing general and specific advice on philanthropy, volunteering, investing, political participation, and in one’s personal life. We also asked respondents the extent to which this advice influences their behavior. Respondents were asked the degree to which they agreed it was appropriate for clergy to offer general advice. That is, do they agree it is appropriate for clergy to encourage congregants to make philanthropic financial contributions, volunteer their time, make investments, vote or engage politically, and behave according to Christ’s teachings.

Respondents are more

Respondents were somewhat supportive of the clergy’s role providing general advising (mean of 3.86 out of 5, with 3 being neutral). They were less enthused about following this general advising (mean of 2.92), clustering around neutral in responding to whether or not the priest influenced their behavior with his general advice. Results regarding the appropriateness of clergy to offer specific advice (support for specific organizations, investments, causes, and decisions in my personal life (e.g., marital decisions and career planning)) were very similar. Responses hovered around neutral. Generally, respondents did not agree that the clergy's specific advice influences their behavior (mean of 2.6).

welcoming of the clergy’s general advice, though they may not follow it.


Page 11

In terms of the type of advising, respondents were relatively neutral about the clergy's role in guiding their philanthropy decisions. Respondents were generally not very supportive of the clergy's advising on financial investments (mean of 2.38) and political participation (mean of 2.82). Respondents were generally receptive to the clergy's advice on lifestyle and personal matters (mean of 4.7 for appropriateness and mean of 4.06 for influencing behavior generally), but less so with regard to specific behaviors (mean of 3.27 for appropriateness and mean of 3.06 for influencing behavior).

Respondents accept a role for clerical advice regarding philanthropy and in their personal life, but not with respect to investment and politics.

Clerical Advice: Detailed Analysis Time lived in the COR and age were the only statistically significant variables in predicting respondents’ agreement (or not) with the appropriateness of the clergy providing general guidance. Those who had lived in the COR fewer years agreed slightly stronger, as did the youngest respondents (age 18-30).


Page 12

Clerical Advice: Detailed Analysis, cont. Respondents were asked the extent to which they agreed it was appropriate for clergy to offer specific advice, that is, to make a financial contribution, volunteer for, or invest in a specific organization or effort, vote for or support a specific candidate or political party, or make specific decisions in their personal lives. On average respondents were neutral in their response, with a mean of 3.03 (out of 5, with 3.0 being neutral). Country of birth, age, and country of residence were statistically significant in predicting slight variations. Those born in the COR, younger respondents, and those living in the US were likely to agree slightly rather than to disagree.


Page 13

Clerical Advice: Detailed Analysis, cont. A range of demographic factors were statistically significant predictors of whether the clergy influences respondents’ general behavior, though clerical influence was slight. The only respondents who agreed—though only slightly—that clergy influenced their general behavior were those born in the COR, the youngest respondents (18-30), and those without Bachelors degrees.

None of the respondents agreed that the clergy influences their decisions to support specific organizations or causes or to make (or not) specific decisions in their personal lives. Many of the demographic factors were statistically significant here, too, though they only influenced mean scores slightly. The youngest respondents (18-30) were neutral on this question, and those without Bachelor’s degrees and those born in the COR disagreed only very slightly (mean of 2.9 and 2.8 respectively).


Page 14

Clerical Advice: Detailed Analysis, cont. Following are the demographic analysis results regarding the extent to which respondents agree it is appropriate for clergy to encourage general and specific behaviors and the degree to which these efforts actually influence respondents’ behavior in various arenas. Respondents are relatively neutral on their acceptance of the clergy’s influence on their philanthropic behavior (mean of 3.1). Those who are likely to be relatively accepting of this role include those who have lived in the COR for fewer than 25 years, those who are younger than 35 years of age, and those living the USA.

Respondents were slightly more accepting of the clergy’s role in influencing their volunteering behavior (mean of 3.4). Among the statistically significant findings, those born in the COR, younger than 35 years of age, and living in the USA were slightly more accepting of the clergy’s role in this arena.


Page 15

Clerical Advice: Detailed Analysis, cont. Respondents did not generally agree with a role for the clergy in influencing their investment decisions. Those who disagreed the least strongly included the youngest respondents (mean of 2.8), those without a Bachelors degree (2.7), those who plan to live in Egypt (2.7), those born in the COR (2.6), and those with the lowest income level (2.6). In the case of political advice, while on average respondents disagreed with a role for the clergy (mean of 2.8), some respondents were neutral or agreed slightly. These included those without a Bachelors degree (mean of 3.2), the youngest respondents (3.1) and those with the lowest income level (3.0).

Respondents were most accepting of the clergy’s role in influencing their personal decisions and behavior (mean of 3.8). Those born in the COR, those age 18-50, women, and those living in the USA were the most accepting of the clergy influencing their decisions and behavior in their personal lives.


Page 16

Conclusion This report on religious attitudes and practices suggests several insights about the Coptic diaspora’s sustained religiosity and receptiveness to Church guidance. 1. The Coptic diaspora appears to retain its commitment to its faith regardless of exposure to living in the country of residence and the lifestyle this may entail (including education and income). Respondents are highly religious, reporting a strong role of faith in their daily lives, with most attending Church services weekly. Country of birth, time living in the country of residence, age, education, and income did not influence the extent to which their faith impacts their daily lives. It is possible that this finding reflects a bias in the sample since it was not possible to conduct specific outreach to those of Coptic origin who do not engage regularly with the Church or faith-based philanthropic organizations. 2. Respondents’ engagement with the Church is primarily faith-based, not social, regardless of shorter durations of living in the country of residence, gender, and age. While these demographic groups seemed slightly more tolerant (disagreed less strongly) with social motivators, all respondents generally disagreed that their participation in the Church was for social purposes. 3. Respondents continue to derive comfort from their faith, regardless of income, with slightly stronger reliance on faith for comfort among those born in Egypt, older respondents, and those with lower education. Prayer, for relief and protection, peace, and happiness, remains a powerful influence on the lives of respondents. 4. Though they may not follow it, respondents generally welcome the clergy’s guidance for living according to Christ’s teachings and engaging in philanthropy (making financial contributions and volunteering). They are less receptive to clerical advice to support specific organizations and causes and with respect to specific decisions in their personal lives. While general advice was welcomed (mean score of 3.86 out of 5), on average respondents were neutral or disagreed that they were actually influenced by it. Respondents appeared ambivalent (mean of 3) about whether it was appropriate for the clergy to endorse specific organizations or causes or to advise on specific personal decisions. When clergy do provide such advice, respondents disagreed that it influenced their decisions. 5. Respondents do not seem to agree that the clergy has a role in providing guidance related to investment, while a few demographic groups were neutral or mildly agreed with the clergy providing guidance related to politics. The data suggests some demographic groups who may be less knowledgeable about politics may tolerate the clergy’s guidance in this arena. Those without a Bachelors degree and the youngest respondents slightly agreed that a clerical role was appropriate and that it might influence their decisions.