Why me? Connections between socioeconomic status, religiosity, perceived personal control, and views of suffering

When tragedy strikes, how do individuals make sense of suffering? If God is good, why do bad things happen to good people? Do people differ in how they understand suffering based on socioeconomic status and on religiosity and the way in which they view God? Research indicates that individuals of lower socioeconomic status tend to be more religious that those higher in economic status (Wimberley, 2016). However low SES individuals also tend to perceive themselves as having less control over their lives and God as having more control (Schieman, 2010). High SES individuals report feeling that they have more control over their lives than God (Schieman, 2010). How do individuals of differing SES view suffering? The present study examines the relationship between SES, religiosity, and views of suffering using the Views of Suffering Scale (Hale-Smith, Park, & Edmondson, 2012