Topic 1&2: Theories of Religion & Social Change
3 Functions of Religion, according to Functionalism with reference to Sociologists.
> Social Solidarity (D)
> Collective Conscience (D)
>Cognitive (D)
>Psychological (M)
>Values and Meaning (P)
> Civil Religion (B)
What is the percentage of those who identified as 'no religion' in the 2021 UK Census? (allow 2% either way)
37%
This topic can be used as EVALUATION against what?
TOPIC 3: SECULARISATION THESIS
Cultural and social changes brought by globalisation may threaten cherished values and lead some to turn to...
Fundamentalism.
Provide 2 differences between a Church and a Cult
Church - claim monoply, large organisations Cult - no monoply, small organisation
Explain two ways in how religion contributed to Social Change during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s
> Taking the moral high ground
> Channelling dissent
> Acting as honest broker
> Mobilising public opinion
When looking at church attendance figures, what must we bear in mind?
Not the full picture due to religion being pactised privately
Church may inflate numbers to 'look busy'
What is the difference between 'online religion' and 'religion online'
OR - Can not exists outside of the internet, no hierarchy, members to member communication, sense of community
RO - Hierarchy, Organisation uses the internet to address members and covnerts, no feedback bewteen parties.
What countries can be used as an example of Secular Fundamentalism?
France - Prohibiting the expression of religion
Netherlands - Dutch Muslims facing anti-Islam policies
Risk, socialisation and Gender roles
Paid Work
Women and New Age
Status Frustration
Compensation
Feminisation of the Church
Women live older
What are two application studies (AO2) that can be used in the Marxist explanantion of Religion?
> Hindu Caste System
> Divine Rights of Kings
> Egyptian Gods
Define the following
'Disenchantment'
'Crisis of Plausibility'
'Cultural Defence'
D - Science and rationality has eroded the 'spell of religion and supersitition.
COP - DUe to the emergence of other religions, began a questioning of religious truth
CD - Argument against secularisation, Religion is used to protect culture.
What are 3 weaknessess that come with New Age?
They are not big enough to plug the gaps left by traditional religions
Socialisation of the next generation is not strong enough
Weak commitment -> people only dabble in meditation, horoscopes, astrology and alternative medicine
Structural weakness: individualistic nature -> lacks external power
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies found that 'urban educated Indians are becoming more religious'
Whose theory does this contradict? Hint: (N&I)
Norris and Englehart’s existential security theory
Urban more relgious - they have less to worry abotu but are still more religious
Define and explain the three typologies used by Wallis when defining NRM's in Sociology and provide an example for each.
World rejecting - See the world as inherently evil or corrupt. They think that the way society is currently organised is against the will of God. (Jim Jones)
World Accomdating - Separate life into spiritual and worldly spheres, focusing on the spiritual. They neither affirm nor reject the world. (Neo-Pentlecostalism)
World Affirming - Seek to offer their members spiritual enrichment. They often do not include belief in a God. Instead they offer personal fulfilment, meditation and ways to turn individuals into “better people” (Scientology)
Outline two Neo-Marxism explanantions of how religion can be used to bring about Social Change
Liberation Theology - Maduro
Dual Character - Engels
Organic Intellectuals & Hegemony - Gramsci
Bloch - Principle of Hope
What can be 4 issues with measuring secularisation?
Statistics can be unreliable.
Definitions may vary between sociologists
Places of worship may lie about figures, or may count them differently.
Data may not be representative of the population.
Validity of data is open to question.
Define with reference to Sociologists
'Believing without belonging'
'Vicarious Religion'
'Spiritual Shopping'
'Re-enchantment'
BWB - Privitisation of Religion allows belief but not joining an organisation formally (D)
VR - Religion is practised by the miniority on behalf of majoirty - Religion is used as a Health Service. (D)
SS - Personal choice in religion has led to cultural amensia, pick and choose religion, 'DIY' religion, Pilgrims & Converts
R - Growth of unconventional beliefs practices and spirituality.
In Hindu ultra-nationalism, the worship of Hindu gods has become the same as worshipping the nation of India - what is this an example of?
Civil Religion - Bellah
Provide 4 factors which explain ethnic differences in religiosity with reference to sociologists
Religion & Identity
Religious organisations
Places of worship
Sacred texts
Religious laws and customs
The secularisation thesis assumes that religion will decline or has declined. This may be the case in Europe and the Western world, but is not necessarily true globally.
Therefore is too what?
Ethnocentic/Eurocentric
Define and explain 'Religious Market Theory'
Stark and Bainbridge
Secularisation is too Eurocentric and religion is natural for humans.
Compensation - offers superficial rewards, cycle of renewal, religious compeition. USA vs Europe
Supply-led - where there is demand, there will be supply. Asian in America/Megachurches/Japan post WW2
OPEN TO ALL
Outline all 7 characteristics of Fundamentalism
Hint:
AST, 'UAT', AR, UOMT, P, P, CT
Conspiracy theories
Prophecy
Patriarchy
Use of Modern technology
Aggressive reactions
‘us’ and ‘them’
Authoritative sacred text
OPEN TO ALL
Define the following 5 concepts for this topic
'SECTARIAN CYCLE' (S&B)
'RELATIVE DEPRIVATION' (S&B)
'AUIDENCE CULT' (S&B)
'POSTMODERNITY & NEW AGE' (D)
'SOCIAL CHANGE'
Sectarian Cycle - sects process through a cycle (S - IF - D - E - FS)
RD - Comparing deprivation to others, M/C can be spiritually deprived
AC - Cult that has little organisation, peopel are passive conumers (Astrology)
P & NA - Loss of faith in religion and science, people turn to New age for spiritual guidance (identity, consumption etc)
Social Change - Postmodern brings fragmentation and anomie, people turn to NRM for security or answers.