2.1.6.2 Beliefs in society: Religiosity and social groups

Question 1

Religiousity and social groups

What statistic does B estimate about gender and sects?

Answer 1

• Bruce
• Twice as many women as men are involved in sects

Question 2

Religiousity and social groups

What are the main trends of gender and religion?

Answer 2

More women then men believe in God and participate in religious activities.

Question 3

Religiousity and social groups

Why do M and H argue that women are more religious?

Answer 3

• Miller and Hoffman argue that women are more religious because they have been socialised to be more passive, obediant and caring - qualities valued by religion.

Question 4

Religiousity and social groups

Why does D argue that women are more likely to be religious?

Answer 4

Davie argues that women’s proximity to birth and death brings them closer to ‘ultimate questions’ about life that religion is concerned with.

Question 5

Religiousity and social groups

Why does B argue that women are more religious?

Answer 5

• Bruce argues that women are more religious because they are less involved in paid work, which is a secularised sphere.

Question 6

Religiousity and social groups

Why might women be more attracted to New Age movements?

(2)

Answer 6

• women are associated with a healing role.
• Women may wish for autonomy that rnew age movements could provide them with.

Question 7

Religiousity and social groups

What is G&S’s argument for why more women are religious?

Answer 7

• Glock and Stark’s compensation for deprivation. Women are more likely to be deprived
• Organismic deprivation - more likely to suffer ill health and seek healing
• Ethical deprivation - more conservative and therefore attracted to religion.
• Social deprivation - more likely to be poor and join sects.

Question 8

Religiousity and social groups

What is the Pentacostal gender paradox in Latin America? (Brusco)

Answer 8

• Pentacostalism has grown rapidly in Latin America, despite it being patriarchal.
• It has attracted lots of women.
• Brusco argues that this is because Pentacostalism requires ascetic lifestyles with a traditional gender division which women use to combat ideas of masculinity, as they are to be respected and supported by their husbands.

Question 9

Religiousity and social groups

What are the three main reasons for religion being higher in most ethnic minority groups?

Answer 9

• Country of origin: Most minorities origionate from countries with higher religiousity and they maintain this in the UK.
• Cultural defence: Religion offers a cultural identity in a hostile, racist environment.
• Cultural transition: Religion supports the transition into a new culture by providing support and community for minority ethnic groups.

Question 10

Religiousity and social groups

What are the three main explanations why the older a person is, the more likely they are to go to church?

Answer 10

• The ageing effect: as you approach death, you are more likely to be concerned with the afterlife so go to church.
• The period effect: People born in an earlier period may be more religious because of the events they lived through. e.g war.
• Secularisation: As religion declines in importance within society, each generation is likely to be less religious than the one before it.

Question 11

Religiousity and social groups

What is one exception to the general trend of age and religion?

Answer 11

Children are more likely to go to church then any other age group because their parents make them go.