3 - The Sacred Canopy Flashcards
Who created the social construction of reality?
Peter Berger. Authored the Sacred Canopy theory. Had the biggest contribution were in sociology of knowledge
What is said about the social construction of reality?
That humans and their social world are mutually shaping. That they are constantly affecting each other.
- Society is the product of humans
- Humans are the product of their society
- Society is both the product of human inventiveness and shapes human experience and understanding.
What does Peter Berger also say about religion?
- That we live in a world of our own making in which religion is a part of. That it helps us makes sense of the world.
What are symbolic universes?
They are a kind of grand totalizing worldview in which integrates different parts of meaning into a coherent whole.
What are some example of symbolic universes?
- Christianity, Marxism, Nihilism, Karma, Luck & Fates
- All of them help to make sense of the strands of life, and legitimate to the social order
- Religion is unique as it links the here and now to the transcendent
What is the meaning of a sacred canopy?
creation of a meaningful framework in which religion plays a role in protecting people psychologically from the disturbances of society.
According to Peter Berger, what would occur if the sacred canopy did not exist?
Life would be more chaotic in his opinion in which offers no way for life to make sense of the vicissitudes of the world. Giving life and meaning to society `
How is Peter Berger’s view on religion differ from other reality systems?
It is different as it seeks to link humans to the sacred.
What is suggested when referring to social construction?
That is made by humans that affects human behaviour.
Was Peter Berger AGAINST or WITH the secularization thesis?
He was indeed WITH or an ADVOCATE of secularization and suggested it had two elements to it.
What are the two elements of secularization?
Objective: the declining influence of religious institution and symbols in many aspect of culture and society
Subjective: The secularization of consciousness
Many individuals in the modern west look upon the world and their own lives without religious interpretations
Why have secularization have become such a thing in society?
1.) Scientific rationalism
2.) Urbanization
3.) Pluralism
- greater competition of ideas both organized (nationalism, marxism) and diffuse (individualism)
- Religions have to sell harder
What are plausibility structures?
They are the sociocultural lenses/contexts for systems of meaning within which these meanings make sense, or are made plausible. E.g: plausibility of your society will tell you whether an idea or system is plausible or not
