Beliefs - 5.7 - Social Groups & Religiousity

Question 1

Gender - Trends in Religious Belief

Answer 1

More women than men believe in God & are more likely to practice religion, whilst having increased interest & commitment to religion

Question 2

Gender & Religiosity (Key Studies)

Answer 2

> Bruce, Heelas & Woodhead (Women & Sects & Holistic Milieu)

> Miller & Hoffman (Risk, Socialisation & Roles)

> Davie (Closer to Life’s Big Questions & Visions of God)

> Brusco (Pentecostal Gender Paradox

Question 3

Bruce, Heelas & Woodhead (Women & Sects & Holistic Milieu)

Answer 3

Twice as many women than men are in sects & 80% of people in the holistic milieu in Kendal are women

Question 4

Miller & Hoffman - Reasons for Women More Involvement in Religion

Answer 4

> Risk
Socialisation
Roles

Question 5

Miller & Hoffman - Risk

Answer 5

> Lack of religious belief means people are at risk of going to hell.

> Men are less-risk averse than women, so are more likely to take the risk & not believe in religion

Question 6

Davie - Criticisms of Risk

Answer 6

> Disappearance of danger & risk associated with childbirths for women in western societies

> So decline of religion as a result of lower birth rates

Question 7

Miller & Hoffman - Socialisation

Answer 7

> Women are socialised to be passive obedient & nurturing, leads to greater involvement in religion, these qualities are valued by most by religion

> Men who’ve got these qualities are also more likely to be religious

Question 8

Miller & Hoffman - Roles

Answer 8

> Gender roles mean less women are in paid work than men, so have more time to participate in religious activities.

Question 9

Reasons for Women More Involvement in Religion

Answer 9

> Closer to Life’s Big Questions
> Visions of God
> Guardians of Family Life & Tradition
> Status Frustration
> Greater Life Expectancy

Question 10

Davie - Closer to Life’s Big Questions - Reasons for Women More Involvement in Religion

Answer 10

> Women see God as loving, comforting & forgiving, but men see him as power & control

> So women are more likely to turn to God for support & guidance.

Question 11

Guardians of Family Life & Tradition - Reasons for Women More Involvement in Religion

Answer 11

> Women expected to teach family values & culture to children, so therefore more likely to teach religion to children & subsequently participate.

Question 12

Status Frustration - Reasons for Women More Involvement in Religion

Answer 12

> Women more likely to experience status frustration due to lack of personal fulfilment or due to confinement at home.

> So religious participation including New Age Movements & cults give compensations & theodicies for their oppression.

Question 13

Greater Life Expectancy - Reasons for Women More Involvement in Religion

Answer 13

> Women have greater life expectancy than men, so are more likely to be widowed & live own their as they age

> So leads to increased religiosity as it can be source of comfort & building a support network

Question 14

Reasons for More Women Joining New Age movements (Key Studies)

Answer 14

> Bruce (Women’s Experiences)
Brown (Authentic)
Woodhead (Individual Sphere)

> S&B (Women & Compensators for Deprivation)
Aldridge (Goddess Religions)
Ruickbie (Wiccan)

Question 15

General View for More Women Joining the New Age

Answer 15

> Women more associated with nature due to childbirth & healing role, so therefore attracted to the New Age

> As they celebrate nature & give women increased status & self worth

Question 16

Bruce (Women’s Experiences) - Reasons for More Women Joining New Age

Answer 16

> Child care makes women less aggressive & goal orientated & more cooperative & caring

> So fits expressive emphasis of New Age

Question 17

Brown (Authentic) - Reasons for More Women Joining New Age

Answer 17

> New Age appeal to women’s wish for autonomy as they see their roles as restrictive

> New Age are attractive as they emphasise being authentic rather than acting out gender roles

> But some like fundamentalism due to certainties of the gender roles it has

Question 18

Woodhead (Individual Sphere) - Reasons for More Women Joining New Age

Answer 18

> Appeal to individual sphere of Women’s inner self & personal growth in opposition to restrictive social roles

> Giving sense of wholeness

Question 19

Aldridge (Goddess Reg’s) - Reasons for More Women Joining New Age

Answer 19

New Age gives women a central role, giving increased positive images of femininity compared to traditional religions

Question 20

Ruickbie (Wiccan) - Reasons for More Women Joining New Age

Answer 20

Female witches have increased status jobs/own businesses, but male witches usually from deprived backgrounds

Question 21

Pentecostal Gender Paradox

Answer 21

> Pentecostalism has grown among the working class in Latin America , despite being seen as patriarchal e.g. men seen in charge of homes & churches

> It’s attractive to women

Question 22

Brusco - Pentecostal Gender Paradox

Answer 22

> Pentecostalism demands followers to live ascetically with a traditional domestic division of labour & they use these ideas to combat idea of machismo (men not acting responsibly - drinking, gambling etc).

> Men pressured by church, to behave responsibly & support families, not spending income on prostitutes & gambling

> Critiquing sexual irresponsibility & wastefulness, so popular with women.

Question 23

Reasons for Women’s Decline in Religion

Answer 23

> Changing Role of Women
Changing Family Relationships & Sexuality
Fertility Levels

Question 24

Changing Role of Women - Reasons for Women’s Decline in Religion

Answer 24

In paid work, so don’t have time to focus on religion, harder to juggle triple shift with religious responsibilities

Question 25

Changing Family Relationships & Sexuality - Reasons for Women’s Decline in Religion

Answer 25

> Postmodernity led to LGBT relationships, cohabitation & Lone Parent Families opposed by churches > Church makes women deny & be silent on sexual desires & activities

Question 26

Fertility Levels - Reasons for Women’s Decline in Religion

Answer 26

Increase in feminism mean women having fewer children, so older generations aren’t being replaced in church & New Age

Question 27

Trends in Ethnicity & Religion

Answer 27

> Ethic Minorities have increased average rates for religiosity e.g. Muslims, Hindus & Blacks > Increasingly likely to see religion as important & attend a place of worship compared to whites

Question 28

Trends in Ethnicity & Religion (Key Study)

Answer 28

Madood (Decline of Religion in Ethnic Groups)

Question 29

Madood & Decline of Religion in Ethnic Groups

Answer 29

> Decrease in importance of religion, fewer were observant, especially among the second generation > 74% of Muslims saw religion as important in their lives, compared with only 32% of White Catholic

Question 30

Reasons for Ethnic Differences

Answer 30

``` > Country of Origin > Cultural Defence > Cultural Transition > Social Deprivation & Marginality > Social Identity ```

Question 31

Country of Origin - Reasons for Ethnic Differences

Answer 31

Ethnic minorities come from countries with increased levels of religious practice e.g. Pakistan & maintain this pattern e.g. in UK

Question 32

Reasons for Ethnic Differences (Key Studies)

Answer 32

> Bruce & Bird (Cultural Defence) > Brierley (Cultural Defence) > Herberg (Cultural Transition) > Pryce (Cultural Transition) > Beckford (Cultural Transition)

Question 33

Bruce & Bird (Cultural Defence) - Reasons for Ethnic Differences (Key Studies)

Answer 33

> Religion offers support & cultural identity in hostile environments > Basis for community solidarity & preserving culture, language & coping with oppression in a racist society. > Blacks unwelcomed by white churches, so founded own black ones or joined pentecostals

Question 34

Brierley (Cultural Defence) - Reasons for Ethnic Differences (Key Study)

Answer 34

Big increase of new churches in London catering for specific languages & nationalities due to immigration

Question 35

Herberg (Cultural Transition) - Reasons for Ethnic Differences (Key Study)

Answer 35

> Religion used for easing transition into a new culture > Gives support/sense of community in new environment. > Gives increased levels of reg participation for first generation immigrants in US

Question 36

General Criticisms of Herberg

Answer 36

> But once group made transition into wider society, religion loses role > But in some generations no decline e.g. Muslims

Question 37

Pryce (Cultural Transition) - Reasons for Ethnic Differences (Key Study)

Answer 37

> Pentecostalism very adaptive religion giving migrants values appropriate to new world & in a format they understood > Helps Afro-Caribbean communities adapt to society and helps members succeed > Encouraging self-reliance gives mutual support & hope of improving situation.

Question 38

Beckford (Cultural Transition) - Reasons for Ethnic Differences (Key Study)

Answer 38

Due to continued need for cultural defence, pentecostalism gives increased sense of independence to blacks

Question 39

Social Deprivation & Marginality - Reasons for Ethnic Differences

Answer 39

> Dissatisfaction with lack of status in society is reason for increased religiosity in ethnic minorities as they’re poorest in UK > Asian women use religion as support as they may be marginalised, due to poor English > Religion gives source of identity & lacking from mainstream.

Question 40

Social Identity - Reasons for Ethnic Differences

Answer 40

> Provides source of identity e.g. dress, food & festivals, helps religious people resist the denial of status & devaluing of culture through racism. > British born Pakistanis in London identified as Muslim not Asian > Gave them stability when faced with uncertainty in other aspects of life

Question 41

Trends in Age & Religiosity

Answer 41

> Old Age Pensioners more likely to attend religious services > By 2025 predicted only 2.5% of churchgoers will be 15-19yrs old

Question 42

Reasons for Higher Old Age Pensioner Religiosity

Answer 42

> Ageing Effect | > Generational Effect

Question 43

Ageing Effect - Reasons for Higher Old Age Pensioner Religiosity

Answer 43

> Ageing Effect | > Generational Effect

Question 44

Ageing Effect - Reasons for Higher OAP Religiosity

Answer 44

> As people come closer to death spirituality increases, leading to increased religiosity as people look for answers on afterlife etc & forgiveness of sin > More OAP women go church than men as they live longer

Question 45

Generational Effect - Reasons for Higher OAP Religiosity

Answer 45

> OAP generations are more religious due to upbringing - they are less secure compared to today’s youth due to war & massive social change. > e.g. Existential Security Theory

Question 46

Reasons for Young Lower Levels of Religiosity (Key Studies)

Answer 46

> Beckford (Socialisation) > Brierley (Ritualism & Tradition) > Collins-Mayo (Individualisation)

Question 47

Beckford (Socialisation) - Reasons for Young Lower Levels of Religiosity

Answer 47

> Unlikely parents pass on religious beliefs to children, due to increased inter-faith marriages > Sunday schools now rare so churches unable to recruit for them e.g. Cultural Amnesia

Question 48

Brierley (Ritualism & Tradition) - Reasons for Young Lower Levels of Religiosity

Answer 48

Many children thought church was boring & couldn’t relate to rituals & teaching so don’t attend

Question 49

Collins-Mayo (Indvidualisation) - Reasons for Young Lower Levels of Religiosity

Answer 49

> Religion is now a personal choice in postmodernity, so young unobligated to join particular church or religion > Instead to chose to spend free time on leisure

Question 50

Trends on Social Class & Religiosity

Answer 50

> Not straightforward middle class are more likely to go church, but less likely to believe in God > More likely to be atheists & join world-affirming & rejecting NRM’s > Working class more likely to believe in God, but - likely to go church, certain denominations & sects specifically appeal to working class e.g. Methodism

Question 51

Trends on Social Class & Religiosity (Key Studies)

Answer 51

> Marxist (Social Class & Religiosity) > Farthing (Class & Church Attendance) > Lawes (Reg Belief & Social Class) > Bruce & Heelas (Sects, Cults, New Age & Social Class) > Bruce (Class Differences in New Age beliefs)

Question 52

Marxist view on Social Class & Religiosity

Answer 52

> Religious participation increased in deprived of society as religion gives means of coping with deprivation & oppression > Upper class only use religion to justify authority & ideology.

Question 53

Farthing - Class & Church Attendance

Answer 53

More middle class activity with upper class more fringe goers & working class less likely to be regular attendees

Question 54

Lawes - Religous Belief & Social Class

Answer 54

> Devout theist mostly come from working class backgrounds with less academic qualifications > But devout atheists come from upper class backgrounds & are more likely to go on to Higher Education > Contradicts church attendance

Question 55

Bruce & Heelas - Sects, Cults, New Age & Social Class

Answer 55

> Sects and Cults mostly from most deprived groups in society, but New Age cults & world-affirming NRM’s have greater appeal to upper class ``` > Due to consumerist nature of group & New Age Movements they are more attractive to middle class who can afford it ```

Question 56

Bruce (Class Differences in New Age beliefs)

Answer 56

> New Age beliefs emphasising personal autonomy & self-development appeal to the middle class > Working class increasingly attracted to ideas giving passive role e.g. fatalistic ideas e.g horoscopes or lucky charms. > Link to education e.g. Working class fatalism vs Middle class meritocracy

Question 57

Criticisms of Middle class & Religiosity

Answer 57

> Middle class may not be more religious but just going church to keep up appearances or get children into catholic schools with better academic performance > Or under increased social pressure to show they’re more religious compared to the working class