Beliefs in Society Flashcards
1
Q
Outline and explain two ways in which churches may act as conservative forces
A
- Churches maintain traditional values of family and gender roles. They view gender roles as fixed and prescribe specific expectations for the behaviour of men and women.
- Marxism - Religion is part of the ISA. It prevents revolutions because of the false consciousness it creates and the masking of pain suffered by the working class. It makes the working class believe their position is god - given.
2
Q
Analyse two ways in which globalisation may affect the extent of secularisation
A
- The enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries. It emphasised the importance of science over religion. Therefore Weber saw science and rationalisation as desacrelisation as we can now explain things like natural disasters through science.
- Fundamentalism as a reassertion of religion and against secularisation. It is also a reaction against globalisation and western culture and ideology - comes as a result of their intolerance of others beliefs/religions (fundamentalists).
3
Q
Analyse two differences between science and religion as belief systems
A
- Science is an open belief system subject to scrutiny, critisism
4
Q
Analyse two differences between science and religion as belief systems
A
- Science is an open belief system subject to scrutiny, criticism and testing by others - falsification. All ideas are subject to questioning. However, some sociologists argue that scientists create their own rules and act irrationally.
- Religion is based on the spiritual world which cannot be scientifically observed. However, They both have accepted stories based on faith. E.g. The Bible and The Big Bang Theory.
5
Q
Outline and explain two reasons why figure on attendance at mainstream churches may overstate the degree of secularisation in Britain today
A
Secularisation may not be increasing because people are practising religion in other ways:
- Validity - some people may lie about attending church
- Believing without belonging - coined in the 1980s by the British sociologist Grace Davie to refer to the rejection of organized religion.
- Vicarious religion - people still practise religious beliefs, just through another person.
- Mainstream attendance declined, but smaller organisation increased.
6
Q
Outline and explain two reasons why some people join sects
A
- Social deprivation - lack of prestige and social fulfilment. For example, if they’re in an unsatisfying job, they may seek sects as they’re an alternative which can satisfy their needs. Relative deprivation - feeling worse off than others in society, sects help them cope with this.
- Economically disadvantaged and marginalised - sects act as compensators and can help those ‘cut off’ from the rest of society.
7
Q
Outline and explain two ways in which the emergence of religious fundamentalism may be a consequence of globalisation
A
· Gives people certainty
· People disagree with postmodern world and believe we should go back
· Cosmopolitanism - internal threat of globalisation
· Global forces (external threat) - fundamentalism acts as cultural defence
- Cultural imperialism - world’s culture increasingly dominated by western cultural values. Bruce argues this threatens religious beliefs in many countries and Islamic fundamentalism formed acting as a cultural defence.
8
Q
Religiosity and ethnicity
A
- Ethnic minorities are more religious than the hegemonic culture - Durkheim says it gives shared values to immigrant communities.
- Weber explains the popularity of religion in ethnic minorities through the theodicy of misfortune (Theodicy of Dis-privilege refers to the belief of the promise that salvation may be granted as a reward for earthly poverty).
- Bruce stressed cultural transition. This is where religious organisations help immigrants integrate into communities.
EVALUATIONS: It is difficult to gather reliable statistics on ethnicity and religiosity.
9
Q
Religiosity and social class
A
- Middle class attend church more. This may be to attain social capital.
- Norris and Inglehart - developed existential security theory, the idea that the poor who risk existential dangers out of their control, such as poor health, violence or natural disasters, turn to religion for comfort.
- Bruce - sees cults as more middle class as they fulfil spiritual needs of those without financial pressure e.g. scientology. Cults are mew religions that are more tolerant and don’t demand such high levels of commitment. They usually appeal to culturally and economically privileged.
- Neo Marxists Gramsci and Maduro see religion as empowering the working class - liberation theology.
- Marxists have struggled to explain middle class religiosity.
EVALUATIONS: It is difficult to gather reliable statistics on this due to the subjectivity of class.
10
Q
Religiosity and gender
A
- Thompson argues that women who possess ideal characteristics of femininity (emotional, submissive etc.) are more likely to be religious.
- Woodhead argues that home centred women are more likely to prioritise traditional religion, even if they work, because it matches their prioritisation of family. Women experiencing dissatisfaction with new expectations for women may turn to religions like Islam or Pentecostalism which have very traditional gender roles.
- Bruce argues that women are attracted to NAM’s because they focus on personal improvement. This may apply to both increasing numbers of working women, who don’t have time for organised religion, as well as middle class women confined to the home, who can explore NAM’s online.
EVALUATIONS: Women are exploited in contemporary religion due to biology, childbirth and taboos around menstruation and childbirth.
11
Q
Religiosity and age
A
- Hervieu - Leger argues that cultural amnesia has taken place, with younger generations who have not been brought up with religion losing the practices of the older generation. This is called the generational effect, where each generation is becoming less religious than the previous one. Young people do not grow up with religion in contemporary society.
- Postmodernists argue that young people are increasingly individualistic, and this is encouraged by the family and more secular education. Therefore many see religion as controlling and boring. They also tend to feel that religion has lost its power to explain as a metanarrative.
- The ageing affect leads older generations to turn to religion as they lose their identity from work and become more interested in spirituality and the afterlife as they approach death.
EVALUATIONS: Whilst many young people don’t associate with religion, many young people in ethnic minority Baptist and Pentecostal denominations still have high levels of attendance.
12
Q
Churches
A
- Rigid hierarchy and bureaucracy
- They are close to the state
- They are conservative, so the ruling class or bourgeoisie are more likely to join them.
- They have very large memberships (millions).
- They have a professional salaried clergy.
- They have inclusive memberships, so members are born into the Church.
- Bruce argues Churches aren’t always conservative, they can have female bishops.
- Church may be inappropriate to Britain today because fewer and fewer people identify with the traditional religions of the Anglican and catholic churches whilst other denominations like Islam and Hinduism are growing in popularity.
13
Q
Denominations
A
- Often quite large but not on the same scale as churches. They don’t claim a monopoly over the truth and are more tolerant.
- They often have more working class members.
- The newer denominations are generally exclusive.
- They have minor restrictions e.g. no alcohol for Methodists, but they are not strict.
14
Q
Sects
A
- Sects are world rejecting NRM’s because they are very critical of the world.
- They claim a monopoly over the truth and are intolerant of other beliefs.
- They have charismatic leaders e.g. Jim Jones.
- They often appeal to the poor and oppressed.
- Demand a great deal of commitment from members, giving them new names and cutting them off from families.
15
Q
Cults
A
- World affirming NRM’s because they accept the world as it is but look for new means to achieve its goals.
- Bruce says they have no fixed set of beliefs
- They’re loose-knit and emphasise inner power of individualism and mysticism.
- They’re more tolerant and don’t demand high levels of commitment as well as not having specific physical locations for worship
- They appeal to the culturally privileged unlike sects.
