Beliefs in Society - Religion and Social Change Flashcards
How can religion act as a conservative force?
- Functionalists: religion maintains the value consensus by sacralising it (Parsons)
- Marxists and feminists: religion maintains the domination of a ruling class
How does Weber (1905) distinguish modern capitalism versus traditional capitalism?
Traditional capitalism was the pursuit of profit for the sake of consumption of luxury goods whereas modern capitalism is the profit for its own sake, also known as the ‘spirit of capitalism’
Weber (1905) and the Protestant Ethic:
Calvinist (a protestant sect) belief in predestination and divine transcendence causes Calvinists to experience a ‘salvation panic’ as they do not know whether they will get into heaven and have no way of changing it. Calvinists were driven to a ‘this-worldly ascetic’ lifestyle of constant work and little indulgence by their beliefs - this led them to profit which they saw as a sign of God’s favour and passible placement in Heaven and, due to their asceticism, they reinvested this profit back into the business causing even further growth and leading to the creation of modern capitalism.
Weber (1905) and other religions:
Although other factors like natural resource and a money economy are important, alternative religious beliefs led other societies to not have capitalism in the same way.
- Ancient India was more economically developed than Northern Europe but Hinduism, although ascetic, was ‘other-worldly’ so did not encourage followers to participate in the money economy as much.
- As was Ancient China but Confucianism, although ‘this-worldly’, was not ascetic so did not encourage followers to reinvest profits.
Calvinism’s combination of both is what led to modern capitalism.
Give 3 criticisms of Weber (1905):
- Weber’s work is often called a ‘debate with Marx’s ghost’ as, where Marx sees economic factors (the base) as causing social change, Weber argues it was the cultural and material factors led to the economic change
- Capitalism did not develop everywhere Calvinists were: Scotland had a large population but was slower to change. However, Marshall (1982) argues this it was a lack of material factors like investment that slowed Scottish capitalist development
- Calvinists only became the first capitalists as they were excluded from most possible job opportunities so turned to entrepreneurship as a a means of survival. However, Weberians argue that other religious minorities were excluded but did not become successful capitalists.
Bruce (2003) and the American Civil Rights Movement:
Black clergy, led by MLK, played a defining role in ending American segregation:
- They were able to appeal to white people the shared Christian value of equality
- They acted as neutral negotiators as they were seen as ‘above politics’
- They united community in churches to support black people in the face of violence and hate. Here, religion acted as an ‘ideological resource’ that secular protestors could draw on to assist them in creating social change
Bruce (2003) and the New Christian Right:
A failing example of the use of religion in social change is the New Christian Right, a Protestant anti-liberalisation protest group who have largely failed in their attempts to ‘bring America back to God’ in the form of traditional gender roles and conservative values. This is for two reasons:
- Their campaigners struggle to cooperate with those from other religious groups even when united in values, such as anti-abortion
- The US is built on liberal democratic values so the attempt to impose restrictive morality was inevitably going to fail.
The New Christian Right shows how, although religion can act as a ‘resource’, the beliefs of the protest movement have to align with wider society.
Give a criticism of Bruce (2003) and the New Christian Right.
The New Christian Right have recently gained success in circumventing democracy and entering the Judiciary (the supreme court) and overturning the landmark abortion cas Roe V. Wade. Bruces ignores that religious movements don’t have to go for public support.
Engels (1895) and religion:
Religion has a dual-character: it can inhibit change but it can also challenge the status quo, such as Christian abolitionism’s role in ending slavery
Bloch (1959) and the ‘principle of hope’:
Bloch agrees on the dual character of religion, he argues that religion is an expression of the ‘principle of hope’ or our dreams of a utopia - this can decieve people with promises of other-worldly rewards, but also show people what needs to be changed to get us closer to that utopia.
Outline the Liberation Theology.
The Liberation Theology, a Latin Catholic movement that (unlike traditional Catholic advoacy for a fatalistic approach to poverty) was actively committed to tangibly helping the poor, such as setting up ‘base communities’ to support one another and literacy programmes, and challenge military dictatorship
Outline the creation of Liberation Theology
Factors include:
- Deeping rural poverty and growth of urban slums
- Human rights abuses following military coups in Argentina, Brazil, etc.
- Growing dissillusionment of many Catholic Priests with the Church’s abiil
Casanova (1994) and the importance of Liberation Theology:
Liberation Theology played an important role in resisting state terror and beinging about democracy and, even having returned to its conservative roots, Latin Catholicism continues to defend those human rights and democracy.
Lehmann (1996) and Pentecostalism:
Pentecostalism has made large inroads into the Liberation Theology ‘turf’, offering a more conservative ‘option of the poor’, rather than ‘option for the poor’, that is based in individual self-improvement through Church and family rather than radical social change.
Worsley (1968) and the appeal of millenarian movements:
They appeal largely to the poor due to their promise of immediate improvement via Jesus’s 1000 year rule. They also largely pop up in colonial situations due to the religious and cultural domination of often Christian colonials and the erasure of local social structures and religious tribes.
