Beliefs in Society: Secularisation and Religion Flashcards
what is secularisation?
the process of society becoming less religious.
how to measure secularisation
Dissapearance thesis: modernity has brought about the death of religion. the importance of religion to society and individuals is declining. it is believed that this will continue until religion disappears.
Differentiation thesis: religion is declining in social significance. it is no linger plays an important part in society e.g. no longer influences social structure. it has become separated/differentiated from the wider social society.
measuring secularisation: what are the 4 ways to measure secularisation?
statistical
pluralism
disenchantment
rationalisation
measuring secularisation: statistics
2005 over 18 attendance: 41000. 2009: 36,000
church membership has fallen by 1 million in the last 20 years.
the British social attitudes survey shows that the number of people not following a religion has increased from 6% in 2010 to 11% in 2010. this suggests that there is an increase in atheism, evidence for secularisation.
- however, there are no reasons given as to why people aren’t attending church,h for example, retail work on Sundays. it only collects quantitative data, not understanding why.
- Davie identified vicarious religion: others worshipping on their behalf, therefore, it is difficult to measure religiosity using statistics as some people are religious, but do not attend services for varying reasons.
measuring secularisation: pluralism
this is the idea that people can decide whether they wish to follow a religion or ignore it all together. pluralists may argue that the growth of NRMs may have been overestimated.
- however, due to the wide variety of religious organisations that now exist, established churches are loosing their influence and ability to integrate individuals and to encourage shared values.
measuring secularsation: disengagement
this is when the church becomes separate from the state.
Martin argues that the church has a decline in power, wealth, influence and prestige, therefore supporting secularisation.
Bruce argues traditional churches have lost their power due to becoming separate from the state.
- Parsons argues disengagement hasn’t taken place, instead, religion has become specialised, providing fewer functions (structural differentiation)
measuring secularisation: rationalisation
this is the growth of scientific thought and the decline of religious explanations, due to the enlightenment.
Weber argues modern society is disenchanted due to the lack of magic and mystery. People turn to God as a last resort when scientific thought has been exhausted.
Postmodernists argue society has moved beyond the scientific logic of modernity. there is a rising distrust in science due to the awareness of failures in science.
- however, irrational practices still take place such as tarot cards, palm reading, tea leaves
structural differentiation
this refers to societies sre seen as moving from the simple to the complex through a process of social change based on structural differentiation.
Parsons sees this happening to religion - it dominated a pre-industrial society, but with industrialisation, it has become a smaller, more specialised institution.
structural differentiation leads to disengagement with religion. the functions have been transferred to other institutions. For example, the church lost its influence that it had over education, social welfare, and the law.
+ Bruce agrees that religion has become separate from society and lost its former functions. it has become privatised, confined to the private sphere of the home and the family.
social and cultural diversity
this refers to the move from pre-industrial to industrial society, which brings about he decline of the community, contributing to the decline of religion.
Wilson argues that in the pre-industrial communities, shared values were expressed through collective religious rituals. these integrated individuals and regulated their behaviour. When religion lost its basis in stable societies, it lost its hold over individuals.
diversity of occupations, cultures, and lifestyles undermines religion. even where people continue to have religious beliefs, they cannot avoid knowing that many of those around them hold different views.
religious diversity
Berger argues that another cause of secularisation is the trend toward religious diversity where instead of there being one religious organisation and only one interpretation of the faith, there are many.
In the Middle Ages, the catholic church held the absolute monopoly - it had no competition. everyone lived together under a ‘single canopy’. this gave beliefs greater plausibility because they had no challengers.
The Spiritual Revolution thesis: Kendal and Cumbria
they investigated whether religion is in decline, and whether the growth of spirituality is compensatory. the congregational domain: traditional religion
holistic milieu: spirituality and the New Age
2007: 7.9% attended church
1.6% holistic milieu.
traditional churches are losing popularity
subjective trends: no longer feel the duty to attend church
Wilson and secularisation
demotiviation - fall in participation: Wilson uses statistical evidence to show a decline in the British public’s participation in religious institutions. the 1851 conesus showed approximately 40% of the UK’s population attended church. by 2009, this had declined to 8%. the increase in cohabitation, children born out of marriages, and divorces is viewed as evidence that religious morals have little influence over peoples lives.
- this fails to explain reasons for religiosity
- not attending does not always equate to not believing.
Disengagement - the church plays no role in politics: Wilson contends that the church plays a marginal role in important areas of social life such as politics. Furthermore, the mass media rather than sermons in church provide moral ideas for people’s lives.
- the church dictates the school holidays - society is still engaged in Christian celebrations
- the king is the head of state in the UK, and the crown which represents monarchy are integral parts of the institution of parliament, along with the Houses of Common and Lords.
secularisation in America
wilson 1962: 45% of Americans attend church on Sundays. He argued that churcgoing was more of an expression of the American way of life, instead of belief.
Bruce provides 3 different pieces of evidence to support America as a secular society:
declining church attendance: church attendance has been around 40% since 1940. Hadaway argues that if this was the case, churches would be full, but they’re not. Hadaway carried out interviews asking people if they attended church, attendance was claimed to be 82%. the widening gap (actual attendance VS reported attendance) may be because it’s seen to be desirable/normative to go to church.
Secularisation from within: American religion has adapted to modern society. Christian beliefs and glorifying God has declined, but religion in Americsa has become ‘psychologised’ (become a therapy). therefore, religion in America has remained popular by becoming less religious.
Religious diversity: churchgoers are less dogmatic in their views.
criticisms of the secularisation theory
- secularisation theory ignores the religious revival and the growth of new religions e.g. sects, cults etc.
- religion may have declined in Europe, but not in America, or on a global scale, so secularisation is not universal.
postmodernity and religion: what are postmodernists general beliefs?
religion is changing rather than declining, changes in religion are largely due to changes in the wider society. greater individualism, consumerism, and a shift to the postmodern world may have contributed to this.
postmodernity and religion: believing without belonging
Davie argues religion is taking a privitised form, people no longer go to church because they don’t feel they have to, or because it is respectable to do so. the decline in church-going is therefore because people have individual choice, there is no obligation to attend. the decline in traditional religion is matched by the growth of a new form of religion.
postmodernity and religion: vicarious religion
Davie identified vicarious religion as a growing trend: practiced by an active minority, e.g., regular churchgoers and the clergy, on behalf of the lay majority. The few are seen to be worshipping on behalf of the majority.
despite low levels of church attendance, many people still use the church for rites of passage e.g. baptism, marriage and funerals.
postmodernity and religion: believing without belonging and vicarious religion evaluation
Voas and Crockett: believing and attendance are seen as decline together.measuring both together as one statistic as without the other questions validity. e.g. assuming non-attendance = not believing
Bruce: people are no longer willing to invest time in going to church, showing the decline in the strength of belief. therefore, society can be argued as being secular as religious dedication is in decline.
postmodernity and religion: spiritual shopping
Hervieu-leger argues that there has beem a decline in institutional religion in Europe, fewer people are attending church. this may be due to cultural amnesia. This is where religion is rarely handed down as very few parents teach their children about religion and allow children to decide for themselves what to believe in.
social equality has also undermined the traditional power of the church to impose religion on the people. As a result, young people no longer inherit a religious identity.
postmodernity and religion: ‘Jesus in Disneyland’ theory
Lyon agrees with Davie that believing without belonging is becoming increasingly popular. in Lyon’s view, postmodern society has several features that are changing the nature of religion.
the relocation of religion: religion hasn’t necessarily declined on purpose, it has simply moved to a different sphere of social life, to what he calls the ‘sphere of consumption’.. people expect choice in every other area of their life, and they expect to be able to choose their religion too.
religious consumerism: religion has shifted from a social institution which imposes norms on people to a cultural resource which people selectively draw on when they see fit.
re-enchantment of the world: the example of ‘Jesus in Disneyland’ fits this: religion has adapted to become part of a ‘fun leisure environment’ - it has become detraditionalised, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it has become any less important.
postmodernity and religion: evaluation
postmodernists claim that the growth in religious media and the electronic church is against secularisation; however, research shows that people choose to view programmes that confirm their existing beliefs. it is therefore unlikely that the religious media attract many new converts.
lyon criticises the evidence used for secularisation e.g. church attendance. however, the alternatives put forward aren’t based on extensive research.
religious market theory: what are the general beliefs?
also known as rational choice theory. this argues that the secularisation theory focuses on the decline of religion in Europe and fails to explain the continuing vitality of religion in America (eurocentric)
people are naturally religious and religion meets human needs (CSI). therefore, the overall demand for religion remains constant, even though the demand for particular types of religion may vary.
it is human nature to seek rewards and avoid costs. when people make choices, they weigh up the costs and benefits of the different options available.
religious market theory: Stark and Bainbridge
Religion is attractive because it provides us with compensators - when real rewards are scarce, religion compensates us with the promise of supernatural reward.
the cycle of religious decline, revival, and renewal - some religions decline while others grow. e.g. Christianity is declining, Hinduism/Buddhism is growing.
religious market theory - church operates like companies selling goods to the market. competition between religions leads to an improvement in the goods they offer. churches have to make themselves - if they don’t, membership will decline.
Religious market theory: evaluation
The religious market theory highlights the supply side of religion and consumer choice, and is therefore useful in understand new religions.
However, Beckford criticises the religious market theory as unsociological, as it assumes that people are ‘naturally’ religious, failing to explain why people make the choices they do.
Existential security theory: what are the general beliefs?
Norris and Inglehart argue that the reason for variations in religiosity between societies is not different degrees of religious choice, but different degrees of existential security. By this, they mean the feeling that survival is secure enough it can be taken for granted.
Existential security theory: religion as a need for security
Societies where people feel secure have a lower level of demand for religion.
Poor societies: where people face life-threatening risks such as famine, disease and environmental disaster.
They therefore have greater religiosity, which supports Malinowski’s theory that when outcomes are uncertain, people are likely to turn to religion for guidance. This is seen within the social groups: W/C suffer relative deprivation and turn to religion as a coping mechanism.
Rich societies: people with higher standards of living are at less risk, they have a greater sense of secure, and therefore lower levels of religiosity. However, Marxists would disagree as they argue religion is used as a justification of social order: rich people are religious to help them cope with their position and not feel guilty that they have more than others in society.
This therefore explains why third world countries remain religious while the West is more secular.
