Beliefs in sociology

Question 1

What are the core principles of science?

Answer 1

-Objective
-Paradigms
-Falsification
-Cause and effect (factual)

Question 2

Who proposed the transition from religious to scientifc explanations and what did they say?

Answer 2

Aldridge proposed: TMS

Theological stage = Phenomena is explained as arising from actions of spirits or Gods etc.

Metaphysical stage= Phenomena is explained as arising from nature

Scientific stage = Rational explanations which are based on evidence from experiment

Question 3

How is religion a closed belief system and who is the theorist that proves this?

Answer 3

Popper = Religion accepts no critiscm as to challenge it would be seen blasphemy

Question 4

How is religion an open belief system and who is the theorist that proves this?

Answer 4

Herberg = Religions have diluted their beleifs to maintain relevance in mordern day society , he calls this “secularisation from within”
e.g female bishops and acceptance of homosexualtiy

Question 5

How is science a closed belief system and which theorist proves this?

Answer 5

Kuhn = Sciences are based on paradigms that cant be changed as its accepted by the majority

Question 6

How is science an open belief system and which theorist proves this?

Answer 6

Popper = Science constantly opens itself up to critiscm and testing (falsifiability)

Question 7

What do Marxists believe about ideologies?

Answer 7

Althusser = All ideologies including science and religion are a tool of the ruling class to maintain power and reproduce inequality

-They justify principles of capitalism to prevent proletariat revolution

Question 8

What do feminsists beleive about ideologies?

Answer 8

all ideolgies including science and religion promote the paitriachy

Oakley = An example of science is bowlbys study of maternal deprevation, justifies inequality.

Question 9

Which functionalist theorist sees religion as a conservative force?

Answer 9

Durkheim = Religion is an important institution, its a form of informal social control which helps maintain the status quo

Question 10

Which Marxist theorist sees religion as a conservative force?

Answer 10

Marx = Religion is the “opium of the masses” which clouds people from the exploitation of capitalist society
-This is achieved by promising escape from the hardships in after life and the hardships are simply Gods test.

Question 11

Which interepetivist theorist sees religion as a conservative force?

Answer 11

Berger = Religion provides “universe of meaning” A set of beliefs that help people make sense of the world
- Religion is a “sacred canopy” stretching over society, providing a shield from the uncertainties of life.

Question 12

Which feminist sees religion as a conservative force?

Answer 12

Beauvior = Religion exploits and opresses women, faith encourages women to be meek and submissive

Question 13

Outline the 3 definitions of religion (no description)

Answer 13

Substantive, Functional, Constructionist

Question 14

What is the Substantive definition of religion?

Answer 14

-Sees religion as a belief in a supernatural power that is unable to be scientifically explained

-Wether a belief can be considered religious or not depends on the substance of what is believed i.e belief in God

Question 15

What is the functional definition of religion?

Answer 15

-Looks at what religion does for society, e.g Social solidarity

Question 16

What is the constructionist definition of religion?

Answer 16

Interpretvists argued there are many different types of religion so it’s impossible to come up with one definition

Question 17

Evaluate the substantive definition of religion

Answer 17

Ethnocentric, only focuses on western religions, doesn’t leave room for religions without a God

Question 18

Evaluate the functional definition of religion?

Answer 18

Too inclusive, as many belief systems that aren’t religion form the Same functions e.g a football team

Question 19

What 2 sociologists presents the functionalist view of religion

Answer 19

Durkheim = the scared and the profane (religion differs the two)

Parsons = religion helps people cope with the uncomfortable outcomes. (Value consensus)

Question 20

What is liberation theology? (religion as a force for social change)

Answer 20

-movement that grew in South America
-It was a response to the failure of the Vatican to help its people with the poverty and exploitation they faced
-The priests encouraged people to enforce change.

Question 21

What are the 2 reasons women are more likely to join sects and cults?

Answer 21

Stark and Bainbridge: proposed

Organismic deprevation = Women are more likely to suffer ill so look to sects and cults for healing

Social deprevation = Sects and cults tend to attract the poorer groups in society and women are more likely to be in
poverty than men.

Question 22

What is cultural amnesia (postmodernism)

Answer 22

Leger - the loss of the religion that was handed down by
generations before, instead parents are letting their children choose their own belief systems.

Question 23

What postmodernist proposed the idea of disembedding and what did they say?

Answer 23

Lyon = religion has become disembedded in postmodern society
- it is no longer embedded in religious organisations or in a
particular country or culture and beliefs are not embedded in their original contexts.

Question 24

What is an evaluation of the postmodernist view of religion?

Answer 24

Bruce – Postmodernists have overexaggerated the extent of the decline in traditional religions.
-NAM’s are short lived and cannot compare with
established world religions.

Question 25

What are the 3 main parts of calvinism?

Answer 25

Predestination = God has decided who would enter Heaven before you are born and that his decision is unchangeable. The chosen are known as the ‘Elect’

Divine transcendence = Noone can predict Gods wishes, the only source of information is the bible.

Vocation of calling = the only way to glorify God was to devote themselves to their work.

Question 26

How did calvinism lead to capitalism?

Answer 26

-Calvinists become anxious about being part of the elect so to overcome this anxiety they devote themselves to work (salvation panic)

-Weber = he believes led to the emergence of the spirit of capitalism in which the pursuit of profit was seen as a spiritual goal.

Question 27

What is an evalution point of calvinism leading to capitalism?

Answer 27

Kautsky = modern capitalism already existed prior to the development of Calvinism.
-Calvinist beliefs simply justify it.

Question 28

In what two ways has religion led to social change?

Answer 28

American civil rights movement - Bruce, this movement was successful as it shamed those in power using their own religion.

Liberation theology - Maduro, In societies where protests were against the law the church could act as a safe outlet for frustration for the proletariat.

Question 29

What are Bruce’s 4 points of religion for social protest
(link it to american civil rights movement)

Answer 29

1. Taking the moral high ground = Pointing out hypocrisy
   of those in power (Black clergy did this)
2. Channelling dissent = Religion provides channels to express politics in a safe and protected way. (funeral of MLK)
3. Acting as an honest broker = Churches can help with negotiating change because they often have the respect of both sides.
4. Mobilising public opinion = Churches can help spread support for the campaign. (black churches did this)

Question 30

What is the american civil rights movement?

Answer 30

• Aim was to end segregation and gain equal rights for the black community in America.

-Led by MLK and used christian values to unite people.

Question 31

What is the New christian right?

Answer 31

-Go back to traditional values, christianity promotes
-E.g liberalisation of homosexuality, divorce, abortion and
Sex education in school.

Question 32

Give 2 ways secularisation led to the growth of New religous movements?

Answer 32

Giddens = Traditional religions have watered down their
beliefs to fit in a more secular world.
-People nowlook to NRMs to receive the comfort and community big religions no longer offer.

Bruce- loss of faith in traditional religious leaders who
are seen as out of touch

Question 33

How do religous organisations provide “escape”?

Answer 33

Barker = Religious organisations as ‘Escapes’ from the
pressures of work & family life and can offer an
alternative family structure.

Question 34

Why are sects short lived?

Answer 34

Barker = people are unable to cope with the strict discipline and rules
-The heavy and often extreme commitment required is difficult to maintain so people leave.

Question 35

Give 2 ways in which religion promotes the patriarchy?

Answer 35

1. Beauvior = Religion exploits and opresses women, faith encourages women to be meek.
   -E.g. Restricting women from organisations and fewer rights (divorce & property rights)
2. Veiling of women (in Islam) = Alridge believes this is a symbolism of keeping women invisible and anonymous

Question 36

What are 2 evaluation points of religion being patriarchal?

Answer 36

-Female and male Gods are worshipped equally in Greece, Rome and egypt.

-Woodhead = Veils are freeing women of the male gaze and sexual harrasment

Question 37

What are 2 reasons for the link between women and religiosity?

Answer 37

• Walter & Davie = Women feel closer to God due to their role in creation of life
• Status frustration = women who lack personal fulfilment or status as a result of being confined to the home or in lower middle class jobs, Turn to religion to compensate for this

(Barker Religious organisations as ‘Escapes’ from the
pressures of work & family life )

Question 38

What is the evaluation for the link between women and religiosity?

Answer 38

Aune et al = gave 3 reasons womens participation is in decline

1. Feminism (question the role of women in religion)
2. Changing role of women ( More paid work is occupying attention)
3. Changing family relationships ( Diversity in family structures which go against traditional beliefs)

Question 39

What are two reasons for ethinic religiosity (no researchers)

Answer 39

Social deprivation/ marginalisation = Older Asian women may turn to religion as a source of support as they are marginalised from the mainstream due to a poor grasp of English.

Social identity = Religion can help to provide many markers of identity for ethnic minorities such as dress and food
-This can help members to resist the denial of
their status and the devaluing of their culture through Racism

Question 40

What are the two researchers for reasons of ethnic religiosity?

Answer 40

Bird – Religion can be a basis for community and solidarity,
and a way of coping with a oppression.

Pryce = Pentecostalism is a highly adaptive religion which provided migrants with values that were appropriate to their new world in a format that they could understand.

Question 41

What are 2 reasons age differences in religion?

Answer 41

Voas & Crockett
The aging effect =As they approach death they naturally become more concerned about the afterlife, repentance of past deeds, etc

Leger - cultural amnesia

Question 42

Give 2 reasons why the middle class have higher church attendance (social class & religion)

Answer 42

Heelas - New Age Movements are more attractive to Middle Classes who can afford it.

Ahern- found that working-class Londoners distrusted the Church of England and found its ministers boring and patronising.
The head of the Church of England is King Charles III (link to the monarchy)

Question 43

What are the two reasons why secularisation is difficult to measure?

Answer 43

1. If we can’t define religion, how can we know if it is declining?
2. Reliability, Historical documents regarding religiosity
   may not meet modern standards of reliability
   -Social Desirability is a huge factor in the study of religion.

Question 44

Give 2 main sociologists for secularisation

Answer 44

Bruce- loss of faith in traditional religious leaders who
are seen as out of touch

Weber = - Desacralisation of Consciousness: loss of the ability to experience a sense of sacredness or the mystery of life. Caused by the growth of scientific knowledge

Question 45

Give 2 main sociologists against secularisation

Answer 45

Davie = “believing without belonging & privitisation of religious practice” People can express their beliefs and worship at home in a ‘Privatised’ manner – helped by TV, Radio & the Internet

Heelas = Resacralisation: the world is going through a ‘Spiritual Revolution’. People are rediscovering religion in personalised forms
- ‘pick n mixing’ and tailoring their religious identities as there is more choice in modern society.

Question 46

Give 3 reasons leger gives for the decline of religion

Answer 46

Leger = Cultural amnesia = (a loss of collective memory) over time we live in a more secular society where people arent being socialised into religion

Spiritual shopping = people are trying out different religions that they see fit for them. Links to globalisation

Individualism = there is now no longer a collective identity

Question 47

Give 2 ways in which globalisation has impacted religion

Answer 47

Leger = spiritual shopping

Davie = believing without belonging

Question 48

give a way in which globalisation has led to the spread of religion?

Answer 48

Pryce = Pentecostalism is a highly adaptive religion which provided migrants with values that were appropriate to their new world in a format that they could understand.