Beliefs Names Flashcards
Durkheim
Functionalism
Religion for social solidarity and order
Sacred Vs Profane
Totemism
People subconsciously worship society through religion as it is a social construct - social order
Collective Conscience
Malinowski
Functionalism
Social Solidarity
Religion Serves the needs of individuals which aids society
It’s function is as a coping mechanism - to relive stress, anxiety (which are dysfunctional aspects of society)
Religious ceremonies also help people deal with emotional crisis eg: death
Parsons
Functionalism
Secondary Socialisation
Provide guidelines for human actions and values (10 commandments)
Solves problems in life:
Uncertainty +
Unforeseen Events
Bellah
Functionalism
Civil Religion
Unification and Collectivism through Patriotism
American’s - Claims allegiance of entire population rather than specific religions (diversity)
God and Americanism hand in hand - oath of allegiance - “God Bless America”
Marx
Marxism
Religion for FAIL
- False Class Consciousness - Distorts WC Reality
- (Cope with) Alienation
- Ideological State Apparatus
- Legitimises WC Suffering
Religion as an opiate of the people
Religion used to promote WC to believe that God gave them their position
Christianity benefit = promise of salvation
Religion as a conservative force - maintain inequality and class divide
Eg: Hindu Caste System - Rigid Hierarchy based on Karma (work) and Dharma (duty) - societal arrangements as inevitable - unquestioned
Weber
Marxism (Religion for Social Change)
Protestant Work Ethic - Protestantism developed with Western Capitalism
Spirit of Capitalism
Bruce (+ Martin Luther King)
Religion for Social Change
American Civil Rights Movement
Used religion whilst fighting for their cause for equality - “Love Thy Neighbour”
Meduro
Neo Marxism
Liberation Theology
Religious leaders voice problems of the oppressed
Latin American Catholic Leaders critical of oppressive regimes and voice these to government
Engels
Neo Marxism (Social Change)
Early Christian sects acted as opposition to Roman rule - almost like communist movements - can be a response to exploitation
Bloch
Neo Marxism (Social Change)
Religion has a dual character
Can inspire or inhibit social change
Primarily see religion as an expression of “the principle of hope” - dreams of a better life and a ‘utopia’ - promote a vision of a better world
Billings
Neo Marxism (Social Change)
Dual Character
Textile Workers vs Coal Miners
Same religious and class backgrounds
Textile workers were uncomplaining and accepting of status quo
Coal miners were militant and rebellious against status quo
Gramsci
Neo Marxism
Counter-hegemony
Religion can show an Alternate vision of how world could be
Lenin
Marxism
Spiritual Gin
Religion dulls the pain of oppression
Evidence for Patriarchy in Religion
- Male Dominated Organisation - Male Leaders
- Segregation at Places of Worship - eg: Menstruating women are not allowed to touch the Qur’an
- Primarily Male Gods
- Religious Laws + Values give fewer rights to women (eg: divorce, or female genital mutilation)
Armstrong
Feminism
Decline of Goddess
Women used to be worshipped as to be seen as closer to nature
But male aggression grew (invasions) - more aggressive spirituality
Monotheism grew (belief in just one good) instead of Polytheism - death of goddess
Mary Daly
Feminism
Christianity a patriarchal myth
Eliminates ‘goddess religions’
Rooted in male ‘sado-rituals’ and ‘torture cross symbolism’ that it embodies women-hating
Simone de Beauvoir
Feminism
Used by men to control women
Compensates women for their second-class status - false belief of compensation and salvation
Tricks women into thinking of god like their ‘guide, father, divine guardian’ etc and therefore justifies her resignation to religion by giving her hope for a future haven
El Saadawi
Feminism
Blames patriarchal domination of religion not religion itself
Monotheistic Religions - drew inspiration and guidance from patriarchy
Men wrote scriptures male-orientated - enabled men to use religion as an abuse of power
Linda Woodhead + Watson
Feminist Criticism
Patriarchal religion is not true of all religion
Religious forms of feminism - gain greater freedom and respect, eg: Hijab and Veil - form of liberation (Watson) - their meanings are very individual and cannot be generalised
Religious Fundamentalism (oppression of women)
Anti-Abortion advocation - pro-life near terrorist tactics
Groups in Iran, Israel, Afghanistan and former Soviet Union advocated for traditional women’s roles to return
Cohen and Kennedy
Feminism (critique of Fundamentalism)
Say that Fundamentalism is based around a fear of increase in women’s freedom of choice - undermines foundations of tradition, morality and male control
Giddens
Fundamentalism Critique (Globalisation)
Cosmopolitanism - embrace modernity, tolerance and open beliefs; focus on personal meaning and self improvement - not collectivism, conformity and submission to authority
Fundamentalism is the product of globalisation - it values traditional social norms
Bateman and Castells
Response to Postmodernism
Fundamentalism = Response to postmodernity
Two identities as a response to postmodernity
Resistant - defensive reaction to feeling of threat and retreat into fundamentalism
Project - progressive reaction from those looking to engage with social movements (eg: feminism)
Bruce
Fundamentalism Reasons
Focus on Monotheistic Religion too much:
- The West - it’s a reaction to change and diversity within society (NCR to family diversity)
- Third World - reaction to changes thrust upon society from outside - Western culture/ideals/norms etc
Davie
Fundamentalism
Two Phases:
Religious Fundamentalism - Response to more human based religion eg: enlightenment (move away from traditional due to science)
Secular Fundamentalism - Response to literal secularisation and loss of faith
Huntington
Globalisation
Clash of Civilisations
Increasing diversity and difference within each nation/community will cause conflict
Bruce
Globalisation
Cultural Defence - Religion can act as a shield for a community against ‘external threat’
Cultural Transition - Religion can be a way to cope with joining a new different community
Nanda
Globalisation
Hinduism increased with middle class in India - modern holy men preach ‘desire is not a bad thing’ - legitimising consumerism
Ultranationalism - Successful economic development is due to ‘Hindu values’ - Hinduism has become a form of Civil Religion here
Strinati
Postmodernism
Society has become media saturated - aiding postmodernism
Rise of science
Inevitability of value laden research - wider variety of beliefs so people are less likely to believe in one set truth
3 reasons:
- Consumerism
- New Middle Class Occupations, eg: design, marketing, advertising etc - place emphasis on taste and choice
- Disappearance of Identities - constructed by media
Lyotard
Postmodernism
All accounts of reality are valid and we should recognise and celebrate diversity
Baudrillard
Postmodernism
 Society is based on the buying and selling of knowledge in the forms of images and signs
Images and signs have little relation to material reality (eg: car adverts sell you a fantasy rather than the object)
Giddens
Postmodernism
Late Modernity has two features:
Disembedding - Rise of individualism - tradition becomes less important and pursuit of personal goals becomes more
Reflexive - Act of monitoring, reflecting and modifying our own actions in light of possible risks - like war and economic trouble
Beck
Postmodernism
Power of reasons to create a better world - we live in a ‘risk society’ - results in risk consciousness (eg: effects of poor diet)
Creates more awareness of how to progress and positively change
Davie
Postmodernism
Traditional religion is declining because:
Believing Without Belonging
Attendance is now more of a choice
Trend towards Vicarious Religion
Religion has become ‘practised’ by more of a minority and then more ‘experienced’ (second hand) by the majority
People are more drawn to religious places in times of tragedy
Hervieu-Leger
Postmodernism
Spiritual Shopping
People now have become consumers of religion, free to pick and choose different aspects of all types to form their perfect reality
There is also Cultural Amnesia - where gradually throughout generations religion just becomes less prevalent and therefore there is less collective memory of it
Lyon
Postmodernism
Electronic Church
Believing Without Belonging - People attend church online which may not be recorded
Interconnectedness and globalisation has allowed for people to practice foreign religions from home
And we can ‘pick and mix’ - spiritual shopping
Stark and Bainbridge
Postmodernism
Secularisation theory is Eurocentric
Religion has continuing vitality in America and elsewhere
Religious Market Theory:
- People are naturally religious
- Religion meets peoples needs
- Only demand for particular religion that varies
- + Human nature to avoid costs and seek rewards in life - so people compensate for costs/lack of rewards with supernatural rewards found in religion, eg: promise of afterlife or reincarnation
Miller and Hoffman
Social Groups (Women more religious)
Women are more religious than men, because:
- Differential Socialisation - Women taught to be submissive, obedient and nurturing (attributes associated with higher levels of religiosity)
- Structural Locations - Men more likely to work full time, so women have more time for church related activities and lack of pay gives women greater need for personal identity elsewhere
- Risk - Women are more averse to risk and fear going to hell more
Davie
Social Groups
Women closer to questions of life and death - closer to carer roles thinking they are closer to these questions
Voas and Crockett
Social Groups
Age Difference
- Ageing Effect - People turn to religion as they get older - approaching death
- Generational Effect - Each new generation becomes more secular/less religious
Norris and Inglehart
Social Groups
Existential Security Theory
Poorer countries more reliant on traditional religions for security
Weber
Social Groups
Theodicy of Disprivilege
Sects appeal to marginalised groups
New Christian Right
Religion for Social Change
Traditionalism
Revert back to traditional society
Eg: make abortion, homosexuality, gay marriage and divorce illegal
Campaigns for creationism and traditional gender roles
Wallis
NRMs
World Affirming NRMs - Offer followers access to spiritual powers + accept world as it is (optimistic). Offer additional special knowledge and techniques, enable followers to unlock their own potential
World Accommodating NRMs - Breakaways from existing mainstream churches, do not accept or reject world but focus on religion rather than worldly issues
World Rejecting NRMs - Critical of outside world and create radical change - members must take sharp break from reality and constrict contact with outside world (generally conservative based, eg: anti-divorce and abortion) - Young people attracted to this as they lack adult commitments
NRMs growth explained
Weber, Stark + Bainbridge and Wilson and Bruce
Weber - Marginality - sects draw members from poor/oppressed communities - offer solution to disprivilege
Stark and Bainbridge - Relative Deprivation - Break from churches due to feeling deprived
Wilson and Bruce - Social Change - Causes anomie (normlessness) - sects solve this uncertainty
Neibuhr
Sects are short lived (reasons)
Sects are short lived:
- Second Generation - Those born into sect lack commitment
- Protestant Ethic Effect - Practice of hard work and saving become similar to real world, causing people to see sects as more pointless over time
- Death of Leader - Sect collapse or reformation
Heelas and Woodhead
NAMs
Diverse new age movements which include beliefs linked to astrology, yoga, medicine, meditation etc:
Accepting of diversity of spirituality
Self Spirituality - Spirituality found external to traditional churches and instead within self
De-Traditionalism - Rejects spiritual authority and traditional sources (Priests and sacred scriptures) and instead value personal experience
Stark and Bainbridge
Sects
Point out a sect cycle:
- Schism - World Rejecting Sect formed by underprivileged
- Initial Fervour - Charismatic leader and tension between sect and real world
- Protestant Ethic Effect - Fervour disappears
- Establishment - Sect becomes more world accepting and tension with society reduces
- Further schism - Still underprivileged and world rejecting members breakaway and form new sect
