BIS: organisations movements & members- topic 6

Question 1

whats definition of churches

Answer 1

-large, formal organisations
-hierarchy of paid officials
-automatic recruitment
-inclusive, appeals to all members of society.
-may have close relationships with the state
-claims monopoly on religious truths

Question 2

Denomination definition

Answer 2

large, formal organisation
-hierarchy of paid officials
-accepts religious diversity
may not be fully accept wider society
-no close relationship with the state
-no claim to monopoly on religious truths

Question 3

sect definition

Answer 3

small organisation with no professional hierarchy
-has exclusive terms of membership
-usually headed by charismatic leader
- is opposed to the sate and wider society
-requires total commitment from members
-claims monopoly on religious truths

Question 4

cult definition

Answer 4

spiritual association that emphasizes individualism.
-minimal organisational structure
-tends to have limited formal contact between its members.
-exert no formal contact over members lives.

Question 5

who first distinguished different types of religious organisations?

Answer 5

Ernst Troeltsch
two main types church and sects

Question 6

examples of churches that fit into the definition

Answer 6

catholic church
british sovereign
church of england

Question 7

whats denominations mean? include sociologist

Answer 7

Richard Niebuhr describes denominations as lying midway between churches and sects.

example - methodism

Question 8

denominations definition

Answer 8

-mid way between church + sects
membership less exlusive than sects but dont appeal to society as a whole like churches.
-like churches broadly accept societys values but not linked to the state.
-impose some minor restrictions on members e.g. forbidding alchohol, but not as demanding as sects.
-unlike both churches + sects are tolerant of other religious organisations + dont claim monopoly on the truth.

Question 9

what are the similarities and differences of religious organisations by Roy Wallis

Answer 9

-how they see themselves: churches + sects claim their interpretation of faith is the only legitimate or correct one. Denominations + cults accept that there can be many valid interpretations
-How they are seen by wider society: churches + denominations are seen as respectable + legitimate whereas cults + sects are seen as deviant.

Question 10

what are examples of new religious movements (NRMs)

Answer 10

Moonies
scientology

Question 11

what’s a world rejecting NRM

Answer 11

have a clear notion of God, are highly critical of the outside world and expect radical change. Members must break with their former life, live communally and have restricted contact with the outside world. The movement controls all aspects of their life

examples include: moonies, the peoples temple

Question 14

how many women compared to men go to church
(gender + religion)

Answer 14

in 2005:
1.8 million- women
1.36 million - men

Question 15

what did bruce estimate in regards to gender and sects

Answer 15

Bruce estimates twice as many women are involved in sects

Question 16

who found 80% of the holistic milieu in kendal were female

Answer 16

Heelas and Woodhead

Question 17

why are women more likely to be religious?
+ which sociologist

Answer 17

miller and Hoffman
argue women are more religious because they are socialised to be more passive, obedient and caring.
these are valued by most religions.

-biological differences- men more testosterone so more prone to risk-taking behaviour, women less. by not being religious they are risking being condemned to hell by not following a religious beliefs.

-women more likely to take up part-time work instead of full time so have more free time to be attracted to religion.

Question 18

what life scenarios make women religious and which sociologist talks about this?

Answer 18

Davie 1994
women close proximity to birth + death brings them closer to ‘ultimate’ questions about life that religions concerned with

Question 19

what about women’s paid work effects religiosity and which sociologist talked about this

Answer 19

Bruce 2011
women’s greater religiosity is a result of their lesser involvement in paid work, which is a secularised sphere.

Question 20

why are women likely to be attracted to new age movements then men

Answer 20

as women are often more associated with healing roles more attracted then men to new age movements

Question 21

what does bruce say about women and the new age

Answer 21

-argues child-rearing makes women less aggressive, more co-operative and caring = fitting the expressive emphasis of the new age
-points out that there are class differences in the new age beliefs that appeal to women. those emphasising personal autonomy appeal to some middle-class women. working-class women more attracted to fatalistic ideas e.g. horoscopes

Question 22

what does brown and Woodhead say about women and the new age

Answer 22

Brown: argues that new age religions appeals to women wish for autonomy. this may be attractive because they emphasis being ‘authentic’.

Woodhead: suggests they appeal to the ‘individual sphere’ of women’s inner self rather than acting out restrictive social roles. however others may be attracted to fundamentalism because of the certainties of traditional gender roles that it prescribes.

Question 23

what do glock and stark argue about compensation for deprivation

Answer 23

argue deprivation is more common among women. explains their higher level of sect membership.

Question 24

what are all the examples of compensation of deprivation amongst women

Answer 24

-organismic deprivation: women more likely to suffer ill health and seek healing
-ethical deprivation: women more morally conservative and thus attracted to the conservatism of some sects.
-social deprivation: women are more likely to be poor and therefore join sects.

Question 25

what recent uk trends effects women's religiosity

Answer 25

although women generally more likely to be religious, there has been a decline in women's participants in religion. possible reason: involvement in paid work and rejection of traditional subordinate gender roles.

Question 26

what's the pentecostal gender paradox

Answer 26

since the 1970s , pentecostalism has grown rapidly, particularly among the poor in latin America. despite being generally regarded as patriarchal it has proved attractive to women.

Question 27

what did brusco say about the pentecostal gender paradox

Answer 27

argues that this is because pentecostalism demands that its followers adopt an ascetic lifestyle and a traditional gender division of labour. pentecostal women can use these ideas to combat the culture of machismo. men are pressured by their church to change their ways act responsibly and support their families.

Question 28

ethnicity and religion

Answer 28

there are higher rates for most minority groups. Muslims, Hindus and black christians are more likely to see religion as important.

Question 29

what are the 3 reasons why there are higher rates of religion in minority groups

Answer 29

1. Country of Origin: most minorities originate from countries with higher levels of religious practice and they maintain thus pattern in the UK 2.Cultural defence: religion offers a cultural identity in a hostile environment, a means of preserving ones culture and coping with oppression in a racist society. 3. Cultural transition: religion is a means of easing the transition into a new culture by providing support and community for minority groups in their new environment. But once a group has made the transition into the wider society religion may lose its role.

Question 30

what's the age and religious participation

Answer 30

the older a person is the more likely they are to attend religious services.

Question 31

what are the 3 reasons for age and religious participation

Answer 31

1. the ageing effect: as we approach death, we may become more concerned about afterlife and so more likely to go to church. 2. the period effect: people born in an earlier period may be more likely to be religious because of the events they lived through e.g. war, or rapid social change. 3. secularisation: as religion declines in importance in society in society, each generation becomes less religious than the one before it. Voas + Crockett (2005) found this to be the main reason why younger people are less religious than older people.