Chapter 11: Religious Groups and Systems

Question 1

3 main parts of religion

Answer 1

1. “a system of beliefs and practices”
2. a community or church
3. sacred things that relate to spiritual things

Question 2

Animism

Answer 2

The religious belief that spirits inhabit virtually everything in nature

Question 3

Shamanism

Answer 3

The religious belief that certain persons have special charm, skill or knowledge in influencing spirits

Question 4

Totemism

Answer 4

The worship of plants, animals, and other natural objects as gods and ancestors

Question 5

Prophets

Answer 5

Religious leader who have authority on the basis of their charismatic qualities

Question 6

Mysticism

Answer 6

belief that spiritual truths come to us through intuition/meditation, not through normal human experiences

Question 7

Denomination

Answer 7

well establishing and highly organized churches

Question 8

Ecclesia

Answer 8

an official state religion that includes the most members of society

Question 9

sects

Answer 9

religious groups that have broken away from a parent church ex: Jehovah’s witness

Question 10

Fundamentalism

Answer 10

belief that the Bible is the divine word of God and that all statements in it are to be taken literally

Question 11

cult

Answer 11

extreme form of religious organization that calls for a totally new and unique lifestyle

Question 12

Latent functions of religion

Answer 12

mate selection, public speaking, donations

Question 13

Dysfunctions of religion

Answer 13

divide society, create bias, exclude nonmembers

Question 14

millennialism

Answer 14

The belief prevalent among certain Christian sects that there will be a dramatic transformation of life on Earth and Christ will rule the world for a thousand years of happiness

Question 15

Securalization

Answer 15

the process through which beliefs concerning the supernatural and religious institutions lose social influence

Question 16

Ecumenism

Answer 16

trend for different denominations to join in pursuits of common interest in a spirit of worldwide Christian unity

Question 17

Social structure

Answer 17

When society is organized in a way of predictable human behaviors and relationships - “socially patterned”, composed of status, roles, groups and institutions

Question 18

Universalism vs. Particularism

Answer 18

pattern variable w/ how much we judge people objectively

Question 19

Affective neutrality vs. affectivity

Answer 19

how appropriate it is to show your own emotion and feelings

Question 20

Specificity vs. diffuseness

Answer 20

Pertains to the scope of the relationship

Question 21

self-orientation vs. collective orientation

Answer 21

self vs. group interests

bettering yourself or others

Question 22

ascription vs. achievement

Answer 22

whether a role is guided by an achieved or ascribed status

Question 23

A group formed by sociologists that have no interaction w/ each other

Answer 23

Statistical group

Question 24

People share common characteristics like having blond hair but do not interact

Answer 24

Categorical groups

Question 25

A group that pursues a common interest in a structured way

Answer 25

Associational or organizational group - elon, volley ball team, democrats

Question 26

peer group

Answer 26

an informal primary group of people who interact in a personal, direct and intimate way

Question 27

Reference group

Answer 27

A group with which people identify and refer to in evaluating their behavior and themselves

Question 28

the process by which norms, roles and procedures are established in a group as there is an increasing attention to detail as the structure becomes more complex

Answer 28

Formalization

Question 29

Bureaucracies have the following characteristics

Answer 29

Division of labor/specialization - members trained for job
Impersonality = public and personal lives and property
Qualifications = positions based on merit not politics or personal relations

Question 30

Iron law of oligarchy

Answer 30

the perspective that a formal organization would be dominated by an elite group who achieve power and promote their own interests