Chapter 4: Social groups and religion

Question 1

What is the difference in church attendance per thousand between 1980 and 2015 in the over 65’s?

Answer 1

1980: 810
2015: 957

Question 2

What are the overall trends for age and religion?

Answer 2

65 and over increasing over time
All other age groups decrease

Except under 15 - no choice - parents make them go

Drop off for 15-19 year olds is steep

Question 3

What is VOAS and CROCKET idea of the aging effect with age and religion?

Answer 3

People turn to religion as they get older and approach death

More concerned with spiritual life with age

Question 4

What is VOAS and CROCKET idea of period effect with age and religion?

Answer 4

People born in certain time periods are more religious due to event at the time (war, rapid social change)

Societal events makes people more likely to turn to religion

Age groups experience same societal events

Question 5

What is VOAS and CROCKET idea of secularisation and age with religion?

Answer 5

As religion declined in importance, each generation become less religious than the one before

Religion has less significance each generation

Less need for marriage before sex, baptism

Question 6

In the 1950s, what proportion of children went to Sunday schools?

Answer 6

1/3 of all 14 year olds`

Question 7

What does a YouGov poll in 2013 say about the percentage of ages believing in some type of god?

Answer 7

Over 60s: just under 60%

18-24: just under 40%

Question 8

What is VOAS and CROCKET ‘inheritance effect’?

Answer 8

Children are much more likely to be religious if both parents are religious than if only one or neither are

With each generation there are fewer and fewer children raised by 2 religious parents

Question 9

What gender is more religious?

Answer 9

Women

Question 10

What did a YouGov survey say about gender differences in religion in 2013?

Answer 10

Women: 56%

Men: 41%

Question 11

What percentage of women are in New Age Movements according to HEELAS?

Answer 11

80% female

Question 12

What does DAVIE say about gender and religion with socialisation, motherhood and feminity?

Answer 12

Women associate god with love, comfort and forgiveness (traditional feminine roles)

Men associate more commonly with power and control

Question 13

What does BRUCE say about gender and religion and socialisation, motherhood and femininty?

Answer 13

Women less aggressive and confrontational

More cooperative and caring - explains greater involvement in NAM and sects

More associated with self-spirituality (horoscopes, astrology, fortune telling)

Question 14

What is the idea of life expectancy with gender and religion?

Answer 14

Women live longer, more likely to be widowed

Return to religion as a source of support and comfort

Question 15

What does WOODHEAD say about gendering secularization?

Answer 15

Secularisation reduced involvement of men in traditional religion - became involved in rationalized modern world

Churches became increasingly feminized - more emphasis on love, care relationships

New Age Beliefs helped to resolve identity problems of women combining paid work with caring roles

Question 16

What is the idea of poverty and relative deprivation with gender and religion?

Answer 16

Women more likely to face social deprivation and marginality

Religious groups provide solace in religious groups which provide theodicies explaining their feelings

Question 17

What are the overall trends with religion and ethnicity?

Answer 17

African Caribbean protestants have the highest percentage of ethnic minority importance

Muslims have the highest percentage of those from ethnic minorities likely to attend worship

Question 18

What is the percentage of white Anglicans compared to Muslims likely to attend weekly worship?

Answer 18

White Anglicans: 9%

Muslims: 62%

Question 19

What does DAVIE say about ethnicity and religion?

Answer 19

Higher levels of religiosity help to maintain tradition, group cohesion and community solidarity

Mosques and Sikh temples are community centres as well as places of worship

Provide a focus for social life and protection and promotion of cultural values

Creates community for minorities to feel comfortable in

Question 20

What does MODOOD say about ethnicity and religion?

Answer 20

Religion is a source of socialisation and maintains traditional morality

Helps to cope with worries and pressures in life (racism)

Question 21

What does MARX say about ethnicity and religion with social deprivation, marginality and status frustration?

Answer 21

Opium of the masses

Comforting diversion for poverty and racism they encounter

People from ethnic minorities need comforting from difficulties in society

Question 22

What does BRUCE say about ethnicity and religion?

Answer 22

EM are more religious than white in the UK

More about community solidarity rather than religious commitment

Cultural defence: using religion as a way of protecting your identity in a hostile environment

Cultural transition: religion used to cope with upheaval of migration

Question 23

Which social classes are more represented in church statistics and why?

Answer 23

Upper class and upper middle class are over-represented

Association with the establishment and conservative ideology

Question 24

What is the YouGov research into class and church attendence?

Answer 24

2015

Over 60% of regular attendees were middle class

Question 25

Which social classes are more represented in worship in denominations and why?

Answer 25

Appeal most to upper working class and lower middle class

Question 26

Why does WALLIS think that denominations are respectable institutions?

Answer 26

They are respectable organizations

Tend not to attract lowest classes

Question 27

What classes do sects usually recruit from and why?

Answer 27

Recruit from most disadvantaged

Require members to give up lives, those with much to loose are unlikely to join

Question 28

Why did WALLIS say that affluent students in the 1960s joined sects?

Answer 28

Appeal to the ‘relatively deprived’

M/C of affluent students who were seeking compensation for their lack of spiritual life

Question 29

What class do cults appeal to?

Answer 29

Appeal to already successful and affluent who want to become successful

Question 30

What does HEELAS say about cults and class?

Answer 30

M/C women

Want self-spirituality

Reject traditional authority

Question 31

What does BRUCE say about social class and types of religious organisations?

Answer 31

Media

Expressive roes

Self-improvement (post-modernism)

Question 32

What term was used by Voas and Crockett to mean that older generations are more religious due to the time in which they were brought up?

Answer 32

Period effect