Ethnicity and religiosity Flashcards
What ethnic minorities were more likely than Christians to practice their religions? (3)
79% Muslims
70% Hindus
33% Christians
What are reasons for ethnic differences? (3)
Religion is more embedded into ethnic minorities culture and identity.
Religion is passed through socialisation.
Religion offers support for EM groups like travelling, discrimination etc.
What are explanations for these ethnic differences? (4)
Religious socialisation
Cultural defence
Cultural transition
Marginalisation
What is religious socialisation and who argues this? (3)
Bird
Most EM are from poorer countries and there is strong family pressure to maintain religious committment.
E.G: There is often strict control in Muslim families over many aspects of life.
What is cultural defence and who argues this? (3)
Bruce
Religion serves to unite a community against an external threat so they can have a collective identity and cope with oppression.
E.G: Catholice (White Irish community) weren’t allowed to shw their belief in public. Penal Laws 1965.
What is cultural transition and who argues this? (3)
Bruce
Religion can be a means of easing the transition into a new culture by providing support and a sense of community.
E.G: Black Christians faced racism and hostility so they created their own Pentecostal churches.
What is marginalisation and who argues this? (3)
Bruce
Being excluded from society.
E.G: Rastafarianism - appeals to young, marginalised black men and it gives them a distinctive status denied to them in the UK.
What does Chryssides argue?
The religion of immigrant groups and their descendants had three main paths.
Apostasy: When EM abandon their religion because of the hostile environment they are in.
Accomodation: When religious beliefs and practices are adapted to fit into the society.
Renewed vigour: The revival of religion It is asserted more strongly as a response to percieved hostility.
What did Kepel argue? (2)
British Muslims have strengthened their faith because they have been influencded by a worldwide Islamic revival.
But, media reports have given Muslims a stigmatised identity so they have to prove themselves to fit into society.
What did Mirza argue?
There was an increase in religiosity among second and third generation Muslims. The rise of a Muslim identity culd be related to: British foreign policies and Multicultural policies.
British foreign policy: Illegal war in Iraq and WMD’s.
Multicultural policies: faith schools, dress codes etc is having an opposite effect as they are trying to show off their cultural difference creating further hostility.
