Exam Questions Beliefs

Question 1

Outline and explain two ways in which religion might promote social change

Answer 1

• Maduro (Neomarxist) > Liberation Theology > Catholic priests became increasingly critical of the radical inequalities in Latin America
• Weber > ‘Protestant Ethic and Spirit of Capitalism‘ > Calvinism

Question 2

Outline and explain two arguments against the view that sociology is a science (10)

Answer 2

• Interpretivists are subjective > science is not appropriate for sociology > it gives objective results and data
• Kuhin > science is paradigmatic

Question 3

Applying material from the item, analyse two criticisms of the view that religion is merely a tool of oppression

Answer 3

• Marxist and Feminist views tend to downplay the positive functions of religion > Functionalists > positive functions of religion
• above theories assume that people simply passively accept an elitist interpretation of religious doctrines > Liberation theology

Question 4

Evaluate the view that extent of secularisation has been exaggerated (20)

Answer 4

Statistical Evidence for secularisation:

• <5% of the adult population attend church regularly
• only 20% of marriages are church marriages
• only 10% of children are baptised.
• 50% of adults now class themselves as having no religion, almost 75% of 18-24 year olds

Counter Trends:

• Nearly half of all funerals still have a religious ceremony
• All other religions besides Christianity have increased in recent years
• Weber > Rationalization
  + Davie > ‘believing without belonging’
• Berger > Religious pluralism
  + Helland > Online religion, religion online