organisations

Question 1

churches

Answer 1

~ conservative force

characteristics:
- large + formal hierarchy e.g. Bishops
- claim a monopoly on the truth
- have connections to the government e.g. lord spiritual
- open membership
- tolerant & world accommodating

Examples:
- Church of England, Islam, Judaism

Question 2

denominations

Answer 2

• conservative

Characteristics:
- medium- sized
- open membership
- tolerant of other religions
- some hierarchy + some minor restrictions on members
~ world accommodating

Examples:
- protestants, Catholicism, Sunni Muslims, Orthodox Judaism, Calvinists

Question 3

cults

Answer 3

Characteristics:
- practitioner leader w special knowledge
- individualistic
- loose knit
- tolerant
- open membership

Types:
- audience cults ~ low commitment
- client cults ~ offer services
- cultic movements ~ organised, high commitment

Examples:
-modern day moonies
- Scientology
transcendental meditation

Question 4

sects

Answer 4

Characteristics: -charismatic leader
- hostile + exclusive x withdrawn from society
- high commitment
- closed membership + radical
- world rejecting

Types:
Revolutionists
Introversionist
Manipulatists

Example:
- Nation of Islam
- Jehovah’s witnesses

Question 5

new religious movements

Answer 5

Charismatic leader
Short lived
Monopoly on the truth
Members are young adults

World affirming - open to society
World accommodating - retreat into own religion
World rejecting - hostile , commitment , critical of world

Examples:
Branch Davidians, Jones town, heavens gate

Question 6

new age movements

Answer 6

• individualistic
• self improvement
• spirituality instead of religion
  1980s

world-affirming
world rejecting
best of both

Examples:
- crystal healing
- paganism
- meditation
- astrology
- feng shui

Question 7

marginality - why people join organisations

Answer 7

• weber : sects arise in marginalised groups in society e.g. w/c, this is because it offers theodicy of disprivilege (religious explanation + justification 4 their suffering + disadvantage - e.g. misfortune is a test from god who has promised rewards 4 faith)

sects - small, exclusive, hostile + charismatic leader = such groups may feel disprivileged + that they’re not receiving just economic rewards/ social status
Troeltsch - sects tend to draw from poor + oppressed e.g. Nation of Islam - disadvantaged poor black men

ev: Moonies = sect - targets m/c white groups –> Wallis: many of these groups become marginalised too e.g. hippies, drop outs, drug users

Question 8

relative deprivation - why people join organisations

Answer 8

Stark + Bainbridge = ideas + support derived from NRM’s membership help to overcome those suffering subjective feeling of deprivation e.g. moonies

spiritual deprivation felt by those financially well off - lack emotional warmth –> Wallis: m/c turn to sects to get sense of community as they feel isolated since they share individualistic ideas.

EV: some ppl already have community but join sects anyway, w/c can also be deprived

Question 9

social change - why people join organisations

Answer 9

wilson : sects arise during times of rapid change + trad norms are disrupted + social relationships come to lack consistent meaning –> experiencing times of anomie

methodist movement - response of w/c to chaos + uncertainty of life in new industrial towns & cities –> supported those trying to make sense + survive in new hostile env

ev: people may embrace trad religion instead

Question 10

modernisation - why people join organisations

Answer 10

Bruce: development of sects + cults as reaction to modernisation ( enlightenment period = growth of science) + secularisation

• cults become popular bcos they require fewer sacrifices + little religious observance
  conventional institutional religion lost its influence ppl have turned to alt + no longer trust church

ev: lot of ppl are not religious + may not trust any religion let alone sects.