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Beliefs in society > Organisations, movements & members > Flashcards

Organisations, movements & members Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What features of churches does Troeltsch identify?

A
  • churches are large organisations
  • they claim a monopoly of the truth
  • they are universal, but more attractive to higher classes because they are ideologically conservative
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2
Q

What features of Sects does Troeltsch identify?

A
  • sects are small exclusive groups
  • draw their members from the poor and oppressed
  • hostile to wider society & demand high level of commitment
  • believe they have monopoly of religious truth
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3
Q

What features of denominations does Niebuhr identify?

A
  • describes denominations as lying midway between churches and sects because
  • they broadly accept society’s values
  • impose minor restrictions on members e.g. no alcohol
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4
Q

What features of cults does Niebuhr identify?

A
  • highly individualistic loose-knit usually without an exclusive belief system
  • usually led by practitioners or therapists who claim special knowledge
  • do not demand strong commitment from its followers
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5
Q

What organisations have arisen that lie outside the religious mainstream?

A
  • New religious movements
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6
Q

How does Wallis explain how these new religious movements can be distinguished?

A
  • by the worldview in which they have adopted
  • world rejecting NRMs
  • world accommodating NRMs
  • world affirming NRMs
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7
Q

What is a reason for the emergence of NRMs?

A
  • Wilson argues that periods of social change disrupt & undermine established norms & values producing anomie
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8
Q

What are the characteristics of world-rejecting NRMs

A
  • similar to Troetsch’s sects e.g. Moonies, Children of God
  • as they are critical of the outside world & seek radical change
  • have conservative moral codes
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9
Q

What is the reason for rise of world rejecting NRMs?

A
  • Wallis point to social changes from the 1960s e.g. the increased amount of time young people spent in education as well as a rise in radical political movements
  • these factors led to their growth because young people adopted radical worldviews > thus world rejecting NRMS were attractive as they offered a idealistic way of life to young people
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10
Q

What are the characteristics of world-accommodating NRMs?

A
  • formed due to breakaways of existing mainstream churches or denominations e.g. neo-Pentecostalists
  • they focus on religious matters rather than worldly matters, seeking to restore the spirituality of religion
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11
Q

What is the reason for growth of world accommodating NRM’s?

A
  • due to complaints surrounding mainstream religion
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12
Q

What are the characteristics of world-affirming NRMs?

A
  • like cults e.g. Scientology
  • as they accept the world as it is> very optimistic
  • offer special knowledge that enable followers to unlock their own spiritual powers & success
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13
Q

What are the reasons for the growth of world-affirming NRMs?

A
  • Bruce argues they have grew in popularity as a result of modernity
    > work no longer provides meaning or a source of identity
    > World affirming emerged to provide that sense of identity & techniques that promise success in this world
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14
Q

Evaluation of Wallis categorisation of NRMs

A
  • Stark & Bainbridge argue that the only criterion which should be used to distinguish NRMs is the degree of conflict & tension between the religious movement & wider society > explanation suffers from faulty premise
  • Wallis portrays these movements as static structures, ignores the diversity of beliefs that may exist within in NRM > more dynamic than portrayed
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15
Q

What two organisations do Stark & Bainbridge believe are in conflict with wider society?

A
  • sects and cults
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16
Q

How are sects created according to S & B and what is there distinctive feature?

A
  • result of schisms or conflicts within churches
  • results in members breaking away from the religious organisation e.g. Jehovah witnesses
  • distinctive future is that they promise other-worldly benefits to those suffering from economic or ethical deprivation > provides them assurance & fulfils need
17
Q

What is another explanation for the growth of sects?

A
  • they compensate for the needs which traditional religious organisations fail to deliver
  • linked to the idea of relative deprivation > sense of feeling deprived despite being privileged in comparison to others
  • Wallis > m/c turn to sects because of this > they suffer ethical deprivation e.g. bibles assertion that is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven
  • sects thus allow them to express their status & bring further success in achieving earthly rewards
18
Q

How are sects created according to S & B and how are they organised?

A
  • cults emerge due to deprivation both psychic (normlessness) and orgasmic (health issues)
  • distinctive future is that they offer this world benefits
  • client cults (based on relationship between consultant & client) tackle the issue of orgasmic deprivation
  • cultic movements> aims to meet all their members needs
19
Q

Evaluation of Stark & Bainbridge on sects

A
  • explanations does not fairly represent the motivations for people joining cults and sects > feel as if there spiritual needs are met not just deprivation
  • assumes all members of cults or sects are spiritually dissatisfied, may not be true as some may join for practical reasons e.g. community or alternative lifestyles
  • static categorization of sects & cults > fail to account how these groups may change over time e.g. transforming into a denomination
20
Q

Wy are sects short-lived according to Niebuhr?

A
  • growth of sects = not long lasting
  • sects are short lived > either die, compromise with the world, or abandon their extreme ideas to become denominations
21
Q

What are the three reasons for sects being short lived?

A
  • Protestant work ethic > emphasis on this worldly ascetism encourages them to work hard and save money> creates upward mobility among sects & thus become tempted to compromise with the world
  • second generation> those born into the sect lack fervour & commitment like their parents > used to the status quo
  • death of leader> sects collapse at the same time of death of their charismatic leader > more bureaucratic leadership takes over which transforms it into a denomination

Beliefs in society (8 decks)

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