Religion and Beliefs Flashcards
What did Durkheim say about religion?
Belief is based on totemism, all religions involve ceremony and rituals which bind people and society together (social solidarity) , collective conscience (shared norms and values) , function remains even if religion fades out
What did Marx say about religion?
Religion ‘a haven of a heartless world’ numbs suffering of poor, justification for inequality, should and will disappear (agrees with secular view)
What did feminists say about religion?
Religious ideology legitimates oppression and subordination of women (patriarchal) ‘marginalised’
What did Armstrong,Holm and woodhead say about the evidence for patriarchy?
Armstrong, Religious orgs: sees exclusion as evidence of marginalisation e.g. Catholicism forbids women to become priests
Holm, places of worship: often segregate sexes , ‘devaluation of women’
Sacred texts: largely feature male gods
Woodhead, religious laws and customs: may give women fewer rights such as dress code
What did El Saadawi, Woodhead and Gilliant ray say about it being the culture, not the religion?
El saadawi = undermines women, male dominated countries use religion to justify inequality e.g. Saudi Arabia and hijab
Woodhead = while many religious institutions are patriarchal, women can express freedom + self respect through faith
Gilliant Ray = found many British Muslims see hijab as sign of oppression but may also see it as liberating.
What do postmodernists say about religion?
And what did Giddens say about what this has caused?
Claim that traditional theories cannot explain religion today, beliefs vary, people in a postmodern society choose what best suits them, described as a diy cocktail/spiritual supermarket, religion more personalised, growth in new age movements result of this, GIDDENS = large amount in choice of beliefs available has caused rise in fundamentalism.
What do postmodernists Giddens, Baumann, Lyotard and Bruce say about religion?
Giddens = fundamentalism is quite new, grown because it provides rigid and simple truth in a changing world
Baumann = like Giddens sees fundamentalism as response to living in postmodernity as new religions emerge and it brings freedom choice Lyotard = some embrace new religions, some attracted to fundamentalism
Bruce = sees fundamentalism as being confined to monotheistic religions
What do Neo-Marxists Althusser, Marx and Gramsci believe about religion?
Althusser and Marx called it the ‘ideological state apparatus’ as it gives belief system that keeps people oppressed
Gramsci = believed in the ‘dual character of religion’ e.g. one side is a ‘hegemony’ (overall dominance) and the other is that it could also serve needs of the poor (good and bad side)
What is the Neo-Marxists liberation theory and which sociologists explain it?
Maduro = social movement that emerged from Catholic Church, particularly in SA, which believed that the church and its leaders had a responsibility to defend rights of poor
Casanova = argues although gone, values still hold
What are the reasons for secularisation and what sociologists stated each reason?
Weber = Rationalisation, people believing less in supernatural and development in science and tech > disenchantment since 16th century
Bruce = society has ‘technological worldview’ which replaces religious beliefs e.g. NHS
Parsons = Structural differentiation, religion was a huge institution that dominated pre-industrial society e.g. created laws and customs but in industrial society found other ways to deal with this eg. Government, charities
What are the other reasons for secularisation and the sociologists that stated them?
Wilson = Decline of small communities, pre industrial society made of SC with shared values, religion etc.
Bruce = Industrialisation, diversity in religion
Berger = Religious diversity, no longer single religion everyone follows
What does Lyotard, Davie and Hervieu-leger say about being against secularisation?
(New forms of religion)
Lyotard = society has moved to a postmodern state where traditional views no longer work > driven by globalisation, metanarrarives no longer apply.
Davie = Obligation > consumption, ppl no longer obliged to go to church, Believing without belonging e.g. e-church , Vicarious religion is increasing (practiced by active minority)
Hervieu-leger, Spiritual shopping, More personal choice due to cultural amnesia, 2 groups emerging: pilgrims (follow individual path) and converts (offer strong sense of belonging)
What did Lyon, Berger and Heelas and Woodhead say about being against secularisation?
Lyon = agrees with Davie, religious diversity, pick n mix, consumerism of religion, globalisation etc.
Berger = no monopoly of religions
Heelas+Woodhead = ‘Spiritual revolution’, new age beliefs and practices emphasise personal development > increased interest in spirituality, study of Cumbria found evangelical churches successful because they emphasise importance of spiritual healing and personal growth.
What are the Alternatives to secularisation and what sociologists stated them?
Stark and Bainbridge: Religious market theory, secularisation only focuses on decline in Europe, ignores rise in America and worldwide.
Supply not demand: e.g. CofE, inevitable decline
Finke = immigration of Asian communities to USA in 60’s led to steady growth of Buddhism
Norris+Inglehart: Existential security theory, people feel secure, low secular = Rwanda high = UK
What is the relationship between globalisation and religion and what did Meyer et Al and Singleton say about this?
Meyer et Al: says globalisation causes growing religious diversity + less tied to geographical locations e.g. deterritorialisation
Singleton: e.g. Islam reconstituted as a transnational religion > ‘Ummah’ (worldwide community of faith) in UK, China etc.
