Religion and globalisation Flashcards
What is globalisation?
The creation of a global culture
- the spread of ideas, values and people across the world due to media, technology and travel
What are the 5 impacts globalisation has had on religion?
1) The rise of cosmopolitanism due to secularisation
2) The impact of science and technology over religion
3) The rise of religious fundamentalisms
4) Religion as a cultural defence
5) Economic development
1) What is cosmopolitanism?
A way of thinking about the world that embraces modernisation, is tolerant of other views, is characterised by diversity, freedom, choice and uncertainty
What is cosmopolitanism a threat to?
Many religions which prefer traditionalism, closed-views, regulation and order
How has rising cosmopolitanism impacted on religious belief?
Resulted in less people holding traditional values
- rise of NAMs/NRMs as people could pick and choose their own values which correlated to the New Movements
2) Qs posed by the impact of science and technology over religion?
Lead to rationalist views?
People turn to science for explanations?
May people re-sacralise due to the threats and ‘risks’ caused by science?
What does LYON believe about the impact of science on religion?
It has become disembedded from it’s traditional location e.g. Churches
- televangelism or ‘electronic churches’
- access belief at their own convenience for a more privatised religious experience
What does HELLAND discuss?
religion online and online religion
HELLAND
What is religion online?
Top down communication where religious organisations use the internet to communicate their ideas to attract new members, usually no online interaction
HELLAND
What is online religion?
A cyber religion that may exist only online
e.g. online global Pagan community
- many NRMs may operate like this
Do HELLAND AND LYON’s theories suggest that globalisation has led to an increasing or decreasing religious belief?
Increasing- easily accessible for people to become more involved
3) What does GIDDENS highlight about religious fundamentalism?
It is a relatively new concept , the reason society has seen a growth in them is because they are reacting against the global PM direction that the world is taking
- see the current trend towards liberalism and freedom of choice as undermining their religion
- wish to re-establish their religions at the fundamental ‘traditional’ level
What does liberal influence include?
The acceptance of sex before marriage, homosexuality, divorce reform, cohabitation and the prohibition of abortion and contraception
What does BAUMAN discuss?
Fundamentalism is a response to post-modernity
- although diversity, choice and freedom in the PM world are potentially positive factors
- also heighten uncertainty and risk
- fundamentalists attempt to restore certainty and eliminate risk
What 2 identities does CASTELLS identify?
Project identities and resistant identities
What is a project identity?
A forward looking response which embraces progression or change
What is a resistant identity?
A defensive reaction of those who feel threatened and thus turn to fundamentalism
Which identity is associated with fundamentalism and cosmopolitanism?
Project- cosmopolitanism
Resistant- fundamentalism
What does BRUCE say about monotheism and fundamentalism?
Furthered Castells work who suggests that F tends to be found in monotheistic religions as they are very rigid and have on-overriding truth
What is the opposite of a monotheistic religion?
Polytheistic religion
- have far more scopes, more accepting of change as they are open to many interpretations and views
e.g. Hinduism
What are the 2 types of fundamentalism that BRUCE identifies?
1- Western fundamentalism
2- Third world fundamentalism
What is western fundamentalism?
Usually develops as a result of changes occurring within their own societies
e.g. The Christian New Right in the USA opposing homosexuality and abortion
What is third world fundamentalism?
Tends to develop as a response to ‘outsider’ cultures forcing change onto these third world societies
(usually Westerners imposing on Eastern cultures)
e.g. Islamic revolution in Iran
Which types of religions are more likely to develop fundamentalist religions?
Third World fundamentalism
The Taliban
Islam revolution
How does BECKFORD criticise Giddens, Bauman, Castells and Bruce?
X ignore ‘hybrid’ communities where C&F may work together
X fixated on how globalisation affects fundamentalism, ignore its effects on other religions
X Giddens doesn’t distinguish between different types of F
X Extremism is not just a reaction to globalisation but also local political and economic circumstances
What is an example of a hybrid community?
The use of Media Technologies to recruit members to fundamentalist groups
What is meant by a hybrid community and how does this challenge the argument about fundamentalists rejecting globalisation/cosmopolitanism?
Where C&F work together
- fundamentalist groups may recruit members through media technologies, contradicting their rebellion against modern movements
What does DAVIE say about secular fundamentalism?
Claims F beliefs about returning to the truth and resisting change is not only linked to religious belief system but can also be associated with non-religious beliefs
What impact has the global spread of religious ideas and diversity and religious F groups had?
A rise of secular fundamentalism which has influenced social policy in some countries
What are some examples of secular fundamentalism?
France 2004- banned pupils from wearing religious symbols in schools
2010- made it illegal for women to wear the veil in public
2015- some councils stopped serving alternatives to pork in their school meals, claiming all students should be treated equally
What is meant by secular fundamentalism?
Where groups react against religious changed and beliefs
4) Religion as a cultural defence
As the world ‘globalises’, national identities mean less and less
e.g. politicians talk about the European community, The Middle East or Asia rather than identifying individual countries
What is a result of the world becoming more globalised in terms of identity?
Societies around the world are experiencing a ‘crisis of meaning’ whereby their cultures, languages, traditions and politics are becoming less significant
What are Individual National Identities being replaced by?
Collective International identities
How does this act as a cultural defence?
Many countries use their religions to restore their individual identities, acting as a ‘cultural defence’
- a way of holding onto national heritage, tradition, culture and politics
- a way of re-individualising oneself
Poland and Catholicism
1945-1989
Poland under communist rule (forced by Soviet Union)
- Catholicism suppressed, acted as a symbol for Polish identity
The Catholic Church supported the ‘Solidarity free’ movement
- helped bring down the communist rule
- church has been very influential since in Polish politics
Iran and Islam
1979 Revolution
1950s democratic government in Iran overthrown by ‘Pro-Western regime’ supported by W oil companies and govs
60/70s- force Westernised values on Iran by banning the veil and replacing the Iranian calendar with ‘western-friendly’ one, due to takeover of capitalism, divide between rich n poor increased
- The Islamic religion was used as a focal point to rally opposition against Shah’s regime
- The Islamic Revolution helped to create Islamic Republic
- Clerics held state power and helped restore traditional Islamic values back to Iran
What is similar between Poland and Iran?
Both examples of how religion has acted as a ‘cultural defence’ against a perceived external threat with the Globalised World
Globalisation, Religion and the Clash of Civilisations
HUNTINGTON- CoC
- religion is often at the core of many global conflicts, describes at CoC
- identifies 7 civilisations
- Western, Latin, American, Islamic, Hindu, Japanese etc
- religion binds countries within these civilisations it can also cause conflict between them
Why is Conflict of Civilisations happening more than ever?
Religion is becoming more important as a source of national identity
- globalisation means that civilisations are more likely to be in contact with each other which means old conflicts re-emerge easier
In a globalised world what mentality is created?
‘Us vs Them’
- competition for wealth and power grows on a Global Scale
- religious difference are harder to resolve as they are a closed system which are rooted in history
How has globalisation led to religion being used as a method of cultural defence?
People use their religion as a sense of national identity which helps them in maintaining their traditions against societal changes such as westernisation
Why does HUNTINGTON believe that the West is under threat?
(especially from Islam)
A ‘West VS The Rest’ campaign is emerging and as such the West need to reassert their Christian identity
How does Jackson criticise Huntington?
H’s work is based on ‘orientalism’
- he stereotypes Eastern Civilisations as untrustworthy, fanatical, barbarian and inferior (particularly Muslims)
How does Casanova criticise Huntington?
H generalises far too much- only a small minority of the world’s 1.5billion Muslims are interested in a Holy War and fanaticism
How does Armstrong criticise using Fanaticism?
Has only been caused by the West imposing their values and politics on the Middle-East
- The West should bear most of the blame and the Islam should not be scapegoated
How do Inglehart and Norris criticise Huntington’s CoC theory?
Religion and politics does not cause a ‘CoC’
- it is attitudes towards sexual orientation and gender liberation that causes the real ‘clash’
What view do all of the criticisms of Huntington share?
They all believe that the conflicts created are not all down to religion
- West imposing, ethnocentric
- attitudes towards gender/sexuality, liberalism
5)Economic development
India major player on global political stage
- rising influence amongst Indian middle class who are educated, prosperous and working in these developing global sectors
- whilst secularisation theorists may predict this would lead to a decline in belief, it meant MC became more religious
What explanation does Nanda give to economic development?
A result of tension between the traditional Hindu belief in rejecting materialism VS their new financial success
What do new tele gurus now preach to the MC?
That wealth is not bad and can be spiritually balanced
- it has become fashionable to be religious
What is ultranationalism?
Many Indians strongly identify with their Hindu beliefs and see them as a symbol of their national identity
- these beliefs started to influence public life
e.g. Hindu sciences such as astrology is taught as an academic subject at university
What are the problems with Nanda’s theory of ultranationalism?
X Nanda points out that this is causing inequality between the minority groups in India
e.g. Muslims, Buddhists etc
How can you compare ultranationalism to Bellah’s idea of civil religion?
People strongly resonate with their culture as part of their identity
- worshipping themselves, celebrating nationality
Why has economic development n religion led to inequality in India?
The MC are more likely to be religious than the WC, If it is preached that wealth is not bad, it puts the LC at a disadvantage
