religion and social cange Flashcards
1
Q
MAX WEBBER: social action theorist
early capitalism
A
- wrote ‘the protestant ethic and spirit of capitalism’
- argued against karl marxs view that religion is shaped by the economic base of society
- he claimed that religion itself could bring about economic change in society
- claims that religious actions and beliefs was one of the causes that led to a new form of society (capitalism)
- early capitalism was evident in countries where calvinism practiced
- calvinism is a very strict form of protestantism
2
Q
‘MAX WEBBER AND THE PROTESTANT ETHIC’
questions and answers
A
- what did calvinists believe in?
pre-destination - precise number of souls will go to heaven - what were calvinists afraid of?
terrified there would be no place in heaven for them - signs that an individual had been saved?
they were actively contributing to their community through work
3
Q
‘the protestant ethic’
- the importance of calvinism
A
- pre-destination: before birth certain people had been selected to go to heaven - which caused a psychological problem
- creating lots of wealth was a sign from god that you had been selected for heaven
- those who led an ascetic (disciplined) lifestyle and worked hard were successful in business
- they made lots of money to reinvest into their business
- the spirit of capitalism is profit and continued profit
- the work ethnic needed for capitalism was evident in their religious beliefs = protestant ethic
4
Q
criticisms of WEBER
A
- other sociologists argue calvinism was strong in scotland, sweden and norway - capitalism didn’t develop here until much later
- it was also argued that it was technological change, not religious ideas that brought about capitalism
5
Q
STEVE BRUCE - explanations
A
looks at two examples of the role of religion in bringing about social change:
1. the american civil rights movement
2. new christian right
6
Q
american civil rights movement
(STEVE BRUCE)
A
- led by dr martin luther king
- black americains were excluded from many aspects of social life
- after a decade of protest, segregation was made illegal in 1964
- the black clergy were the backbone of this movement by giving support and legitimacy
- they provided places to meet and sanctuary from violence
- prayer meetings were a source of unity in the face of oppression
7
Q
the new christian right movement
(STEVE BRUCE)
A
- protest fundamentalist group - ‘take america back to god’
- against abortion, homosexuality, divorce
- want creationism taught in schools and a ban on sex education
- made effective use of the media ‘televangelism’ using it own tv networks aimed at recruiting new members
- developed strong links with the republican political party
