religion and social change Flashcards
functionalist explaination as to why religion acts as a conservative force:
malinowski and parsons arege that becuae religon provided comfot and emaning to devestating life events such as life and death it prevents social change through worship. if one worship has previously prevented something from happened, in the eyes of the religous, then why would you change that and risk it failing in the future
same as totenism from durkheim they wont change their worship incase soemthing bad happnes
marxist explaination as to why religion prevents social change
compensatroy pormises
opiate of the masses
feminists view on religion as acting as a force of social convervatism
- compensatory promises
- strained glass ceiling
- scriptires and teaching
crticisms to feminist view
woodhead- religous types of feministm such as the quakers and unitarian makements out women at the center of relion therefore being s driver for socialchange
ways that religion causes social change
- weber and capitialism
- liberation theology
- bruce and the civil rights movement v the new christian right
- gramsci and organic intellegtcuals creating a counter hegamony
- bloch and the priniple of hope foricng positive social change due to wanting auephoric life not only in heavenbut on earth
weber on religion and social change
protestantism lead to calvinsim due to the beleif in predestination. the people believed that if your business did well you were part of the elect or chosen ones to go to hevan and consequently lived an asetic lifestyle of owrking hard adns aving whihc ws the birth of capitalism
criticsm of weber and calvinism
mcguire and robinson argue that this only wokrs when religion plays a large role in lots of peoples lives
similarly scotladn was very calvinist but capitlaism took far longer to arise ther shwoing that external factors do contibute
maduro liberation theology
argues that religon promotes social change through creating a counter hegamony aginst the rulling classes
archbishop romero spoke out agains the right wing dictatorship leaders and created a new theology where religion supported the working classes
gramsci argued that people. live romero are organic intellectuals who create a coutner hegamony that sparks social change
criticsm of maduro
romero was oringially shunned by the catholic church showing soical change isnt alwyas fosters or acepted by religon initially
bloch and the principle of hope
relgon helps to paint a utopia for beleivers a vision of a perfect society. yhis can be seent. influence the desire for better things on earth to happen and lead to revolutionary cahnge
criticsm of bloch
eurocentirc view where religion is about choice ect many countreis religon is a opresser of women and ethnic minorities
bruce social protest
example of civil rights movement to show how churches and religion cna promote religous change as churhcs provided refuge forpeople to avoid violence and provided meeting places for people to protests from
similarly rituals were performed in churhces and was a source of unite to keep going through the opression
criticism of bruce and social protest
the enw christain right attemtped to do this but didnt work as we;; due to the fact that less people in society are commanded by relgion as they were int he 60s
