religion as a force for social change Flashcards
1
Q
how might religion act as a conservative force
A
- building and maintaining social solidarity and social stability
- protecting traditional values and the existing state of affairs in society
- changing society to restore traditional values that may be at risk of disappearing or have already disappeared
2
Q
why does weber believe religion can bring about social change?
A
- protestant work ethic
- some protestant beliefs had initiated the economic and social requirements for capitalism to develop
- calvanism – didnt want luxury, worked long hours, idleness was a sin
3
Q
evaluation to weber
A
- Kautsky – weber overestimates the role of ideas and underestimates economic factors in bringing capitalism into being . capitalism preceded rather tha followed calvinism
- Tawney – technological change, not religious ideas caused capitalism
4
Q
why do neo-marxists believe religion is a force for social change?
A
- gramsci – focus for counter hegemony - the way the ruling class use ideas like religion to maintain control
- religion can act as an outlet and focus for grievances against the powerful by seeing through the hegemony and seeing a fairer world
5
Q
what is gramsci’s liberation theology?
A
- power and wealth should be redistributed from the rich to the poor
- until recently the Catholic Church in Latin America sided with the bourgeoise
- now catholic priests have started talking about the interests of the poor and developed a new theology which interpreted Christianity as being on the side of the poor
6
Q
what is religious fundamentalism?
A
- religious fundamentalists believe that a set of religious beliefs have been watered down or under threat
- they often turn to the literalist meaning of the original text
- fundamentalism is often seen as a response to secularisation
7
Q
what two things does McGuire claim as important when determining whether a religion acts as a conservative force or not
A
- nature and extent of religious beliefs – religions that have strong moral codes are more likely to produce members who will be critical to social injustice
- the significance of religion in societys culture – in countries where religion plays a central role, anybody wanting to change society is more likely to use religionto help
8
Q
examples of christian fundamentalism
A
- TV evangelist Reverend Pat Robertson – ‘when the christian majority takes over there will be no satanic churches, no free distribution of porn, no.more talk of gay rights’
- George Bush – the greatest hope for the poor is redemption. Bible is literal. identifies his enemies as satanic
9
Q
examples of islamic fundamentalism
A
- ‘islam was defeated by its own rulers, who ignored divine law in the name of western style secularisation’ – iranian leader
- ’ the west are sick societies’
10
Q
fundamentalism and social change
A
- can be seen as a force for social change as the groups want traditional values back
- can also be seen as a conservative force as its trying to reverse progress
11
Q
how might fundamentalism cause conflict
A
- other religions are viewed as wrong
- strong collective feelings can seperate minority groups from mainstream society
12
Q
how might fundamentalism cause cohesion
A
- where there is a ‘sacred canopy’ of a universal religion it can act as a force for solidarity
- a common religion offers a set of values that are all agreed on
13
Q
what do fundamentalists, feminists and marxists believe about religion and cohesion
A
- functionalists – religion prevents conflict by creating harmony through shared values
- marxists – religion prevents conflict by reinforcing the control of the ruling class
- feminists – religion prevents conflict by reinforcing mens control
14
Q
what does Huntington believe about religion causing conflict
A
- when different religions come into contact with eachother there is often conflict
15
Q
what does karen Armstrong believe
A
- conflict between islam and the west isnt caused by religion but american foreign policy
