Religion as an Initiator of Social Change

Question 1

what do neo-functionalists say about religion causing change and which sociologist believes this

Answer 1

• Alexander
• sees society in terms of functional subsystems, carrying out different interrelated functions
• the cultural subsystem has relative autonomy from other parts of social system due to its role in primary socialisation and the creation and propagation of cultural values, they have the potential to instigate social change

Question 2

How does Alexander believe that religion can instigate social change successfully?

Answer 2

• contains theories of past (where we’ve been), present (how we got here) and the future (where we are going)
• EXAMPLE OF JEHOVAHS WITNESSES- past= world created by Jehovah whom humanity can see in the universe around them, present= humanity is living in time of the end in which Satan is the invisible ruler of the world, future= the second coming of Christ when unbelieving and deserving humans will be destroyed and believers will be resurrected and live in kingdom of heaven on earth

Question 3

for neo-functionalists society is in a state of moving equilibrium, this means that…

Answer 3

it is constantly being moved or realigned, this results in structural differentiation (institutions loosing functions)

Question 4

what do Luhmann and Bettinger say about religion?

Answer 4

religion may loose functions but can still cause social change due to negative feedback

Question 5

what is negative feedback and an example of this would be…

Answer 5

• evolutionary process that sees social change resulting from the clash of cultures, ideas and experiences
• example would be ideological clash of american secular groups and the Christian right in america

Question 6

what to neo-marxist believe about religion in terms of social change?

Answer 6

way for proletariat to legitimise and voice their concerns and play a progressive role in the change of society

Question 7

what does Gramsci believe?

Answer 7

if a socialist age were to come about religion could provide a means for the proletariat to legitimise their ideas which could permeate to become the working man consciousness

Question 8

what does Gramsci use as an example?

Answer 8

religion was an initiator of change due to liberation theology, thought up by the Roman catholic archbishops in Latin america and preached to the people by them

Question 9

what does Maduro believe?

Answer 9

religion may play a progressive role in the political struggles of the oppressed classes. societies in which religion remains a dominant and conservative institution, social liberation needs to occur within churches can take their voices of discontent to the church, the clergy can then voice concerns to shape working man consciousness

Question 10

what did Weber say in his study on the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Answer 10

• social transformation from fuedalism to caplitalism was multi-causal
• Calvinism one of causes- provided necessary spirit of capitalism
• a question of salvation- ‘predestination’ looked for signs in everyday life
• work as a calling- calling from God, worshipped through a highly disciplined life and avoidance of any indulgence. Ascetic lifestyle, profits back into business therefore allowing more profit and showing sign of future- protestant ethic

Question 11

criticisms of Weber

Answer 11

• other factors such as slavery etc
• impossible to test reliability and validity, not really a correlation between Calvinism and capitalism just emerged at the same time