religion is force for social change Vs conservative force Flashcards
Weber
- social action theorist & force for social change
- Calvinists (type of protestant) believed in predestination (idea that everyone was going to heaven but there were limited spaces).
-therefore they worked hard + were frugal + invested in their communities to guarantee themselves a place (Success seen as smth god rewarded them with)
= in part led to capitalism as Calvinists accumulated wealth
EV: capitalism existed before Calvinists did
Marx
- traditional marxist & conservative force
- used to legitimise inequality by encouraging being poor + accepting inequality in return for good afterlife e.g. parables (widow’s mite)
-‘opium of the masses’ = used to dull the oppression of the people = false class consciousness maintains bourgeoisie rule as w/c no longer feel the need to revolt
EV: Maduro (neo marxists) - force for change
Durkheim
functionalist & conservative force
- religion exists to reinforce social solidarity + cohesion by bringing ppl together thru shared values e.g. respect for sacred objects
- encourages social integration, a functionalist key way of socialising into norms + values
EV: religion can be in conflict w each other,, (inter + intra conflict can occur)
Gramsci
- neo marxist & conservative force
- religion is part of dominant hegemony + helps to maintain inequality
- can be force for change = can create counter hegemony
Armstrong
- radical feminist & conservative force
- women used to be excluded from priesthood & men maintained higher positions in religious groups even tho women were known to be more religious + believing
- men used religion to justify subordination of women = stained glass ceiling
EV: women can now become priests
Maduro
- liberation theology
-neo marxist & force for change
- catholic priests played role in fighting against military dictatorship in South America
- encouraged the poor to revolt against oppressive system by presenting Christ as revolutionary rather than as passive peacemaker = helped poorer part of christian religion
EV: however this only happened once + in one country
Bruce
- force for change
- groups used religion as ideological resource w shared message that helped cause change e.g. hypocrisy “love thy neighbour” but supporting segregation
- can cause social change when views are united + the group lacks conflict
-Civil Rights Movement = successful ,, one reason why they were successful was bcs churches were seen as common ground ‘safe space’ to have civil chat
-New Christian Right = unsuccessful,, conflict within their own group and with other religious groups even when campaigning on same issues e.g. abortion
- also lacked widespread support, strong opposition for groups who stand for freedom of choice
El sadaawi
- intersectional feminist & conservative force
- religion used to oppress women but this is not a direct cause of their subordination rather this is bcs of the patriarchy in the cultures and countries these religions were found in = men in control and use religion to justify oppression
if culture could change religion could be used as a force for social change
De beauvoir
- radical feminist & conservative force
Bellah
- functionalist & conservative force
Parsons
- functionalist & conservative force
Malinowski
- functionalist & conservative force
millenarian movement
- since religion raises hope for better afterlife, it may also create a desire to change things here & now
- 1000 year movement and refers to belief that Christ would return for a second time, rule for 1000 years before the end of the world
Worsley
contemporary examples where religion has caused social change
- South Africa - Apartheid: Archbishop Tutu opposed apartheid
- civil rights movement, = Martin Luther King’s speech used religious ideas
- removal of the caste system in India
- liberation theology - South America, overthrowing dictatorship = Maduro
- Iranian revolution - Pahlavi dynasty (monarchy in Iran) was overthrown + replaced with Islamic Republic.
