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Year 13 beliefs in society Sociology > Religion, Renewal and choice ( Theme 2 - Extent of worship today) > Flashcards

Religion, Renewal and choice ( Theme 2 - Extent of worship today) Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 3 main alternatives to the secularisation theory?

A

1) Theories of late modernity and Post modernity
2) Religious market theory
3) Existential market theory

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2
Q

What is Theories of late modernity and Post modernity ?

A

religion is not declining but merely changing as society develops

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3
Q

What is Religious market theory?

A

secularization is one stage in a cycle of secularization, revival and renewal

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4
Q

What do some sociologists argue about secularization?

A

They reject that religion is undergoing an inevitable decline in modern western society. Instead they argue whilst some forms are in decline, new forms are emerging, as a result of trends in late modernity such as greater individualism, choice and consumerism.

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5
Q

Who is the sociologists that argues from Obligation to consumption?

A

Grace Davie ( 2007)

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6
Q

What does Davie say about Obligation to consumption?

A

Religion is no longer inherited or imposed, but a matter of personal choice e.g. baptisms used to be an obligatory right of passage in England and France, but now only a tiny minority of babies are baptized.

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7
Q

What does Davie say about religion taking a different form?

A

Religion is not declining but simply taking a privitased form ( there isn’t a decline in personal religious belief.)

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8
Q

Why has church attendance declined according to davie?

A

Church attendance has declined but this is because attendance is now a matter of personal choice rather than an obligation.

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9
Q

What does Davis mean by ‘Believing without belonging?

A

People are increasingly reluctant to belong to organisations ( church). Despite this, people still hold religious beliefs. The decline in traditional religion is matched with gorwth of new forms of religion.

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10
Q

What is there now a trends towards according to Davis?

A

Vicarious religion where a small minority (prof clergy + reg churchgoers) practice religion on behalf of a much larger number of people.

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11
Q

What way may an individual experience religion through another person?

A

Church leaders performing services, offering a space for public debate.

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12
Q

What evidence is there from British attitudes survey that people are believing without belonging?

A

TBA

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13
Q

In societies like Britain despite low attendance, many people still use churches for what?

A

rites of passage - baptisms, weddings and funerals. They are a ‘Spiritual Health Service’ , available for everyone to use when they need it.

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14
Q

Why does Davie reject Secularisation theory?

A

assumption that modernization affects every society in the same way.Britain and America are both modern societies. High attendance in America but low attendance in Britain, but accompanied by believing without belonging.

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15
Q

What is an A03 evaluation against the idea of believing without belonging?

A

The British Social Attitudes surverys from 1983 to 2000 show that both church attendance and belief in God are declining. If Davie were right, we should expect to see higher levels if belief.

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16
Q

What are another 3 crituqes of believing without belonging?

A

1) Voas and crockett
2) Bruce
3) Interactionist/PM

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17
Q

How do Voas and Crockett dispute Davie’s claim about believing without belonging?

A

Evidence from 5,750 respondents shows that both church attendance + belief in God are declining together.

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18
Q

How does Bruce dispute Davie’s vlaim about believing without belonging?

A

If people aren’t willing to invest time in attending church, this just reflects the declining strength of their beliefs. When people no longer want to believe, they no longer wish to belong, so diminishes their
religious involvement

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19
Q

How would interactionist/PM dispute about believing without belong?

A

TBA

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20
Q

Who is Spiritual shopping associated with?

A

Hervieu-Leger ( 2000) supports the theme of personal choice and believing without belonging?

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21
Q

What is cultural amenisa according to Hervieu-leger?

A

Cultural amnesia is a loss of collective memory. e.g. religion used to be passed down through generations ( extended family). We have lost this because parents no longer teach religion, instead parents let children decide.

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22
Q

According to Hervieu-Leger, what impact has the trend to greater equality had on religion?

A

It’s undermined the traditional power of the church to impose religion on people from above.
Result: young people no longer have a fixed religious identity imposed on them through socialisation

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23
Q

What has replaced religion?

A

personal forms of religion ( mediation, new religions)

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24
Q

Why are we spiritual shoppers accordign to Hervieu-leger?

A

Religion has now become individualised - we now develop our own ‘do-it-yourself’ beliefs that give meaning to our lives and fit in with our interests and aspirations

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25
Q

According to Hervieu-Leger what two types of religion are occuring?

A

Pilgrims: follow an individual path in a search for self-discovery e.g. through individual therapy.
Converts: join religious groups that offer a strong sense of belonging. This re-creates a sense of community. e.g. ethnic minority churches.

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26
Q

According to Hervieu-Leger, how does religion still have an influence on society’s values?

A

the values of equality + human rights have their roots in religion, she argues. Such values can be a source of shared cultural identity.

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27
Q

Briefly explain how Hervieu-Leger’s views link to the idea of late modernity.

A

Late modernity explains the weakening of traditional institutions such as the church, as well as the growing importance of individual choice in matters of religion.

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28
Q

In what ways might Hervieu-Leger be seen as agreeing with Durkheim?

A

TBA

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29
Q

Who argues for Postmodern religion?

A

Lyon

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30
Q

How does Lyon agree with Davie?

A

Agrees believing without belonging is increasingly popular. He explains this in terms of a shift from modern to postmodern society.

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31
Q

Lyon argues that postmodern society has several features that are changing the nature of religion which are what?

A

globalization ( the relocation of religion) the increased importance of the media and Religious consumerism.

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32
Q

How has globalization lead to relocation of religion?

A

Globalization has lead to greatly increased movements of ideas across national boundaries often via online religion

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33
Q

How has the media allowed ideas of religion to get around the world?

A

We are a media saturated society meaning that images and messages get around the world, giving us access to to beliefs of previously remote religions.

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34
Q

As a result of our media saturated society how have religious ideas become dis embedded

A

The media lifts them out of their physical churches and move them to a different place and time.
Ex: ‘Electronic church’ and televangelism dis-embed religion from real, local churches and relocate it on the Internet, allowing believers to express their faith without physically attending church.

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35
Q

So therefore religion has become what due to being disembedded?

A

De-institutionalized

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36
Q

What does De-institutionalised mean?

A

its signs and images become detached from their place in religious institutions, floating and multiplying on TV and in cyber-space,individuals can adapt for own purposes.

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37
Q

Who is the sociologists who talks about 2 kinds of internet activity due to the media?

A

Globalization and media mean many people express religious beliefs online and attendance can no longer measure religiosity. Online religion and Religion online.

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38
Q

What is the difference between Religion online and Online religion?

A

Religion online - movements communicate with followers ( traditional form of religion online)
Online religion - online communities where people discuss beliefs ( doesn’t exist outside of the internet)

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39
Q

Who is the sociologists who states that Pagans gained a sense of self worth from online platform of religion?

A

Cowan ( 2005) Pagans gained a sense of self worth from feeling they belonged to a global network

40
Q

What is Religious consumerism all about?

A

Postmodern society involves the idea that we now construct our identities through what we consume.

41
Q

What do we do which is similar to sweets according to Lyon

A

We are ‘spirtual shoppers’ who pick and pick mix elements of different faiths to suit our tastes and make them part of our identity, untill something more fashionable comes along.

42
Q

What does Lyon mean about religion has relocated to the’sphere of consumption’?

A

While people may not belong to religious organisations, they haven’t abandoned religion. Instead they’ve become ‘religious consumers’, making conscious choices about which elements of religion they find useful.

43
Q

What is an example to show religion has relocated to the sphere of consumption?

A

(Ammerman, 1987) made use of a number of churches without giving strong loyalty to any. One family attended services at a Methodist church, bereavement counselling at a Baptist church, while taking their children to another church for daycare.

44
Q

What is an effect does having lots of religious consumer sim mean to metanarratives ?

A

causes a loss of faith of metannaritves, there is no authoritative absolute truth. Because people are scepital that any are true.

45
Q

What is the difference between Berger ( topic 3) and Lyon in terms of having lots of religious choice?

A

Berger
Weakens traditional religions that claim a monopoly of the truth, as many competititng truths so religious dominations who claim this decline as they lose authority
Lyon ( PM)
Decline of traditional churches isn’t the end of religion.
- In their place, many new religious movements are springing up which the religious consumer can sample from which they can construct their own personal belief.

46
Q

What are 2 additional PM

A

Re-enchantment of the world

Self religions and the new age

47
Q

What is Re-enchantment of the world?

A

Lyon sees recent decades as a period of re-enchantment, with the growth of unconventional beliefs and practices. Traditional religion has declined in Europe, but there is a growth of non-traditional religion in west.

48
Q

How does Re-enchantment of the world critique secularization theory?

A

It assumes that religion is declining and being replaced by a disenchanted rational scientific worldview.

49
Q

What are Self religions and the New age?

A

Many forms of new religon are New age beliefs and practices. Rejects the idea of obligation and obedience to external authority found in traditional religions.
Instead, it emphasizes personal development and one’s inner self.

50
Q

What is the key idea of New age beliefs and pratices?

A

Its key idea is individualism - everyone is free to decide for themselves what is true. This is why new age beliefs have been called self-spirituality.

51
Q

What is another PM contriubution to understanding a decline in religion?

A

Spiritual reveloution

52
Q

What is a Spiritual revolution?

A

Sociologists argue this is taking place where traditional christanity is giving way to a New Age spirtuality that emphasises personal development.

53
Q

What evidence is there to suggest a Spiritual revolution?

A

The spiritual market is growing with many books on self-help, therapy, and meditation

54
Q

Who are the sociologists concerned with Spiral reveloution?

A

Heelas and Woodhead.

55
Q

What did Heelas and Woodhead study?

A

studied Kendal to investigate whether traditional religion has declined and how far the growth of spirtuality is compensating for this. They distingusish between two groups?

56
Q

What are the 2 groups Heelas and Woodhead distinguish between?

A

The congregational domain ( of traditional and evangelical church)
The holistic milieu ( of spirituality and the New age)

57
Q

What is the difference between religion and spirtuality ( explain in a question?

A

Religion emphasizes conforming to church authority whereas Spirituality focuses on personal development and autonomy.

58
Q

What was the results of Heelas and Woodhead?

A

They found in a typical week in 2000, 7.9% of the population attended church ( the congregational domain) and 1.6% took part in spiritual activities ( The holistic milieu)

59
Q

What results did Heelas and Woodhead find within the 2 groups?

A

Within the congregational domain, the traditional churches were losing support, while evangelical churches were holding their own. Although fewer peole were involved in holistic milieu, it was growing.

60
Q

What are 3 ways Heelas and Woodhead explain these trends?

A

1) Evangelical churches are demanding but focus on self improvement and personal growth.
2) People don’t like traditional religions with high demand duty.
3) Shift away from doing your duty and obeying to external authority, to exploring your inner self by following spiritual path.

61
Q

Who argues the weakeness of New age movements down to 4 reasons?

A

Bruce he argues that the new age is too weak to fill the gap left by the decline of traditional religion for 4 reasons: the scale, socialization, weak commitment and structural weakness.

62
Q

What does the scale mean for a weakeness of New age movements?

A

The growth of New age religions would have to be on a much larger scale to fill the gap left by the decline in tradtional religion.

63
Q

What does socialisation mean for a weakeness of New age movements?

A

A belief system can only survive if it is passed down to the next generation. Yet in Kendal’s study only a minority of new agers’ children shared their parents belief.

64
Q

What does Weak commitment mean for a weakeness of New age movements?

A

Serious commitment to New Age is rare.

65
Q

What does Structural weakness mean for a weakeness of New age movements?

A

New Age spirituality is a cause of secularization because of its individualism. It lacks cohesion because everyone is free to believe whatever they wish. ( lacks external power and cannot achieve consensus.

66
Q

How does self religions and new age differ from the sort of religion Durkheim describes among clans?

A

New age religions lack consensus on belief like Durkheim states, there isn’t a power to believe in.

67
Q

Who are the 2 sociologists associated with religious market theory (rational choice theory)?

A

Stark and Bainbridge (1985) they are critical of the secularisation theory they argue that it is to Eurocentric.

68
Q

What does Eurocentric mean?

A

It focuses of the decline of religion in Europe but fails to explain its continuity in America and elsewhere.

69
Q

Why is Secularisation theory a distorted view?

A

It is a ‘distorted view’ of the past and future. Stark and Bainbridge argue there was no golden age of religion in the past, as secularization describes and not everyone will end up a atheist in the future.

70
Q

Instead what 2 assumptions do religious market theory argue?

A

1) People are naturally religious and religion meets human needs.
People make rational choices based on the costs and benefits of the available religious options?

71
Q

According to Stark and Bainbridge why is Religion attractive?

A

It offers us with supernatural compensators when real rewards are unobtainable e.g. promising life after death.

72
Q

According to Stark and Bainbridge what is the cycle of religious decline, revival and renewal?

A

Religion tends to follow through cycles, temporary periods of secularization and then a revival due to new religions and New age movements, rather than a golden age then gradually stopping.

73
Q

According to Stark and Bainbridge why do churches operate like companies?

A

competition leads to improvements in the quality of the religious goods on offer, churches that are not responsive will decline.

74
Q

According to Stark and Bainbridge what is the main factor that influences religiosity?

A

The supply led religion that promotes rewards in life, also lots of choice means that religion willl boom this is different to secularization theorists who say that lots of choice will lead to decline in religion.

75
Q

Why is Religion in America strong according to Stark and Bainbridge?

A

Demand increases where there is choicr, because consumers can find one that meets there needs. Thats why USA have strong religion because of a healthy market exists where relgious grow or decline according to consumer demand.

76
Q

Why is Religion in Europe not as strong according to Stark and Bainbridge?

A

Because there is a religious monopoly, as in Most European countries r.g. COE lack of choice has led to a decline

77
Q

So to conclude it is supply or demand that influences religiosity?

A

It is the supply, ( secularization theorists say its the demand). Participation increases when supply increases for religious groups and declines when supply gets restricted.

78
Q

What are 3 examples that support Stark and Bainbridge that demand of religion is influenced by the quality and variety of religion on offer and how it responds to peoples needs?

A

Hadden and Shupe
Finke
Stark

79
Q

How does Hadden and Shurpe support Stark and Bainbridge that demand of religion is influenced by the quality and variety of religion on offer and how it responds to peoples needs?

A

the growth of televangelism in the US shows that the level of religious participation is supply led. Televangelism responded to consumer demand by preaching a ‘prosperity gospel’

80
Q

How does Finke support Stark and Bainbridge that demand of religion is influenced by the quality and variety of religion on offer and how it responds to peoples needs?

A

Lifiting restrictions for migration from Asian nations, introduced religions such as Hare Krishna which became popular with consumers.

81
Q

How does Stark support Stark and Bainbridge that demand of religion is influenced by the quality and variety of religion on offer and how it responds to peoples needs?

A

Japan is another state where diversity has encouraged paritcptation. After the de-regulation of religion after ww2 , new religions had thrived such as Soka Gakkai ( a form of buddism)

82
Q

What are 3 crituqes of Religious market theory by?

A

Bruce
Norris and Inglehart
Beckford

83
Q

How does Bruce critique religious market theory?

A

Stark and Bainbridge misinterpret secularisation theory. The theory doesn’t claim a ‘golden age’ of religion and did not say it is universal.

84
Q

How does Norris and Inglehart critique religious market theory?

A

show that high levels of religious participation exist in catholic countries where the Church has a near monopoly such as Venzuela, compared to countries with pluralism such as Holland, often have low levels of participation. So there is a contradiction.

85
Q

How does Beckford critque religious market theory?

A

It is unsociological because it assumes people are ‘naturally religious’, it is a choice not natural.

86
Q

What theory rejects religious market theory?

A

Existential security theory by Norris and Inglehart (2004)

87
Q

What do Norris and Inglehart state?

A

reject religious market theory on the grounds that it only applies to America and fails to explain the variations in religiosity between societies.

88
Q

What is the reason of religious variations according to Norris and Inglehart?

A

They argue the that the reason for such variations is not due to different degrees of religious choice, but different degrees of existential security ( the feeling that survivial is secure enough.) Therefore societites that feel secure are less religious.

89
Q

Why is there high levels of religion in poorer societies?

A

where people feel life threatening risks such as famine and disease so there is large numbers of insecurity.

90
Q

Why is there low levels of religion in richer societies?

A

Where people have higher standards of living and are at less risk, have a sense of security.

91
Q

Therefore is demand for religion constant. How does it vary?

A

Thus demand for religion is not constant it varies between societies. Demand is highest with low income groups and societies and lowest with high income groups and societies.

92
Q

Why is Europe becoming secular according to Norris and Inglehart?

A

Western Europe is becoming secular because these societies are relatively equal and secure, with developed welfare states which reduce insecurity among the poor.

93
Q

Why is America still religious according to Norris and Inglehart despite being one of the richest countries?

A

This is because America is also the most uequal of the rich societies, with high levels of poverty and a weak welfare system.

94
Q

Who supports Norris and Inglehart’s argument?

A

Gill and Lundegaarde ( 2004) the more a country spends on welfare the less religious a nation is. This is because religion used to provide for the poor, now this done by the government. Thus USA is more secular than European countries as they spend less.

95
Q

What is the case of Uraguagy which supports Existential security theory and goes against Religious market theory?

A

Uruguay has high diversity but low participation. They also have a well developed welfare system.

96
Q

What are 2 critiques of Existential security theory?

A

1) existential security theory is based on income, not peoples definition of security
2) They see religious participation as a negative response to deprivation, ignoring the positives and the appeal to the wealthy.

Year 13 beliefs in society Sociology (8 decks)

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