Religion & Social Change

Question 1

Religion as a Conservative Force

Answer 1

relig = trad & upholds trad customs & beliefs - preserves status quo
relig = force for stability & order - favour func / Marxist POV
against div, homosexual relas, contraception & abortion

Question 2

Functionalism

Religion as a Conservative Force

Answer 2

D = NB institu for soc cohension & stability = agent of soc & informal soc control
provides cul basis for N’s & V’s & legits them
Malinowski - provides explans for big ?s & fulfills needs for emo security - relieves soc stress - can cause breakdown of soc order

Question 3

Marxism

Religion as a Conservative Force

Answer 3

= ISA helps maintain & legit RC ideas
prevents soc change for powerful
legits & repros inequal - opium of the masses - suffering test of god

Question 4

Feminism

Religion as a Conservative Force

Answer 4

relig = ideology that legits patri power & maintains women’s subord
shows women as submissive, margs & dissmisses - less rights

Question 5

Postmodernism

Answer 5

indu belief / pluralism means religion no longer have as much power

Question 6

Calvinism Led to Capitalism

Answer 6

cals became anxious about being part of elect so devoted selves to work - aquired wealth - would take as sign of God’s fav - could mean = part of the elect - reinvest into businesses which then grew asetic lifestyle - leading to spirit of cap in which pursuit of prof = spiritual goal - slavation panic soothed

Question 7

Hinduism & Confucianism

Answer 7

other socs had higher rate of econ growth than N Eur in C16&17 but X = cap
china & india = m materially advanced - didn’t adopt cap due to lack of relig belief like cal - promoted rewards in other life

Question 8

Evaluation of Weber

Answer 8

some commentators have said slavery, colonialism & piracy = m NB in accumulating cap needed for indust
some coutries w/ large cal pop didn’t indust - Norway

Question 9

Parkin

Evaluation of Weber

Answer 9

cap late to develop in Scot despite Cal being present there

Question 10

American Civil Rights Movement

Answer 10

Bruce = religion motiv soc change
campaigning involv direct action - marches, boycotts
Black clergy played major roles in role -Martin Luther King - gave moral legit to acitivists - provided sanctury & unity - appealed to common christian values of equality
helped relig get involved w/ sec struggle & cause change

Question 11

New Christian Right

Answer 11

prot fundems - op lib soc - want US ‘back to God’
want abortion, homo, div = illegal & ban SRE in schools
want trad fam & gender roles - linked to rep party
use media & teleevans to make converts & recruit new mems - new moral maj formed as pressure group

Question 12

New Christian Right Success

Answer 12

largely unsuc - only 15% of pop not moral maj
find dif to coop w/ other relig groups
= oppositional groups - pro choice

Question 13

Bruce & New Christian Right

Answer 13

failed movement for soc change - didn’t connect w/ mainstream beliefs about democ, equality & freedom - CRM did

Question 14

Liberation Theology

Answer 14

1960s cath priests in latin US op mili dict to help poor = inc rural pov, HR abuses & commitments of priests to ideology to sup HR & poor - harboured freedom fighters
1980s reversed - said too marxist - lost influ - m = democs

Question 15

Millenarian Movements

Answer 15

example of desire to change things on earth & bring about kingdom of God - expect imminent trans of world by supernat - will be saved & in Utopia - Worsley
worked well among poor exploited groups esp colonies - united tribal movements
used trad christian beliefs
= precurver to pol movements to overthrow col rule - 1st awakening of prol self con

Question 16

Dual Character & Hinduism

Answer 16

for gens used as conserv force - caste system - Indian soc = divided into immobile soc classes by birth
but inspired huge soc change in Indian Nationalist Movement - prins of non-violence & self renunciation in ghandis camp against Brit Emp

Question 17

Fundamentalism

Answer 17

for islamic fundems relig provides basis for resistance against westernisation - Iran & Afganistan
Almond (2003) = “pattern of religion militancy” led by “self styled true believers” & iden their cause as being directly op to sec
Giddens - glob has caused sig levels of insec - relig = v simple answers - have clear rules & absolute truths = v attractive