Religion, Social Change, Conflict And Stability Flashcards
conservative force
Religion is viewed by some as a means of keeping society the same, in some cases maintaining traditional values and beliefs
revolutionary force
Religion is viewed by some as a tool which can be used to create change in society
source of stability
Religion maintains social order and keeps society running smoothly
source of conflict
Religion creates disagreement between social groups leading to disorder and inequality
religion takes on a conservative force takes on 2 meanings
- Religion maintains social stability and the status quo, keeping society’s structure and values the same. Some see the status quo as POSITIVE (functionalists) while other see the status quo as conflict ridden (MARXISTS and FEMINISTS)
- Religion maintains conservative, traditional beliefs and values (and perhaps sees liberal ideas as threatening and problematic)
religion as a conservative force
functionalism, religion promotes social stability
The Functionalist perspective has a positive view of religion and how religion maintains stability or ‘equilibrium’ in society.
Durkheim argued that religion is used to maintain social solidarity through collective worship. This in turn reinforces value consensus.
Explain how totemism (and religion more generally) reinforces stability:
Parsons argued that religion is used as a mechanism of adjustment in times of uncertainty. In this way, religion maintains social stability by giving people a sense of certainty amongst chaos.
religion as a conservative force
New Right/Christian Right: Religion can be used to reinforce conservative values
The New Right (UK) and the Christian Right (US) are concerned with the moral breakdown of society, and use religion as a force for maintaining traditional values.
religion as a conservative force
Traditional Marxism: Religion reinforces the status quo and capitalism
Traditional Marxists are critical of religion for maintaining stability and the status quo by justifying and legitimating the capitalist system and the class divide.
religion as a conservative force
Radical Feminism: Religion plays a role in reinforcing and maintaining patriarchy
el saadawi
argues that Islam has been used to justify the oppression of women and reinforce the patriarchal ideology. Patriarchy is the true source of their oppression, but men have used religion as a justification for patriarchal oppression. She gives the example of female genital mutilation as a case where religion has been used to justify the oppression of females, and describes her own experiences in graphic detail.
religion as a revolutionary force of social change
Weber: ‘The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’
Weber researched the Calvinist branch of Protestantism. He found that the religious beliefs and values of Calvinism were used by its followers as a framework of meaning and purpose for their daily lives.
He was interested in the social changes that occurred which led to the development of capitalism, and more specifically why capitalism occurred in some places but not others. Capitalism developed in most of Western Europe, but failed to develop in places like India and China despite the fact that these countries had the economic and technological means for capitalism to thrive.
He concluded that capitalism had developed in Western Europe due to Calvinist beliefs which reinforced values which enabled capitalism to thrive, and therefore argued that religion had led to social change.
Weber concluded therefore that these religious beliefs created economic social change in the form of the development of capitalism.
It is important to recognise though that capitalism is not an inevitable consequence of Calvinist beliefs. Weber also found that in Scotland they had the appropriate beliefs and values for capitalism to thrive, but that they did not have the right economic and technological conditions – they didn’t have any money to invest or technology to build factories. Therefore, religion alone did not lead to the development of capitalism.
religion as a revolutionary force of social change
Nelson: Religion can lead to revolution
Nelson argues that ‘far from encouraging people to accept their place, religion can spearhead resistance and revolution’. He points to examples from history such as the Iranian Revolution and Archbishop Tutu’s opposition to the Apartheid where religion has been used to lead social change
religion as a revolutionary force of social change
Neo-Marxism: religion can be the voice of the oppressed
Neo-Marxists like Maduro are critical of traditional Marxists for arguing that religion is determined by the economic base and that it can only serve to reinforce capitalism. Neo-Marxists argue that actually religion and religious institutions can be used as a voice for the oppressed people to shape their consciousness, leading to revolution and social change. Religion can offer a ‘Liberation Theology’ – a religious justification for the liberation of the oppressed.
religion as a revolutionary force of social change
Liberal feminism: religion can protect women from patriarchy
Woodhead argues that religion can offer individual women escape from the dual burden by giving them a clear traditional role and status within the family (Evaluation: is this really liberating from patriarchy?); Watson argues the hijab protects Muslim women from the patriarchal male gaze; Aldridge argues that women-only religious environments such as Nunneries can provide women an escape from patriarchal marriage, especially in societies where lesbianism was socially unacceptable (e.g. Ireland)
conclusion
religion as conservative or radical
McGuire: religion can lead to social change but only under the right conditions and makes an important contribution to the social change debate as she recognises that actually religion can act as a force for social change, but only if the right circumstances are in place. Therefore, she recognises that not all religions are the same and that not all societies are as susceptible to change as others. McGuire argues there are 4 key factors which influence whether or not religion can lead to social change
how does this inpact social change
the beliefs and practicies of the religion
Some religious organisations have strong moral codes which are critical of society, and therefore seek to change it. Others are less concerned with this world and more centred on the spiritual, and so are less interested in making change
