Religious fundamentalism

Question 1

What is fundamentalism?

Answer 1

Refers to people who follow strict religious and traditional beliefs and they take these beliefs literally

They are traditionalist Conservative and take the holy scripture exact

Question 2

Name the characteristics of religious fundamentalism

Answer 2

Traditionalists who seek the basics and fundamentals of their faith

Texts - they do not question this, and it provides answers to all life’s important questions

Teacher - rely upon guardians of tradition

Truth - fundamentalists believe that there is the only true view of the world

Question 3

Why has there been an increase in fundamentalism?

Answer 3

Response to feminism
Response to post-modernity
Response to secularisation
Cultural defence

Question 4

Ao1
Response to feminism

Answer 4

Feminism has encouraged women to seek equality with men
They campaign for equal rights for example in employment
This encourages women to break free from the confines of their home and take on the rules in the public sphere.

This encourages women to become more powerful in the home where they could take more into decision-making
This could lead to crisis and masculinity where men feel that traditional role is undermined

Fundamentalism acts as an antidote to feminism. It restores the traditional gender social order which is of a religious text.

This links to globalisation, as feminism is spreading and growing in other countries

Question 5

Ao3 response to feminism

Answer 5

this applies to society in the west, which are more exposed to feminist ideas

It might not explain the rise of fundamentalist societies that are already religious and already have traditional roles

Question 6

Ao1
Response to post-modernity

Answer 6

Bauman see fundamentalism as a response to living in post modernity

Post modern society brings freedom of choice, uncertainty, undermining the certainties with how to live
While some embrace the new freedom what does are attracted to fundamentalism, by its claims of absolute truth and certainty

Castells found differences between two responses to postmodernity

Resistant identity, which is a defensive reaction to those who feel threatened into a fundamentalist community

Project identity, the response of those who are forward-looking and engage with social movements, such as feminism and environmentalism

Question 7

Ao3 response to post modernity

Answer 7

Those who join fundamental groups tend to already belong to a church, rather than being non-religious people
Therefore, they already belong to groups that claim they have the truth so this explanation is incomplete

Question 8

Response to secularisation
Ao1 and Ao3

Answer 8

Western societies have experienced secularisation where religious belief and practice have declined
As a result, people may feel that their religious views are under threat, for example, legalisation of gay marriage and abortion which undermines traditional religious values in families
Some may reassert their religion in a fundamentalist form

Ao3
Secularisation is growing more than fundamentalist organisations

Question 9

Cultural defence
Ao1

Answer 9

Bruce sees one function of religion in today’s world, which is cultural defence
This is where religion serve to unite community against external threat
in Iran the west wanted to claim upon the oil. This had led the shah wanting to create a policy to modernise Iran and make it westernised

An example of this had been the veil being banned and Iran no longer following the Islamic calendar
The modernisation of the country widen, the gap between the rich and the poor

Islam was the focus of resistance and once the law was implemented. It had helped against the westernisation.

Question 10

Ao3
Cultural defence

Answer 10

Although religion is still used for cultural defence, this does not necessarily show that it remains important
Bruce notes that one the external threat has been overcome religiosity tends to decline.