Secularisation Flashcards
key points
disappearance thesis - states that there will be a decline in the importance of religion and for individuals and society until it disappears altogether
differentiation thesis - states that religion is declining in social significance, that it has become separated from wider society but that is likely to be important in peoples lives
TWO WAYS OF EXAMINING SECULARISATION
broad approach - whether religion has lost significance for society
narrow approach - whether religion has lost significance for individuals`
evidence of secularisation
> power of church is declining
church isnt shaping peoples values as much anymore
baptisms have declined from 55% in 1991 to 41% in 2005
sunday school attendance declined from 49% in 1920 to 4% in 2000
weekly and monthly church attendance is in decline
EVALUATION - some people believe without belonging therefore they dont go to the church and they dont make it public that they are religious according to Grace Davie therefore statistics are not accurate.
explaining secularisation
marxism
Marx explained secularisation as the beginning of the proletariat beginning to see through capitalist ideology.
> as society becomes increasingly materialistic, relationships are increasingly based on contracts, rather than personal relation ships, it is no surprise that the spiritual is squeezed out.
> Marxists say this is not a bad thing.
explaining secularisation
functionalism
Durkheim also foresaw secularisation, he thought it would be harmful for society.
> As social solidarity weakens, people increasingly look out for themselves.
> a cult of man emerges as people regard themselves as sacred rather than the Gods they once worshipped
> as social solidarity breaks down, peoples own interests are put first and take these on a more “individualistic” form.
> whereas people once met in church, increasingly they meet to go shopping - a temple to modern materialism.
Weber
people belief in magic, superstition and religion are increasingly replaced by a more rational view of the world.
> people have become disenchanted with religion as science makes sense of life, this is developed by sociologist Peter Berger
> Berger agrees with Weber that the spread of rationalisation and the disenchantment has been accompanied by other changes in the experience of people in modern societies, for example electronic media has given people alternative social worlds, lifestyles and beliefs.
> religion once provided a shared universe of meaning, used by people to make sense of the world.
> this created a “sacred canopy” over society and held people together under its “roof”
> traditional religion has plunged into a crisis of credibility due to many beliefs in society e.g. “shopping for God”
> people lack direction and guides to action (anomie) Religion’ main function is to act as a shield against anomie according to Berger.
> religion no longer has the power to give meaning of life.
Steve Bruce
in medieval times, people interpreted everything as a act of God or the devil, for example howling winds were “wicked cries of demons” and storms and volcano eruptions are seen as “acts of an angered God” this is no longer the case
> There is now technological advances that people go to when a disaster occurs looking for a scientific link to explain the disaster.
> this happens now instead of looking to religion and heavens.
> as people explain the world with science, supernatural explanations slowly degrade and decrease in importance and relevance.
EVALUATION - technological explanations have not completed removed religion, some people still use religion to explain the world. For example in USA The Westboro Baptist Church say that hurricanes are an example of Gods vengeance and punishment against “sinful people”
Grace Davie
Davie believes that secularisation depends on declining Church figures.
> there is an increase in people “believing without belonging” meaning they are religious but do not attend Church, therefore less attendance in Church may look like secularisation but it isn’t.
> many people hold deep-rooted beliefs, but these may only be publicly evident during certain times - this is called “vicarious religion”\
> there remains a “spiritual health service” in society where people turn to religion when in need.
> when famous people pass away, Churches are filled with people who seek salace in religion, this shows that even though religion may not be used for the same reason as it once was, it is still being used.
EVALUATION - Davie mis-interpreted changing religion for declining religion, it is clear that religions importance has decreased and there is a decline in religiosity.
Stark and Bainbridge (1985) Religious Market Theory
challenge that there was a golden age of religiosity and it is declining and will die out one day.
> people are naturally religious and many people need religion in their lives.
> religion remains attractive to people due to compensators it provides.
> when real rewards in life are absent religion provides supernatural compensators that is the problems in life will be overcome, especially in the next life.
> this helps people cope with anxiety and ill death etc.
> there will always be a need for religion, the growth of Mega Churches (2000 can attend) in the USA is evidence that religion is not declining at all. This is a religious revival in the USA.
> rather than religion being in a decline, Stark and Bainbridge say it changes in a cycle of decline, revival and renewal.
> Churches work hard to appeal to people and maintain, finding way to appeal to “
customers” to give the “religious product” promised
EVALUATING Stark and Bainbridge
Norris and Inglehart (2011)
they say Stark and Bainbridge “religious market theory’ only applies to the USA and there is limited evidence to link religious “supply” and public “demand”
> variations in religiosity is not linked to ‘supply and demand’ but rather to how developed society is which is how safe they feel about their survival etc.
> religion is stronger in poorer countries as life is less secure and less certain.
> the USA on tends to be an exception to the rule as it is developed society with high levels of religiosity, but this is is because there is no welfare support in the USA therefore the poorest members of society face less certainty and high levels of risk, therefore religion is more significant.
> it is likely the world will become more religious due to higher birth rates in poorer countries
The Kendal Project - a team of researchers led by Paul Heealas
The spiritual revolution thesis
out to test the claim that a spiritual revolution is taking place, whereby new age is replacing traditional religion.
> Kendal is a town with 28000 people in the Lake district. the focus was to compare those who attended church ‘congregational domain’ with the ‘holistic milieu’ who practise new age spirituality to access the ‘inner soul’.
> a head count of attendance at church was conducted on Sunday November 2000. A questionnaire was used to count people involved in New age techniques.
> results from church headcount showed that 7.9% of Kendal population attended, by comparison only 1.6% if Kendal’s population practise New Age spirituality.
> they concluded a spiritual revolution is not taking place in Kendal as more people attend church however current trends show that around 2030 a revolution will take place.
