Secularisation Flashcards
What is the definition of secularisation?
Wilson - the process whereby religious thinking, practices and institutions lose social significance.
What does religious thinking mean?
Refers to the influence of religion oon people’s lives whether they see themselves as a religious person.
What statistic relates to religious thinking?
46% of people consider themselves as a Christian.
What does religious practices mean?
Refers to things people do to carry out their religious committments.
What statistic relates to religious practices?
22% of adults go to religious worship once a month.
What does religious institutions mean?
Refers to the extent to which religious institutions are involved in and influence wider society.
What statistic relates to religious institutions?
71% of 18-24 year olds have no religion because they feel as though they can’t relate.
What does evidence suggest about religion in the UK? (2)
Religious events like marriages have decreased because they are not seen as sacred.
Traditional religions have decreased because there are now alternative ways to religion
What is a bogus baptism?
People attend chirch for social reasons like getting their children into school.
What did Hadaway et al’s study show? (3)
Studied church attendance in Ohio. They counted attendees in churches and held interviews to ask if people attended church.
The level of attendance claimed in interviews was 83% higher than the researchers had counted in the churches.
This causes social desirability as people wasnt to seem better infront of the interviewer.
What did Bruce argue that there is?
Secularisation from within - religious organisations have watered down their views and weakened them. People no longer turn to religion like they used to.
How have religious attitudes changed to show secularisation from within? (4)
Sex before marriage
Homosexuality
Divorce
Gender fluidity.
What did Lyon argue?
Disneyfication of religion - it has become diluted and simplified. Religious messages have become less seriousas religion associates itself with popular culture.
What is the evaluation of secularisation within the USA? (4)
Privatisation of religion - using falling church attendance statistics to support secularisation thesis neglecting ‘believing without belonging’
Secularisation from within neglects the rise of Evangelical Christianity which adopts a literal interpretation of the Bible. (Roe vs. Wade)
There are different forms of religion which allows people to become religious consumers giving them choices.
Civil religion - belief is now whether you are a true American and patriotic based on meritocracy and freedom.
What is disenchantment?
People started moving away from religious thinking and moved to scientific thinking instead.
What is structural differentiation?
Something in society has changed which caused religion to lose its functions. This is disengaged through a moral decline.
What is disengagement?
People now look to a technological world view and use scientific explanations to understand certain events. But people turn to religion in times of need.
What is religious pluralism?
There are now many alternatives, so there are different versions of the truth.
Plausibility structure - challenges idea of religious truth. Turning away from religion altogether.
What are arguments against secularisation? (4)
Disengagement is overstated. Religion still has a huge influence on society.
UK faith schools must hold qualifications that are recognised by the state and undergo OFSTED inspections.
‘goden age of faith’ - people attended churche because they were scared or social desirability.
Disestablishment: we shouldn’t have a monarchy with a Christian king.
