Social Change

Question 1

Calvinism

Answer 1

Weber

Predestination:
- God determines afterlife before birth, it cannot be changed.

Divine Transcendence:
- God is above any human
- His will is unknown.

Ascenticism:
- refrain from luxury for total devotion to God.

Calvinism created capitalism.
- people driven by work ethic, wealth made efficiently.
- money reinvested into businesses so they grew and made more profit.
- capitalism failed to develop in countries (EG: China / India) due to lack of a clear belief system.

Evaluation:
- Kautsky= Weber overestimates role of ideas and economic factors in creating capitalism.
- Tawney= technological change caused capitalism. Calvinism legitimises pursuit of economic gain.

Question 2

Social Protest

Answer 2

The New Christian Right:
- seek to ‘take America back to God’ (traditional values)
- largely unsuccessful
-Bruce= were not co-operative with views of other religions so not enough support to achieve goals.

USA civil rights movement:
- Bruce= ended segregation in 1964.
- Black clergy was the ‘backbone of the movement’ - took moral high ground
- churches provided meeting spaces / sanctuary
- rituals as a source of unity (prayers / hymns)
- religion used as an ideological source to challenge dissent and mobilise public opinion.

Hegemony:
-Gramsci
- used by Ruling Class to keep control
- Religion is dual-character (to challenge and support ruling class)
- some workers can see through hegemony - Organic Intellectuals who support working class organisations

Question 3

Marxism & change

Answer 3

Bloch:
- religion is dual character so has positive and negative impacts
- an expression of ‘the principle of hope’ (EG: dreams of a better life - images of a utopia)

Liberation Theology:
-Maduro= a revolutionary force to bring change
- religious ideas radicalised Catholic clergy in defence of peasants / workers.
- helping the poor viewed as part of their Christian Duty.

Millenarian Movements
- Worsley= creates desire to change things now and expecting total transformation by supernatural means (EG: creating a heaven on earth)
- Cargo Cults= islanders felt wrongfully deprived of cargo. 19-20th century cults asserted cargo for natives causing unrest / threatening colonial rule.