social class and religiousity Flashcards
what does YOUGOV poll in 2013 show
higher and upper-middleclass groups were slightly more likely to believe in a personal God (19%) than lower middle and working class groups (15%), but the former were more likely to be atheists (29%) than the latter (27%).
what do traditonal marxists suggest about relg among classes and why
-suggest that religiosity and participation is highest among the most deprived social classes.
-Neo-Marxists suggest that poorer people actually use religion to fight their oppression (liberation theology.)
Most theories suggest that the greatest appeal of religion is to help the lower classes - however, mainstream religions are inclusive.
webers idea of theodicy of dispriv
religion might appeal to the most disadvantaged and marginal groups. Neo-Marxists like Maduro suggest that religion may also be used by the poorest social classes to fight their oppression.
exmaples of webers idea of theodicy of dipriv
-poor rewarded in the afterlife
-emphasise spirtual rewards for those suffering
-promised heaven appeals to the poor
what did ainsowrth and farthing find ab church going and class
m/c likely to go more than w/c
yougov suggest in 2015?
- 62% church goers = m/c
what did VOAS AND WATT find in their research on behalf of church of england
- attendence in rural areas twice as high
- higher in south of england than middlands
- growth in church attendence e.g surburban areas
what did lawes find about class diff between life long theists and lifelong atheists
- theists - came from semi skilled / unskilled backgrounds less likely to have acadmeics
-atheists = came from high prof backgrounds likely to have higher ed
why cant we generalise the conclusions ab class and religosity
- other factors can distort stats e.g ethncity
-african and other immigrants tend to have deep relg faith than white pop
-little in depth research on the field so hard to generalise
