the process of secularisation in the development and extent of belief systems and ideologies within Australia. Flashcards
What is secularism?
A process whereby religion loses its influence over the various spheres of social life. Secular society has emerged from the modernisation process whereby the rise of scientific knowledge and technological advancements have shaped ideas about spiritual thinking in society.
What are the two variations of a secular society?
- Separation of church & state
- Growth of atheism & people not identifying with formal religion
What is the impact of secularism on society?
Secularism has merely removed religious authority from the governmental power to make laws for the entire population.
Australian citizens are free to practise their religion of choice without persecution or discrimination by government laws, which is enormously important to migrants fleeing religious persecution in another country.
Australia is moving away from its religious foundations due to secularisation resulting in many churches closing their doors.
Belief systems and ideologies, and there associated worldview, have become more complex and varied over time
How has secularism changed over time?
2001: 68% of AUS define as Christian vs 2021: 52.1% of AUS define as Christian
In 2021: Christian believers have dropped by 1 million people, but it is still AUS’s most common religion –> in the meantime, AUS is becoming more religiously diverse
changing patterns of religious adherence may be linked to migration, modernity, cultural individualism, globalisation, technology, etc.
2021 - most common religions: Christianity - 43.9%, No religion - 38.9%, Islam - 3.2%, Hinduism - 2.7%, Buddhism - 2.4%
According to the 2016 Australian Census, 61 % of the population was affiliated with a religious or spiritual belief, with 30% indicating they had either no religion or atheist atheism, humanism or agnosticism. Comparing this to the 2011 census, we see a reduction in followers of Christianity, an increase in those identifying as non-religious, and a trend among young people to nominate secular beliefs which may be spiritual but not religious.
What is the process of secularisation?
Democracy of information via technology and internet accessibility has given people the ability to question and verify facts and/or the validity of beliefs
from video: “trend of increase in ‘other’ religions/no religions in Aus is reflected in religious affiliation of migrants who arrived since last census in 2021”
Increased migration and cultural diversity has also led to an increased religious diversity.
Secularisation is commonly defined as the decline of religion and the loss of religious influence over state issues.
sociologists argue that secularisation has occurred within the modern world due to the increase of scientific and rational thought, this provides explanations of existential questions
secularisation has allowed the formation of conditions and ideologies such as feminism, environmentalism, gay rights, abortion
AUS is extremely multicultural/multi-faith –> citizens are able to practise their faith without fear of persecution or discrimination –> implied freedom of all beliefs
organised belief–> spirituality ; due to processes of globalisation, mass media, migration, loss of local community life
most visible sign of secularisation is the declining number of church attendees in Aus
Secularism is the formal separation of religious institutions (the church, in the case of Australia) from the state (government) and civic affairs
amount of spiritual believers are thought to be increasing: in a Post-Christian era, there is a more diverse spiritual market, where people create their own style of religion this doesn’t mean they are irreligious, but their belief pattern is usually less regulated/ institutionalised: may be in the form of personal rituals like meditation > church
the shift towards secular societies poses a threat to global beliefs, de-emphasising the customs and rituals historically underpinning institutions of worship
Secularism infers the ideal of equality for all faiths within a society but is often identified as a catalyst for the decline of religious membership.
Gary Bouma, a professor in the sociology of religion at Monash University stated that ‘A secular society is not an irreligious society’. This strengthens the idea that Australia
secularism doesn’t necessarily mean the diminishment of religions but instead many people have created their own personal style of religion, and given up on traditional institutions.
In Western societies, individualism and rationality is encouraged: people are starting to disregard old tradition that religions are inherently true
