The Rise In Fundamentalism

Question 1

What are the 4 reasons for the rise in fundamentalism?

Answer 1

Response to feminism, postmodernity, secularisation and cultural defence

Question 2

How has feminism led to a crisis in masculinity?

Answer 2

Equality led to women having more power and authority in the home as well as breaking away from the confines of the home (working, education etc)

Question 3

How is fundamentalism the ‘antidote to feminism’?

Answer 3

Men feel traditional role as dominant breadwinner undermined, restores traditional gender social order through the authority of sacred religious texts

Question 4

How has globalisation led to the rise in feminism?

Answer 4

Social media and the internet have given feminist ideology a platform and a wide audience

Question 5

Why might the rise in feminism not be able to explain the rise of fundamentalism in non western countries?

Answer 5

Societies that are already religious with traditional gender roles are still seeing a rise in fundamentalism

Question 6

What is the rise of fundamentalism as response to according to Bauman ?

Answer 6

Living in postmodernity

Question 7

Why is fundamentalism attractive in postmodern society?

Answer 7

PM: freedom of choice, greater awareness of risks, uncertainty
Fundamentalism offers claims of absolute truth and certainty

Question 8

What are the two identities formed as a response to postmodernity according to Castells?

Answer 8

Resistant identity: defensive reaction to change, retreat into fundamentalist communities
Project identity: forward looking, engage with social movements like feminism

Question 9

How does postmodernity link to globalisation?

Answer 9

It is a direct effect of the interconnectedness of the world (technology etc)

Question 10

How is Baumans argument incomplete?

Answer 10

Those who join fundamentalist groups are often already religion and part of a church community that claims to have the truth

Question 11

What is secularisation and how has it led to people reasserting their religion in fundamentalist form?

Answer 11

Decline in religious belief and practice

Religious views are under threat e.g. legalisation of gay marriage

Question 12

How has globalisation led to secularisation?

Answer 12

As science has grown more people turn to it for answers rather than religion

Question 13

How could you criticise the idea that secularisation has led to the rise in fundamentalism?

Answer 13

Secularisation is growing much faster than fundamentalist organisations

Question 14

How does Bruce explain the rise in fundamentalism?

Answer 14

Cultural defence

Question 15

How is religion used as cultural defence?

Answer 15

Religion serves a community against external threats, religion symbolises the societies collective identity

Question 16

How does the Iranian revolution (1979) show religion and fundamentalism acting as cultural defence?

Answer 16

Aspects of Islamic culture were being erased, modernisation widened gaps between rich and the poor
Returning to Islamic sharia law defended against this

Question 17

How does globalisation link to cultural defence?

Answer 17

Transnational dimension of society today (how countries influence others) mean that societies need to defence against external influences

Question 18

What does Bruce say that limits his own argument?

Answer 18

Once the external threat is overcome religiosity decreases showing that fundamentalism is often temporary

Question 19

What does Haynes argue about the real cause of the conflicts in the Middle East?

Answer 19

The failures of the elite to meet their promises to improve standard of living fuels fundamentalism, not religion

Question 20

What has Davie identified recently as a result of ‘the changes in the nature of modern society’?

Answer 20

Secular forms of fundamentalism

Question 21

What are the two phases of modernity according to Davie?

Answer 21

Phase 1 (18th C-1970) Rise of religious fundamentalism
Phase 2 (1970s-now) Rise of Secular Fundamentalism

Question 22

What happened in phase one?

Answer 22

Enlightenment Project (the philosophy that rationality and science could improve society) dominated Europe and some aspects of society became secular (eg medicine) that led people to turn to religious fundamentalism to protect their values

Question 23

What happened/ happens in phase 2?

Answer 23

Enlightenment project no longer valued due to growing pessimism and uncertainty caused by globalisation (eg environmental concerns) that have led to a loss of faith in science and rationality

Secular ideologies struggling to survive so some secular ideologies returning to secular fundamentalism as their beliefs are under attack (eg nationalism: identifying with your nation and supporting its interests over others)

Question 24

How can France be used as an example of secular fundamentalism?

Answer 24

2004: banned pupils from wearing religious symbols to school
2010: banned women from wearing the veil

Question 25

So, in conclusion why is reasserting through and certainty increasingly attractive according to Davie?

Answer 25

Both religious and secular movements can become fundamentalist as a result of the greater uncertainties of life in the late modern or postmodern world