The Rise In Fundamentalism Flashcards
What are the 4 reasons for the rise in fundamentalism?
Response to feminism, postmodernity, secularisation and cultural defence
How has feminism led to a crisis in masculinity?
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)
How is fundamentalism the ‘antidote to feminism’?
Men feel traditional role as dominant breadwinner undermined, restores traditional gender social order through the authority of sacred religious texts
How has globalisation led to the rise in feminism?
Social media and the internet have given feminist ideology a platform and a wide audience
Why might the rise in feminism not be able to explain the rise of fundamentalism in non western countries?
Societies that are already religious with traditional gender roles are still seeing a rise in fundamentalism
What is the rise of fundamentalism as response to according to Bauman ?
Living in postmodernity
Why is fundamentalism attractive in postmodern society?
PM: freedom of choice, greater awareness of risks, uncertainty
Fundamentalism offers claims of absolute truth and certainty
What are the two identities formed as a response to postmodernity according to Castells?
Resistant identity: defensive reaction to change, retreat into fundamentalist communities
Project identity: forward looking, engage with social movements like feminism
How does postmodernity link to globalisation?
It is a direct effect of the interconnectedness of the world (technology etc)
How is Baumans argument incomplete?
Those who join fundamentalist groups are often already religion and part of a church community that claims to have the truth
What is secularisation and how has it led to people reasserting their religion in fundamentalist form?
Decline in religious belief and practice
Religious views are under threat e.g. legalisation of gay marriage
How has globalisation led to secularisation?
As science has grown more people turn to it for answers rather than religion
How could you criticise the idea that secularisation has led to the rise in fundamentalism?
Secularisation is growing much faster than fundamentalist organisations
How does Bruce explain the rise in fundamentalism?
Cultural defence
How is religion used as cultural defence?
Religion serves a community against external threats, religion symbolises the societies collective identity
How does the Iranian revolution (1979) show religion and fundamentalism acting as cultural defence?
Aspects of Islamic culture were being erased, modernisation widened gaps between rich and the poor
Returning to Islamic sharia law defended against this
How does globalisation link to cultural defence?
Transnational dimension of society today (how countries influence others) mean that societies need to defence against external influences
What does Bruce say that limits his own argument?
Once the external threat is overcome religiosity decreases showing that fundamentalism is often temporary
What does Haynes argue about the real cause of the conflicts in the Middle East?
The failures of the elite to meet their promises to improve standard of living fuels fundamentalism, not religion
What has Davie identified recently as a result of ‘the changes in the nature of modern society’?
Secular forms of fundamentalism
What are the two phases of modernity according to Davie?
Phase 1 (18th C-1970) Rise of religious fundamentalism
Phase 2 (1970s-now) Rise of Secular Fundamentalism
What happened in phase one?
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
What happened/ happens in phase 2?
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)
How can France be used as an example of secular fundamentalism?
2004: banned pupils from wearing religious symbols to school
2010: banned women from wearing the veil
So, in conclusion why is reasserting through and certainty increasingly attractive according to Davie?
Both religious and secular movements can become fundamentalist as a result of the greater uncertainties of life in the late modern or postmodern world
