The Role of Religion as a Conservative Force and as an Inhibitor of Social Change

Question 1

In which two ways can social change be understood?

Explain/ what are the features of them?

Answer 1

1. Historical movements- large scale, far reaching changes to the way of life in a society due to structural changes
2. localised movements- small scale changes within society that occur over time

Question 2

What are the two basic understandings of the term ‘conservative force’ and explain them

Answer 2

1. preventing social change- maintaining the status quo
2. returning to traditional norms and values-something that asserts or reasserts a set of values and beliefs that are considered ‘traditional’

Question 3

What are the four different factors that determine if religion promotes or prevents social change and which sociologist suggests this?

Answer 3

• Macguire
  1. belief- if the religion has strong moral prescriptions they are more likely to challenge injustice and inequality and therefore be a force for change
  2. culture- if religion is central in society
  3. social location- where religion has a role in political and economic life it has a greater scope to make a change in society
  4. internal organisation- religion with a strong hierarchy and a traditional authority structure it is more likely to affect social change either by initiating or inhibiting

Question 4

What do neo-marxists and marxists say?

which three sociologists believe this?

Answer 4

• Althusses, Balibar and Poulantzas
• cultural institutions like religion support and are dependant on the economy
• the economy is the determinant of social change, if cultural institutions are the determinant of social change then they are responding to the needs of the economy

Question 5

This means religion as a conservative force, in which two ways is this expressed?

Answer 5

1. False consciousness- religion is responsible for mystifying the nature of the social world and justifying inequality in terms of the supernatural
2. system maintenance- when capitalist societies undergo economic crises that threaten social stability religion may act as a channel for social dessert that helps preserve the overall status quo in society by promoting a crucial amount of social change

Question 6

EXAMPLE- Harleevy- Methodism in Britain

Answer 6

-no revolution in Britain unlike other western European countries in c19th due to Methodism emerging and giving a voice to the w/c by helping to establish trade unions

Question 7

Functionalists argue that religion maintains the collective conscience in which two ways?

Answer 7

1. moral codes- religion provides a source of morality that cannot realistically be challenged due to its derivation from other worldly origins and authority from a higher power

Question 8

EXAMPLE- Hindu Caste System

Answer 8

-Hindus believe in a divinely given caste system which maintains social order within a society and gives social control to some people and legitimises the distribution of power