topic two religion and social change Flashcards
1
Q
aside from a conservative force, what do sociologists see religion as and give an example of who
A
Weber sees religion as a force for change
2
Q
what was Weber’s study
A
The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism
3
Q
briefly outline this study
A
- religious beliefs of Calvinism helped bring about social change - capitalism in Northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries
4
Q
what does Weber mean by the spirit of capitalism
A
- modern capitalism being based on the systematic, rational pursuit of profit not for the sake of materialistic consumption due to the Calvinistic belief system
5
Q
what are the 4 distinct beliefs of Calvinism
A
- predestination
- divine transcendence
- asceticism
- the idea of a vocation or calling
6
Q
describe predestination
A
God has already elected the souls which go to heaven before birth
and this decision could not be altered by any means such as pilgrimages or prayer
7
Q
describe divine transcendence
A
- the belief that God was far beyond comprehending, no mortal had access to his will other than what is revealed in the bible is very prominent in Calvinism
- this made them feel ‘an unprecedented inner loneliness’
- combined with predestination the Calvinists gained a sense of salvation panic
8
Q
describe asceticism
A
leading a life of abstinence and self discipline which meant that they refrained from dabbling in luxury purchases, wore simple clothes and instead devotes themselves to God and a life of prayer
9
Q
describe the idea of a vocation or calling
A
- engaging methodical work in an occupation was seen as a religious duty
- this was the only sign to relieve the Calvinists from a salvation panic as they believed they were put onto Earth to glorify God’s name through their work
- this was a form of this wordly asceticism: instead of devoting their life to join a monastery, they had a vocation towards work
10
Q
as a result of these beliefs what type of lifestyle did Calvinists lead
A
they led an ascetic lifestyle where they refrained from luxury, worked for long hours and practices rigorous self discipline
11
Q
what was the result of this lifestyle
A
- their wealth and success began to form a psychological function as they saw this growth as a sign of their salvation
- in their view, if this was not a good sign from God, then why else are we succeeding
- second of all, due to their ascetic lifestyle they were able to reinvest their disposable profits that they had accumlated into their business which generated of cycle of preosperity and reinvestment
- therefore Calvinism brought about capitalism
12
Q
however what else did Weber note
A
- not all societies with high levels of economic development developed into modern capitalism
- e.g. China (Confucianism) and India (Hinudism) were more economically advanced than Europe but did not develop into capitalist societies due to their religious belief systems turning them towards other-wordly beliefs or the lack of asceticism
13
Q
evaluate Weber views on social change
A
- Kautsky argues Webre overestimates the role of ideas and beliefs and underestimates the role of economic factors in the process of the rise of capitalism
- Capitalism did not develop in every country where there were strong Calvinists e.g. Scotlamd
14
Q
Bruce agrees with Weber and also beliefs religion can trigger social change : true or false
A
True
15
Q
What two examples does Bruce use to understand the role of religion in social change in America
A
- the civil rights movement
- the New Christian Right
16
Q
when and why did the American civil rights movement (acrm) occur
A
- 50s and 60s
- to end racial segregation, eventhough slavery had been ablished, Black people were denied legal and political rights and segregation was enforces as they could not use some of the same public goods as WHite poeple e.g buses
17
Q
how did the acrm begin
A
- began in 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of teh bus as Black people were expected to
- this event triggered multiple campaigns and boycotts
- this led to segregation beign outlawed in 1964
18
Q
how did religion play a key role in the acrm for black people
A
- the black clergy such as Martin Luther King acted as a central source of support to the movement
- they had the the ability to use churches as meeting places and as a sasnctuary from the threats and attacks
- churches provided them with rituals such as prayer meetings and hymn singing were a source of unity during times of oppression and segregation, enabling the movement to grow
19
Q
how did religion play a key role in the acrm against white people and their racist attitudes
A
- taking the moral high ground:the black clergy were able to shame whites by pointing out their hypocrisy as they preach ‘love thy neighbour’ but contributed to the racial discrimination
- acting as an honest broker: Churches are trusted, respected institutions that can mediate between different groups in society, especially in conflicts or campaigns for change. Unlike political organisations, churches are often seen as morally neutral and above self-interest, which allows them to bring people together across social and political divides
20
Q
therefore Bruce sees religiona as an
A
ideological resource
21
Q
what is the New Christian Right
A
- a politically and morally conservative, Protestant fundamentalist movement
- gained prominence in 1960s following their opposition to liberalisation of American society
22
Q
what are the aims and key beliefs of the ncr
A
- seek to take America ‘back to God’
- they strongly belief in the traditional nuclear family which upholds traditional gender roles
- are against anything which goes against this e.g. they want to make divorce, homosexuality, abortion illegal and ban sex ed in schools
- campaign for creationism (the belief that the Bible is literally true)
23
Q
what have the ncr effectively done
A
they have effectively used the media, specifically through televangelism aimed at making converts and recruiting new members
24
Q
yet, why has the ncr been unsuccessful
A
- lack of cooperation of members with other religious groups even if they are campaigning on the same issues
- lacks widespread support due to the deeply rooted liberal and democratic values in American society
- therefore it is impossible to demand theocracy in a mature democracy
25
what is assumed of the Marxist view of religion and what is the reality
- that they believe it is an entirely conservative ideology which legitimate class inequalities
- however, in reality they recognise that religious ideas have relative autonomy
26
what do Marxists mean by religious ideas have relative autonomy
- they can be partly independent fromt he economic base of society
27
as a result of relative autonomy, what does religion have and what does this mean
- Engels created the idea that religion has a dual character
- it inhibits chnage by disguising and legitimising inequality but also preaches liberation from slavery and misery so can also challenge the status quo
28
how does Marx see religion in this context
'the heart of a heartless world'
- he sees religion being capable of humanising a world even if the comfort it offers is illlusory
29
explain Bloch's view on religion
- Bloch also sees religion as having a dual character
- we must recognise both the positive and negative impacts of religion
- it can inhibit change but also inspire protest
- as a result religion is an expression of 'the principle of hope'
30
define principle of hope
our dreams of a better life that contain images of utopia
31
how does Bloch use the principle of hope to explain how it can also do the opposite of deceiving people (as Marx claims)
- utopia is a promise of the rewards in heaven
- however, this can inspire people to understand what is wrong in this world and encourages them to seek the same joy in the real world thereby sparking rebellion and social change
32
what is liberation theology
- emerged in 1960s within the Catholic Church in Latin America
- this movement had a strong commitment to the poor and opposition to military dictatorships
33
what was was liberation theology a change in direction for and why
-the Catholic Church
- for centuries it had been an extremely conservative institution which encourages a fatalistic acceptance of poverty, supported wealthy elites and military dictatorships
34
3 factors which led to liberation theology
- deepening rural poverty and urban slums
- human rights abuses by military takeovers e.g.in Argentina, Chile which consisted of torture and death squads
- growing commitment amongst Catholic priests to an ideology which supported the poor
35
how did liberation theology set out to change society
- priests helped the poor to establish base communities and helped workers fight oppression under the protection of the Church
- developed literacy programmes which educated the poor about their situation
36
what is a base community
support groups
37
what was the change from the 1970s to 1980s
- in the 1970s, priest were a main authoritative figure for the oppressed
- in 1980s the overall attitude changed as Pope John Paul II condemned LT on the grounds it resembled Marxism and demanded that priests focus on pastoral activities not political struggle
- this caused the movement to lose influence
38
what must we acknowledge according to Casanova
- LT played an important part in resisting state terror
- even though Catholicism is much more conservative in Latin America today, it continues to defend the democracy and human rights that were previously achieved
39
what has LT caused neo-Marxists to question
-Maduro
- whether or not religion is always a conservative force
- this is because LT has shown how religion can be a revolutionary force as it radicalised the priests who believed it was their religious duty to serve the poor
40
evaluate Maduro
- it depends on how social change is defined as even though LT helped bring about democracy, it did not challenge the stability of capitalism
41
what has liberation theory faced competition from, why
- Pentecostal movements
- Lehmann contrasts the two as LT offers a radical 'option for the poor' but Pentecostalism offers a conservative 'option of the poor'
42
what is Pentecostalism
- focuses on personal salvation and personal achievement as the primary means of overcoming hardship
43
how did Pentecostalism bring about social change
- even though it was a conservative approach, by focusing on personal salvation, it encourages individuals to pull themselves out of poverty
- they also were supported by the congregation led by church pastors
44
define Millenarian movements
- movements that believe in a coming, transformative event or age that will radically change the world
- this is often signified by th return of a messianic or divine figure
45
what is Worsley's view
- such movements expect total and imminent transformation of this world by supernatural means
- thus creating a heaven on earth, where the collective will be saved
46
who do millenarian movements largely appeal to and why
-poor groups in society as it promises immediate improvement
47
when do millenarian movements often arise
in colonial situations
this is because, colonialism often involves economic exploitation which leads individuals into poverty and suffering
moreover, there is religious exploitation which means traditional belief systems are replaced with the colonial religions such as through Christian
- this disruption causes a sense of disorientation
48
what did the indigenous people believe about cargos
- "cargo" refers to the goods, such as clothes, food, tools, and other items, that Western colonisers had brought with them,
- these were seen as signs of divine favor or supernatural power
49
how did this belief lead to cargo cults
- the indigenous people thought that the Western colonisers had access to vast amounts of such material goods which were coming to the Western colonisers "out of nowhere" or from a "returning spiritual leader" which symbolised to them that their utopia was near
- they were not aware that these were the possessions of the colonisers
50
what is hegemony
ideological domination
- Gramsci refers to this as the way in which the ruling class using religion to maintain control
51
what is the result of a hegemony being established and give an example
as it is a dominant ideology, mostly all individuals will come to believe in it so there is no need for coercion
- e.g. in Italy, the immense conservative ideological power of the Catholic Church helped win support for Mussolini's fascist regime
52
evaluate this view
| gramsci highlights this
it is too deterministic as hegemony is never guaranteed
- it is always possible for the working class to develop an alternative vision through class consciousness as to how society should function
- this is known as a counter hegemony
- therefore gramsci also believes religion has a dual character
53
outline Billings' study
compared the class struggle of two communities in Kentucky - textile workers and coal miners to see how religin can both encourage and inhibit social change
- they were both evangelical Protestants and working class, however had different results in terms of their movements
54
why did the miners prosper more
- miners had support from organic intellectuals who guided them to trade unions
- the miners were able to use independent churches to holdmeetings and organise
- they also received spiritual support through sermons and prayer meeting's which kept their morals high
55
as a result what does Billing's conclude
- the textiles workers lacked the religious support that the miners had so instead accepted the status wuo
- therefore Billings concludes that religion can play a 'prominent oppositional role'
56
define prominent oppositional role
the same religion can be called upon either to defend the status quo or justify the struggle to change it
