unit 3 - religious membership Flashcards
Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Women
- Women’s roles in NACs often relate to the mother/nurturing figure, BRUCE says this is the result of the way women are socialised. Examples include raiki (hands on healing)
- Middle class women assume a position of authority in the new age world more than other spheres of life. HEELAS & WOODHEAD use the KENDALL PROJECT to support this as 80% of people using new age cults were women.
Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Salvation and Answers to inadequacies:
Bohemian movements in the 1960s offered ‘thinkers’ answers to human inadequacies. HEELAS claims this is the result of increased focus on individuals spirituality and de-traditionalisation.
Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Middle Classes:
WALLIS: Crisis of identity. Middle classes are drawn to these life styles as it helps them cope with modern life. Can solve their problems and de-stress. i.e. transcendental meditation. GLOCK & STARK: Middle class people see themselves as spiritually deprived. (relative deprivation)
Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Media
Celebrity influence: causes others to join up to religions. i.e. Tom Cruise and scientology
Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Post Modernity
HADDEN & SHUPE: supply led religion. Religion is transforming not declining. There is now something to suit everyone.
LYON: re enchantment religion has entered the sphere of consumption so is now treated like a product. this has created interest
HERVIEU LEGER: spiritual shopping young people no longer inherit a fixed identity, we now have personal choice without belonging. A consequence of cultural amnesia.
Why Do People Join World Rejecting Movement (Sects) ?
Marginality
Weber: inequality, immigration and racism can exclude some groups, sects help create communities and provide a sense of belonging and purpose. Example; Jim Jones and the People’s Temple attracted those who had been racially discriminated against.
Why Do People Join World Rejecting Movement (Sects) ?
Compensation for deprivation
Glock & Stark: Women are more likely to be deprived (economically reliant on men). Therefore being a member of a sect gives them a role.
Why Do People Join World Rejecting Movement (Sects) ?
Social change
Weber: transformation of society can cause uncertainty and anomie. For example Strong City strived for a sin free life as they felt the modern world was filled with sin.
5 reasons for joining world affirming movements
Women Middle Classes Media Post Modernity Salvation and answers to inadequacies
3 reasons for joining world rejecting movements
Marginality
Compensation for deprivation
Social change
6 reasons for joining world accomodating movments
Women compensation for deprivation Elderly Marx Children Adults
Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Women
Miller & Hoffman: Differential roles explain why women are more likely to go to church, less involved in paid work so have more time. Women are socialised to be more passive and accepting - traits associated with religion.
Greely: More likely to be involved in religion after childbirth as they are interested in protecting their child in anyway.
Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
compensation for deprivation
Glock & Stark: Women are more likely to be deprived i.e. economically dependent on men so are drawn to religion.
Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Elderly
Voas & Crockett: Drawn to religion as a means of socialising They are also becoming more aware of their own mortality.
They may be holding on to tradition as something they recognise in modern society.
Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Children
Gill: Fewer children attending church as parents have less interest in providing spiritual education.
Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Adults
Parsons: adults attend world accommodating religions to cope with trauma. Funerals provide guidelines for how to cope with death. Gives a way to avoid anomie after trauma.
Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Marx
Religion eases the pain of oppression.
Examples when women were not subordinate in religion
in Paganism women were worshipped.
Arguments that religion IS patriarchal (4)
- Christianity: ‘men are born in the glory of God, women are born for the glory of men’
- Prime roles in the Bible are male; Jesus, God, Disciples.
- Until recently women have been banned from serving as priests.
- Purity movement: girls under high pressure to remain ‘pure’ until marriage
Arguments that religion IS NOT patriarchal (3)
Gender neutral language added to many hymns and prayers.
Argued aspects of Islam liberate women such as wearing the hijab.
Quakerism has never oppressed women.
Who argues women are more religious than men
Miller and Hoffman
Greerly
Glock and Stark
Miller and Hoffman
Miller & Hoffman:
Differential Association: Women brought up to be more passive and obedient meaning they have characteristics well suited to religion.
Differential Roles: Women’s roles allow for religion i.e. playgroups held in churches.
Greerly
Greely: Women turn to religion to protect children after childbirth
Glock and Stark
Glock & Stark: Participate in religion to compensate for social (more financially deprived - dependent on men) and ethical deprivation (higher morals than men-morally conservative).
Brierly
Women’s involvement in religion is declining as a result of more pressures from triple shift/dual burden.
evidence of patriarchy in religious organisations
Religious organisations: Male dominated. Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism forbid women priests.
evidence of patriarchy in places of worship
Places of worship: Segregate sexes and marginalise women.
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evidence of patriarchy in sacred texts
Sacred texts: Largely based around males gods & prophets. Usually written and interpreted by men. Stories often reflect anti-women stereotypes i.e. Even caused humanity’s fall from grace.
Sadaawi
Religion is not direct oppression it is the result of patriarchy in society that already exists. The rise of monotheism is legitimising the power of men over women. Men use religion to assert patriarchy.
Woodhead
There are religious forms of feminism. The hijab- to the wearer it may symbolise resistance to oppression. It enables them to enter the public sphere without losing culture and history.
ethnicity and religion:
community
Religion may be more important to immigrants than the indigenous population; deep commitment prior to immigration. Religion can help them keep a sense of identity, a means of holding onto culture.
ethnicity and religion:
ethnic identity
Modood: For many Asian immigrants, their faith is a key part of their sense of identity as an ethnic goup but for Afro-Caribbeans this is not the case.
There appears to be an overall decline in the importance of religion to all ethnic minority groups in the UK.
Few second generation than first generation said religion was of personal importance.
Some second generation respondents spoke of only going to the temple for family celebrations and praying to avoid criticism.
When asked how they saw themselves virtually no second generation Sikhs or Hindus mentioned their religion.
ethnicity and religion:
Johal
Religious pluralism is not close in GB many young muslims feel marginalised. They react by turning even more to their religion.
Johal calls this EMPOWERMENT THROUGH DIFFERENCE.
Asians adopt ‘Asianess’ when at home and around family but ‘Britishness’ when elsewhere.
ethnicity and religion:
Metcalf
1996 survey of Muslims in the UK
Network of links to help set up their own businesses.
Islam gave them confidence to set up businesses.
Insured their children kept in contact with their culture
A means of dealing with prejudice.
ethnicity and religion:
Bird
Pentecostalism played a dual role for Afro-Caribbean people.
