unit 3 - religious membership

Question 1

Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Women

Answer 1

• 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.

Question 2

Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Salvation and Answers to inadequacies:

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Middle Classes:

Answer 3

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)

Question 4

Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Media

Answer 4

Celebrity influence: causes others to join up to religions. i.e. Tom Cruise and scientology

Question 5

Why Do People Join World Affirming Movements (Cults & NAMs) ?
Post Modernity

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

Why Do People Join World Rejecting Movement (Sects) ?

Marginality

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Why Do People Join World Rejecting Movement (Sects) ?

Compensation for deprivation

Answer 7

Glock & Stark: Women are more likely to be deprived (economically reliant on men). Therefore being a member of a sect gives them a role.

Question 8

Why Do People Join World Rejecting Movement (Sects) ?

Social change

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

5 reasons for joining world affirming movements

Answer 9

Women 
Middle Classes
Media
Post Modernity
Salvation and answers to inadequacies

Question 10

3 reasons for joining world rejecting movements

Answer 10

Marginality
Compensation for deprivation
Social change

Question 11

6 reasons for joining world accomodating movments

Answer 11

Women
compensation for deprivation
Elderly 
Marx 
Children
Adults

Question 12

Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Women

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
compensation for deprivation

Answer 13

Glock & Stark: Women are more likely to be deprived i.e. economically dependent on men so are drawn to religion.

Question 14

Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Elderly

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Children

Answer 15

Gill: Fewer children attending church as parents have less interest in providing spiritual education.

Question 16

Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Adults

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Why Do People Join World Accommodating Movements (Churches & Denominations) ?
Marx

Answer 17

Religion eases the pain of oppression.

Question 18

Examples when women were not subordinate in religion

Answer 18

in Paganism women were worshipped.

Question 19

Arguments that religion IS patriarchal (4)

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

Arguments that religion IS NOT patriarchal (3)

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

Who argues women are more religious than men

Answer 21

Miller and Hoffman
Greerly
Glock and Stark

Question 22

Miller and Hoffman

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

Greerly

Answer 23

Greely: Women turn to religion to protect children after childbirth

Question 24

Glock and Stark

Answer 24

Glock & Stark: Participate in religion to compensate for social (more financially deprived - dependent on men) and ethical deprivation (higher morals than men-morally conservative).

Question 25

Brierly

Answer 25

Women’s involvement in religion is declining as a result of more pressures from triple shift/dual burden.

Question 26

evidence of patriarchy in religious organisations

Answer 26

Religious organisations: Male dominated. Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism forbid women priests.

Question 27

evidence of patriarchy in places of worship

Answer 27

Places of worship: Segregate sexes and marginalise women.

.

Question 28

evidence of patriarchy in sacred texts

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

Sadaawi

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

Woodhead

Answer 30

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.

Question 31

ethnicity and religion:

community

Answer 31

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.

Question 32

ethnicity and religion:

ethnic identity

Answer 32

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.

Question 33

ethnicity and religion:

Johal

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

ethnicity and religion:

Metcalf

Answer 34

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.

Question 35

ethnicity and religion:

Bird

Answer 35

Pentecostalism played a dual role for Afro-Caribbean people.