YR2 BELIEFS: secularisation Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

define secularisation

A

the process whereby religious beliefs, practices and institutions lose social significance.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

name 3 major changes in religion in Britain over the last few decades

A
  • less regular Church attendance
  • fewer baptisms
  • fewer Church weddings
  • increase in the average age of Churchgoers
  • increase in atheists
  • greater diversity of religions
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

give 2 statistics regarding secularisation in Britain from the 2011 and 2021 census data.

A
  • just over a third of UK population = non religious
  • 8% more non religious in 2021 than 2011
  • 13% decrease of Christians
  • 1.5% increase of Muslims
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What does Wilson (1996) argue about secularisation?

A

Western societies have been undergoing a long term process of secularisation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What 5 aspects of religion can be used as evidence to prove that Western societies have been undergoing a long term process of secularisation?

A
  • Church attendance
  • Bogus Baptisms
  • Religious affiliation today
  • Religious belief today
    -Religious institutions today
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

give an example of how church attendance can prove that Western societies have been undergoing a long term process of secularisation.

A

-Sunday attendance in the Church of England fell from 1.6m in 1960 to to under 0.8m in 2013

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

give an example of how bogus baptisms can prove that Western societies have been undergoing a long term process of secularisation.

A

there are now more baptisms for other purposes that aren’t religious. such as for parties, as tradition, or so that children can be accepted into (better) religious schools.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

give an example of how religious belief today can prove that Western societies have been undergoing a long term process of secularisation.

A

evidence from 80 years of survey shows that religious belief is declining along with the decline of Church attendance + membership

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

give an example of how religious affiliation today can prove that Western societies have been undergoing a long term process of secularisation.

A
  • number of Muslims increased
  • Church of England members more than halved
  • 1983 - 2014: % of non religious adults rose from around 1/3 to around 1/2
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

give an example of how religious institutions can prove that Western societies have been undergoing a long term process of secularisation.

A

the state has taken over many of the functions that the Church used to perform like education, hospitals. During the 1900s, the number of clergy in the UK fell from 45,000 to 34,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what are the 5 main explanations for secularisation (British) ?

A

1) Rationalism
2) Structural Differentiation
3) Social & Cultural Diversity
4) Religious Diversity
5) Cultural defence + transition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

summarise the rationalism explanation for British secularisation.
WEBER / BRUCE

A

-Medieval Catholic worldview dominated society and saw the world as an ‘enchanted garden’ with spiritual beings active in our world.
-Protestant Reformation brought new views that spiritual beings were outside of our world + not active.
-Thus events couldn’t be explained as the work of spiritual beings and scientific reasoning started to take over
-‘disenchantment’ of the world. allowed science to thrive and dominate as well as technological advances.
-‘technological worldview’ that leaves little room for religious explanations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

summarise the cultural defence and transition explanation for British secularisation. BRUCE

A

cultural defence - religion provides a focal point for the defence of national, ethnic or group identity, in a hostile environment
cultural transition - religion provides support and sense of community for groups when transitioning into a new culture
- religion survives in such situations only because its the focus of group identity. when religion is no longer need to perform these functions, its likely to decline. for example, second generation migrants tend to be less religious than first generation migrants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

summarise the social + cultural diversity explanation for British secularisation. WILSON / BRUCE

A
  • movement from pre industrial to industrial society brings the decline of community = decline of religion.
  • pre industrial communities had shared values and religious rituals that integrated people. as communities become fragmented, religion loses its hold over individuals.
  • large urban communities = diverse in beliefs and values. therefore industrialisation undermines the consensus of religious beliefs
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

summarise the religious diversity explanation for British secularisation. BERGER

A
  • middle ages - catholic church held an absolute monopoly with no competition.
    -everyone lived under one single ‘sacred canopy’ with one set of beliefs shared by all
  • this gave them greater credibility as they were never challenged.
  • Protestant reformation brought a series of Churches and sects.
  • since then the number and variety of different religions has increased, each with a different version of the truth
  • religious diversity means that no religion can now claim an unchallenged monopoly of the truth - people disengage.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

summarise the structural differentiation explanation for British secularisation. PARSONS

A
  • structural differentiation = process of specialisation that occurs with the development of industrial society. separate specialised institutions develop to carry out functions previously done by one single institution
  • religion has become ‘privatised’ to one specific function rather than dictating, educating, treating the sick etc. we have schools, hospitals.
  • led to disengagement with religion. it is now confined to the private sphere of the home / the family. becomes a matter of personal choice
14
Q

Give 3 statistics regarding the levels of religious belief in America 2024

A

3/4 Americans are religious
68% are Christian
22% have no religious belief
7% are a non Christian religion

15
Q

Compare 1 religious statistic of America from the past to now.

A

1960: almost no Americans non religious
2024: 22% Americans = non religious

1973: 87% Christians
2024: 68% Christians

16
Q

compare secularisation of Britain and America. (not the trend)

A

America is still more religious than Britain. US: 22% non religious
UK: 37% non religious

17
Q

Summarise secularisation in America, also mention its comparison to British secularisation

A

America is becoming increasingly secular, just at a slower rate than Britain.

18
Q

What 3 reasons are given to explain why America is going through secularisation DESPITE their being high levels of religiosity there ?

A

1)Misleading Church attendance figures - Hadaway
2)Secularisation from within - Hunter
3)Religious Diversity - Lynd & Lynd

19
Q

Summarise what realisation CAUSED Hadaway to research Church attendance figures

A

-opinion poll research asking people about their Church attendance suggests its been at a stable 40% of the population since 1940
-Hadaway found that this figure didn’t match the Church’s statistics.
-If it was true, the Churches would’ve been full. (They weren’t)

20
Q

How did Hadaway research Church attendance figures?

A

He carried out head counts at Church services in an Ohio county and used his numbers for all of Ohio. Followed head count up with interviews asking people if they attended Church.

21
Q

What did Hadaway find in relation to his research into the Church attendance figures? Conclusion?

A

Claimed level of Church attendance was 83% higher than the estimation. Tendency to exaggerate Church going is a recent development as it is socially desirable to Americans but they no longer commit.

22
Q

Summarise the secularisation from within theory (America) without Hunter’s evidence

A

-the emphasis on traditional Christian beliefs + glorifying God has declined
-religion in America has become more ‘psychologised’ or turned into a form of therapy
-American religion has become more popular by becoming less religious
-purpose has changed from seeking salvation in heaven to seeking personal improvement in this world

23
Q

What did Hunter’s survey find? (Secularisation from within - America)

A

Weaker religious beliefs are shown through Americans’ lifestyle.
Hunter surveyed young Churchgoing Americans on what they thought was morally wrong. In 1951, 91% thought social dancing was wrong, and 77% thought playing cards was wrong. In 1982, 0% thought both were morally wrong.

24
Q

Summarise Lynd and Lynd’s religious diversity explanation for secularisation in America.

A

-growth of religious diversity causes practical relativism and less dogmatic views
- religious diversity causes the erosion of absolutism

25
Q

What is meant by practical relativism? (Religious diversity explanation for secularisation in America)

A

Acceptance of the view that others are entitled to beliefs wildly different to their own

26
Q

What is meant by the erosion of absolutism? (Religious diversity explanation for secularisation in America)

A

We now live in a society where many people hold views different to our own, which undermines our assumption that our own views are absolutely true.

27
Q

What is meant by the erosion of absolutism? (Religious diversity explanation for secularisation in America)

A

We now live in a society where many people hold views different to our own, which undermines our assumption that our own views are absolutely true.

28
Q

What statistics do Lynd & Lynd use to prove that religious diversity is causing secularisation in America?

A

1924: 94% of young Churchgoing Americans agreed that ‘Christianity is the one true religion and all people should be converted to it’.
1977: only 41% agreed with it!

29
Q

What statistics do Lynd & Lynd use to prove that religious diversity is causing secularisation in America?

A

1924: 94% of young Churchgoing Americans agreed that ‘Christianity is the one true religion and all people should be converted to it’.
1977: only 41% agreed with it!

30
Q

Give at least 3 basic criticisms of secularisation theory.

A

-religion isn’t declining, just changing
-not a universal phenomenon
-now more religious choice !
-religion now functions in different ways
-the future isn’t guaranteed to be atheist