Beliefs AO2 Flashcards
(17 cards)
1
Q
Durkheim
A
- Religion is the collective practice of marking off and maintaining distance between the sacred and the profane. This is typically done through rituals
- RELIGION IS - a unified system of beliefs and practices related to sacred things, that is to say things set apart and forbidden
2
Q
Weber
A
- used a substantive definition of religion, seeing it as a belief in a supernatural power that is unable to be scientifically explained. In other words, whether a belief can be considered religious or not depends on the substance of what is believed. Religion requires a belief in God or gods, or other supernatural beliefs.
3
Q
Durkheim - Totemism
A
- saw Totemism as one of the earliest and simplest form of religious practice. It is most commonly found among aboriginal peoples, such as the Australian aborigines, and North West Native American Indians, who have clan based societies.
- used the totemic religion of Australian aborigines to develop his theory of religion.
- each clan had a totem, typically an animal or a plant which was represented by drawings or carvings made on wood or stone and is sacred
- Durkheim believed that by worshipping the totem, clan members are actually worshipping society
4
Q
Malinowski
A
- studied how tribes in the trobian islands used religion
- found that religion was readily used in situations where the outcome is important but uncertain/uncontrollable
- when fishing in relatively calm and safe inland lagoons = no religion used
- when fishing in dangerous and unpredictable waters = religion used
- reasons for religious rituals include - increased sense of control, decreases anxiety, unifies the group
5
Q
Bellah - civil religion
A
- argued that civil religions had become the main type of religions in the 20th century, as mainstream, traditional religions declined. Civil religions effectively performing many of the same functions of ‘traditional religions’, just without the concept of a god or higher power.
6
Q
Marx
A
- describes religion as the ‘opium of the masses’, meaning that it acted like a drug, cushioning the workers from the true misery of being exploited in capitalist society.
- believed religion reflects the social stratification of society and that it maintains inequality and perpetuates the status quo.
7
Q
Armstrong
A
- argued that women were central to many spiritual traditions in early history
- argues that female figures began to be written out of religion with the acceptance of monotheism
8
Q
Woodhead
A
- argues that religion is not necessarily sexist or patriarchal and writes of a religious feminism, e.g. she argues that the veil, in Islamic societies, has been misinterpreted by some western feminists
- religion isn’t always oppressive and there are ways in which women use religion to gain greater freedom and respect
9
Q
Gramsci
A
- believed it could also be useful for building a counter-hegemony, led by organic intellectuals
- religious leaders could take the role of organic intellectuals, building a counter-hegemony, popularising ideas that ran counter to those of the ruling class and helping to build rebellion and protest.
10
Q
deBeauvoir
A
- argued religion is exploiting and oppressing women.
- argued that religious faiths encouraged women to be meek, to put up with inequality, exploitation and suffering and doing so will bring rewards in the afterlife.
- There are several ways in which religion can promote patriarchy:
- religious scripture / teachings
- religious ceremonies and practices
- the structure and power-relations of
religious organisations
11
Q
Weber - Calvinism
A
- Weber identified features of the Calvinist protestant religion which he argued had the unintended consequence of playing a major role in kick-starting capitalism.
- Calvinism was a protestant religious movement from the 16th century. The two features of Calvinism that Weber considered to be especially influential in the development of capitalism
12
Q
Wallis - NRMs
A
- believes NRMs appeal to young people as they can provide some support for identity and status independent so help with the overcoming of status frustration
- believed that they can teach techniques to inspire people to achieve emotionally and materially by unlocking the spiritual power within
13
Q
Stark and Bainbridge
A
- sects result from schisms - split in existing organisations, they break away from churches usually due to disagreements about doctrines.
- cults are a new religion tend to offer this worldly-benefit such as good health to more prosperous individuals who are suffering from normlessness and health issues
14
Q
Davie
A
- Men view God as powerful and in control.
- Women view God as loving, comforting and forgiving.
- There is much evidence to suggest that women are more likely to participate in religion than men as women are closer to life and death than men due to childbirth, and childcare responsibilities
15
Q
Bruce
A
- cultural defence - religion is able to offer support and a sense of cultural identity in an uncertain or hostile environment
- religion can be a basis of community solidarity and a way to preserve language and culture and a way of coping with oppression
16
Q
Heelas
A
- NRM appeal to the more affluent and highly educated who feel something is missing from their lives and seek theses groups to fill that gap as they have the money to pay for the service
17
Q
Baudrillard - globalisation
A
- globalisation and mass media have opened up access to new ideas and beliefs systems from around the world
- refered to as a media saturated society and believes that this has allowed NRMs to grow as the media gives the groups a more public profile and visibility in order to attract members
