Beliefs in Society Flashcards

Question

What is Althusser Marxists theory on religion?

Answer 1

Part of the ideological state apparatus- passed on ideas that capitalism is god given

Answer 2

Feminsts argue that religion acts to continue male, particarchal power not ruining class power

Answer 3

Popes take a conservative view on issues such as abortion,homosexuality these attitudes are causing problems in the third world he also suggests that the considerable wealth of the church could be used more effectively to fight poverty

Answer 4

Religion could be used by the wc to free themselves from capitalists opression workers have a dual consciousness and can see the source and nature of their opression they will create relgiion of their own to combat and criticise this .

Answer 5

Religion didn’t always act as a conservative force supporting the interest of the roiling class religion usually started off amongst the oppressed groups in society as a way of coping

Answer 6

Religion has relative autonomy from the roiling class. Catholic priests began to speak up for the poor- liberation theology -power and land should be redistributed from the rich to the poor therefore it acts as a revolutionary force rather than an opium

Answer 7

In the public sphere of religion where important positions are held men dominate. But in private spheres the socialisation of children into a relgiion within families women are dominant e.g. women aren’t allowed into the Hindu temple if they’re menstruating as it is seen as polluting

Answer 8

Relgiion hasn’t always been patriarchal there was a great mother goddess but with the advent of monotheistic religion(one god) women were out onto the sidelines/marginalised

Answer 9

Religion is an instrument of male domination religion gives women a form of false consciousness which keeps them in their place women are deceived into thinking they are equal to men just as long as they are prepared to wait for heaven- a compensator

Answer 10

Practises such as female circumcision aren’t the result of Islam itself but of misinterpretations of the Quran by men which distort the true beliefs and are used to justify the exploitation of women

Answer 11

Watson argues that religion can be misinterpreted as being patriarchal the veiling of women in Islam is not a sign of oppression but a way of protecting women against the male gaze in patriarchal societies where women can be the victims of sexual harassment however she only interviewed 3 women

Answer 12

Examined the rise in women involved in piety movements in Brazil- Pentecostalism- strict, fundamentalists groups she found that these patriarchal movements gave women a sense of value in their role of housewife and gave them a sense of community and moral certainty in a rapidly changing society.

Answer 13

Argues that western feminists offer an ethnocentric view of religion overall some Muslim women claim that wearing the hijab is liberating freeing them of their objecfiticiation of men

Answer 14

Relgiion provides a plausibility structure for the universe of meaning- a set of ideas and values about the meaning of life which helps people make sense of the world around them Religion is a sacred canopy protecting people from uncertainties therefore contributing to the maintenance of social stability But Berger believes this sacred canopy has been lost

Answer 15

- they tend to see only the positive uniting function of religio- they ignore how religion could be divisive -there are societies that have no widespread single religion which suggests that relgiion isn’t required to legitimate society

Answer 16

Weber believes it is necessary to examine the meanings people give to events and ideas Relgiion provides theodicy - ideas about peoples positions and events that happen to them Looked at Calvinism with its theodicy of strictness and work ethic led to the development of capitalism- religion causes change

Answer 17

- some countries with large Calvinist populations such as Norway didn’t industrialise -Marxists are critical as kautsky argues capitalism predates Calvinism =was it other factors such as slave trade that led to the development of capitalism?

Answer 18

Argue that in rich societies where people feel secure religion has lost its importance and therefore the power to change society whereas in poorer countries where people face life threatening events relgiion is more important

Answer 19

-they don’t look at peoples own definition if exsitiential security -they only see religion as a negative response to deprivation and ignore the positive Nanda argues that religious belief in developing countries hasn’t increased just among the poor

Answer 20

Examines the role of Hinduism in modern India and has found that the religion has increased in popularity since modernisation especially amongst the middle class therefore nanda rejects the idea that poverty or existential insecurity is causing this increase or that it is a defence in response to the modernity of the west Being religious allows the newly wealthy middle class to feel less guiklty about their wealth.

Answer 21

There is an increase in reflexitvity-monitoring of life in order to improve it e.g wanting to become like a celebrity There is no separation between time and space Disembedding where people are concerned with issues not happening in the country e.g. chernobyl Expert systems- people rely on the fact that they have a title ‘expert’ Fundamentalism- giddens argues that people might turn to fundamentalism in the quest for certainty in an uncertain world

Answer 22

Beckford argues that its a good theory as it explain the rise of different relgiigons But its contradictory that religion should increase in a society based on rational thought

Answer 23

Particularism-emphasis on the distinctive characteristics of a particular group Unvieralism- emphasis on similarities between people or societies What happens when particularism meets individualism? : -religion becomes a personal thing(privatisation) -religion can be used to reassert identity (relativised) -religion try to find common ground between each other (liberalisation)

Answer 24

Clash of civilisations- contact with other societies can use relgiion to focus on differences rather than sinmilarities Loss of rational identity due to political, economic changes

Answer 25

Argues that religion is being used politically as a tool therefore religion doesn’t cause conflict but politics do.

Answer 26

Argues that there have been a loss of confidence in metanarratives. Newer religions have become more individualistic

Answer 27

Religion is taking a more form belief without belonging. Religion is there for times of danger but is mostly experienced second hand she calls this vicarious religion but religion is still important

Answer 28

Believes there have been cultural amnesia of religion where children haven’t been socialised into religious doctrine instead individual consumerism has replaced collective tradition- people are spiritual shoppers

Answer 29

Religion has relocated to the sphere of consumption we can pick elements of different faiths to suit our individual needs. Religion is no longer found in churches but in entertainment arenas e.g. Disneyland due to dedifferentiation- the distinction between different features of social life become less clear cut

Answer 30

Bruce argues that the above is evidence of secularisation not evidence of strong religious faith. This consumer led religion is weak it has little effect on people’s lives

Answer 31

Argues that religious revivals result from problems faced by individuals but goes onto argue that postmodernity exists in peoples minds this is the belief that nobody has authority over them and that life is a big shopping experience where people choose what they wish to consume one at a time

Answer 32

It is contradictory for people to reject authority but then seek guidance in religious authority Bauman has failed to examine the continuing importance of relgiion throughout history there has been little change according to Beckford

Answer 33

Sources of identity that aren’t religious or based on civilisation have declined as a consequence religion has filled a gap there has been unsecularisation the present war in Syria’s has attracted Muslim fighters from all over the world to support the rebels against a western president Assad therefore most of the conflict in the world is due to religion not politics

Answer 34

Jackson- argues he’s stereotyping the east as fanatical Casanova- argues that he ignores religious divisions within civilisations for example the sunni and Shi’a Muslims Armstrong- argues that it is the economic policy that is the problem not religion

Answer 35

There is nothing incompatible about the west and the Muslim world she blames political and economic factors behind the increased tensions. The rise of fundamentalism groups has been created by the faliure of modernisation

Answer 36

Argues that because religion has become a private affair rather than a public one religion creates little conflict however sometimes religion can cause conflict if the public/private sphere is stepped over e.g. evolution being taught in USA schools has led to conflict with religious groups e.g. Turkish Muslims who have settled fully into German life

Answer 37

Argued that religion had a social control mechanism- it created a collective conscience

Answer 38

Religion reinforces social solidarity and restricts both deviance and social change because the existing social and moral order is regarded as sacred

Answer 39

Argues that religion acts as a conservative force in a modern multicultural society as it binds people together. Civil religion promotes solidarity by blending faith and patriotism e..g American children pledge allegiance to god and the flag

Answer 40

See religion as meeting the needs of individuals when their sense of social order is distrupted by economic hardship, loneliness, grief. Religion acts as a compensator and is acting as a compensator and contributing to the maintenance of stability and acting as a conservative force

Answer 41

Religion is like an opiate and a product of alienation- loss of control means that people don’t try to change society

Answer 42

Argued that popes take a conservative view on issues such as abolition, contraception and homosexuality. These attitudes are causing problems in the third world he also suggests that the considerable wealth of the church could be used more effectively to help fight poverty

Answer 43

Studied the role of religion amongst black Americans in the 60s he found the greater the religious involvement the less the militancy. However there was some difference between the type of religion followed if the persons religious beliefs were other worldly stressing the powerlessness of humans and the promise of salvation then there was little motivation to change society

Answer 44

Practices such as female circumcision aren’t the result of Islam itself but of misinterpretations of the Quran by men which distort the true beliefs and are used to justify the continued exploitation of women

Answer 45

Religion is an instrument of male domination- religion gives women a form of false consciousness which keeps them in their place. Women are decieved women thinking they are equal to men just as long as they are prepared to wait for heaven

Answer 46

Uses the example of female rabbis/ ordination of female bishops in the Church of England

Answer 47

Religion provides a plausibility structure from the universe of meaning- set of ideas and values about the meaning of life, which helps people make sense of the word around them Religion is a sacred canopy stretching over society providing a shield that protects people from uncertainties therefore contributing to the maintence of social stability

Answer 48

Fundamentalists- so argues it won’t causes chagne

Answer 49

Argues that there has been a loss of confidence in metanarratives

Answer 50

Religion is taking a more private form- belief without belonging religion is there for rites of passage/time of danger but is mostly experienced second hand- she calls this vicarious relgiion therefore it may not have the power to cause change

Answer 51

Religion has become detached from institutions such as the church and competes with other things in the media for attention. E.g Easter Day crusade was held not in a church but in Disneyland

Answer 52

E.g Northern Ireland, Palestine, martin Luther king more recent examples 9/11, invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq

Answer 53

Religious ideas can cause economic change. He argues that religion provides theodicy-ideas about people’s positions and events that happen to them, this can be used to promote or prevent change e.g. the theodicy of disprivilege means that those who experience hardship will be rewarded in the future

Answer 54

Argues Calvinism which developed in 17 th century Western Europe produced a set of ideas and values making up the Protestant ethic: 1. Believed in predestination- the elect- therefore evidence of this was by good work 2. The Protestant ethic promoted values such as thrift, trade and profit and reinvestment rather than spending on luxuries Weber argued that the spirit of capitalism involves a determination to make money-this led to the spirit of Calvinism because his followers worked hard and spent little money how

Answer 55

-some countries with large Calvinist populations such as Norway didn’t industrialise -capitalism came before Calvinism -was it other factors such as the slave trade and colonialism that led to the development of capitalism

Answer 56

Although gramsci did argue that religion was part of ruiling class hegemony he did not believe that the church supporting the ruiling class was inevitable. He argued that religious beliefs could challenge the ruiling class as the church wasn’t directly under ruiling class control- it had relative autonomy religion could be used by the wc to free themselves from capitalist opression

Answer 57

Used the example of early Christmas in the Roman era as an example of how religion can cause change

Answer 58

Fundamentalism can cause social change but remains a conservative force as it wants to revert back to traditional values and practices e.g. Islamic fundamentalist group government in Iran overthrew the monarchy who they believed to be aligned with the west

Answer 59

Argues that there are 4 interrelated factors which may have an effect on the power of relgiion to cause change -the extent of religious belief- strong moral codes may lead to change( e.g. the banning of gay civil partnerships in california) -the significance of religion in a society’s culture-Catholicism in Ireland may be used to justify change -the extent of the social involvement of religion e.g. in Iran religion and the state are linked -the degree of central authority in religious organisations. The pope can prevent/ cause change as the over riding authority

Answer 60

Religion is often seen as a closed system or beleif because they often suggest that they know the truth about the world and don’t tolerate those that criticise that truth they can be very conservative in their beliefs and not with to change

Answer 61

Religion can be seen as an open system of beleif when it is open to change. Herberg suggests that some religions are open to change and have diluted their beliefs systems in order to maintain relevance in modern society. He refers to this process as internal secularisation and uses the acceptance of female bishops into the church of englands as an example

Answer 62

Science is a closed belied system as it runs of paradigms which shape the way that the discipline is defined and understood as well as how research is carried out as this is accepted by the majority it is very hard to change

Answer 63

Popper believes that science is an open system because it is open to challenge and it is built upon the idea of falsification. If a theory is proven wrong is it replaced and the knowledge within the discipline grows

Answer 64

In order to protect themselves from challenge closed systems such as religion have 3 main tendencies : 1.denial of legitimacy- complete rejection of the claims of rivals to convince followers that they alone hold the truth 2.subsidiary explanations-get out clauses to explain away criticisms or to deflect the argument 3.circularity- each idea within the system is explained in terms of another idea within the system

Answer 65

In order to protect themselves from challenge closed systems such as religion have 3 main tendencies : 1.denial of legitimacy- complete rejection of the claims of rivals to convince followers that they alone hold the truth 2.subsidiary explanations-get out clauses to explain away criticisms or to deflect the argument 3.circularity- each idea within the system is explained in terms of another idea within the system

Answer 66

Evan’s-Pritchard Studied the Azande tribe and shows how their beleif system reflects the characteristics of a closed system their belief in witch craft causing misfortune and the proof coming from a benge potion given to chickens seems irrational to outsiders but is indoctrinated into the tribe and no one questions it

Answer 67

A beleif system is the set of stories and realities about the world that a person believes to be true. It includes religious beleifs,moral and what one defines as right or wrong. Ideologies refer to the political,social and economic ideas that help to define a particular group of people

Answer 68

All ideologies including science and religion are a tool of the ruiling class to maintain power and reproduce inequality. They justify the principals of capitalism and prevent the proletariat revolution. Marxists argue that major scientific discoveries are motivated by generating mass profits and only fuels capitalism further.

Answer 69

There are multiple ideologies within society and they reflect the values and world views of the different social groups within that society. There is no dominate ideology but a sharing of power amongst them. This is a contradiction as the pluralism itself is declaring dominance. It also ignores the unequal distribution of power within society

Answer 70

Believe that ideologies such as science and religion have promoted the patriarchy for generations. For example by blocking women from positions of power or tainting them as weak or impure. Oakley argues that a good example of science acting as an ideology in bowlbys study of maternal deprivation she suggests that his idea that children’s development is damaged by working mothers has been used to justify gender inequality in the work place and reinforced the partiatchal idea of women staying at home and men as the breadwinner

Answer 71

Claims that all world views are ideologies and are the product of the theologians and intellectuals that cannot relate to the everyday so their idea reflect their own personal interests He identified two types of world views 1. Ideological thought- justifies tradition and the maintenance of society thus resisting change. This is because those who control the ideology are benefiting from the status quo 2.utopian thought- attempts to promote social change because the current state of the world doesnt benefit those who construct utopian beleif systems He argues that we need to detach ourselves from these world views and create an objective world view that all can relate to these ideas would be created by a free floating intelligentsia

Answer 72

1.science is the pursuit of facts 2.it is objective 3. Studies the impact of cause and effect based on reliable data

Answer 73

Shape the how the discipline is defined and understood by those who work within it and sets out how research should be conducted

Answer 74

Means that for something to be scientific it must be possible that it could be proven false. If a theory stands up to falsification (tested repeated but is not proven wrong) it is a good theory

Answer 75

Communism-scientific knowledge should be shared with the community and not kept secret or private Universalism- all scientists are regarded as equal so it should be there work that is challenged not them personally Disinterestedness- scientists should be committed to truth and publish their findings honestly. There should be no fraud or subjective bias Organised scepticism-all knowledge within science should be challenged and scrutiny should be encouraged

Answer 76

Interpretivists argue that all knowledge is socially constructed because rather than being an objective truth it is the result of the resources available to the social group creating it in the case of science the facts they create are the result of shared paradigms and theories and when new instruments are invented it allows for new observations and the creation of new facts

Answer 77

Woolgar argues that scientists are engaged in the same process of making sense of the world as the rest of us when confronted with evidence they need to determine what it means for example the discovery of pulsars by Cambridge astronomy lab was initially annotated as LG1M1 and LGM2 meaning little green men but as this would be unacceptable to the scientific community they determined it must be an unknown type of star

Answer 78

See scientific knowledge as being far from the truth they see it as serving the interests of particular groups in society therefore any advances in supposedly pure science are in fact driven by capitalism for example the development of the theory of ballistics was driven by the need for new weaponry which could be manufactured and sold

Answer 79

Science is one of a number of meta narratives which try to provide a big picture view of what is true. Lyotard argues that science falsely claims to find the truth about how the world works as a means of progress to a better society where as in reality science is more of a discourse or way of thinking that is used to dominate people he believes that science has become a technoscience simply serving capitalist interests by producing commodities for profit

Answer 80

Theological stage- the stage in which phenomena are explained as arising from the actions of spirits, gods and other supernatural beings for exemplar the changing of the seasons explained by Persephones time in tartarus or on earth Metaphysical stage- the stage in which the supernatural element is diminished and phenomena is explained as arising from the action of the natural, though abstract entities such as nature for example the changing seasons is natures cycle of life Scientific stage- in this stage the previous stages are replaced by rational explanation which are based on evidence derived from observation and experimentation,logic and rational thought Weber refers to this as the disenchantment with the world the loss of the magical and mystical elects of the world

Answer 81

It can be argued that the growth of science has led to a decline in religion however this is not necessarily the case millions of poeple still identify themselves with one of the major religions in the world such as Christianity, Judaism,Islam and Buddhism all manner of religious and supernatural beliefs and superstitions still continue to have a huge impact on human behaviour for esxmaple the mass suicide at the poeple temple in 1978 and the heavens gate cult who beloved that they would be taken to heaven on a spaceship that was hidden behind The Hale bop comet in 1997 many people still hold abstract and unseen forces responsible for life events such as luck,magic,ghosts,tarot, esp and horoscopes

Answer 82

Religion is a vital institution for maintaining social cohesion and solidarity

Answer 83

One of the main purposes of religion is to differentiate between the sacred and the profane (things that are ordinary )

Answer 84

He studied the arunta aboriginal tribe the tribe consists of bands of kin who come together periodically to worship a sacred totem the totem is the clans emblem in the form of an animal or plant to represent the clans origins and identity these rituals reinforce the clans sense of belonging and solidarity

Answer 85

Sacred symbols represent the societies collective conscience. A collective conscience is the shared norms values beliefs and knowledge that make social living possible. Durkheim believed that regular religious rituals reinforce the collective conscience and maintains social intergration reminding people that they share a common moral outlook to which they owe loyalty Religion also helps the individual to feel a part of something bigger than themselves

Answer 86

Durkheim believed that religion was the origin of concepts and categories that we need for reasoning, understanding the world and communication he argues that people need concepts such as time,space,cause,substance and number to make sense of the world and that we need to share these concepts with other in order to communicate effecitvely therefore for Durkheim religion is the origins of human thought,reason and science

Answer 87

Ignores the way in which religion can be a source of social division for example in Northern Ireland between the Protestants and catholics

Answer 88

Religion is doled out to the masses by the rich and powerful in order to keep them confused and in their place. Lenin believed that the ruling class use religion cynically to manipulate the masses and prevent them from overthrowing the ruling class by keeping them in a mystical fog to obscure reality

Answer 89

Religion has both a positive and negative influence on society. In many ways it can act as a conservative force on society and help to maintain social inequality and the status quo but it can also act as a force of social change as it can offer the “principe of hope” to its followers this principal of hope can in extreme circumstances lead to revolution

Answer 90

A radical movement that grew up in South America as a response to the poverty and the ill treatment of ordinary people it was a response to the failure of the Vatican to help its followers with the poverty and exploitation that they faced the priests encouraged people to enforce change upon society even to use violence if necessary in order to over throw the dictators who were oppressing them the movement was successful in Nicaragua however the priests invloved were excommunicated by the Catholic Church for their roles in the Sandinista revolution

Answer 91

Camilo Torres restrepo (3 feb 1929 in Bogotá Colombia-15 feb 1966 in Santander) was a Colombian socialist, Roman Catholic priest, a predecessor of liberation theology and a member of the national liberation army guerrilla organisation during his life he tried to reconcile revolutionary Marxism and Catholicism He helped to organise student potilical protests

Answer 92

Religions maintain the patriarchy by portraying male domination over women also as it was men who determined what was included in the bible they’re able to control the narrative daly concludes that there can’t be equality in religion until there is acceptance the god could be a women E.g. portraying god as a man , restricting access for women to top levels of the church, depicting women in religious texts as bad influences or impure- e.g. eve causing the fall from grace,Delilah taking Sampson’s strength, Magdalene as a prostitute

Answer 93

Organismic deprivation-women are more likely to suffer ill health so will look to sects and cults for healing Ethical deprivation-women tend to be more morally conservative and thus more likely to see the world in moral decline and share the views held by sects and cults Social deprivation-sects and cults tend to attract the poorer groups in society and women are more likely to be in poverty than men

Answer 94

We are continually reevaluating our ideas and theories nothing is fixed or permanent and everything is up to challenge

Answer 95

Means we no longer need face to face contact in order to interact there is a break down of geographical boarders thus making interaction more impersonal

Answer 96

Means the loss of the relgiion that was handed down by generations before instead parents are letting their children choose their own belief systems

Answer 97

It is a diverse one where the people in it believe all kinds of different things and tolerate each others beliefs even when they don’t match their own

Answer 98

Postmodernists believe that traditional religions have been replaced by new age movements with a focus on spirituality and self improvement rather than devotion to a god

Answer 99

1.the nature and extent of religious beleif: if most people in a society hold religious beliefs and these beliefs have a strong moral code which conflicts with some features of the existing society, then religion is likely to lead to criticism of society and attempt to change it 2.the significance of religion in society:if relgiion is a central part of the culture and everyday life of a society then relgiion is more likely to be used as a justification for social change 3.the extent of the social involvement of religion: in societies where religious leaders are close to those in power such as politicians and heads of state the more likely they are to influence social change 4.the degree of central authority in religious organisations: in societies where religious organisations have strong central authority, religion is in a much better position either to promote change or prevent it

Answer 100

-American civil rights movement(MLK used Christian values to unite people -the new Christian right (they wish to return to a system which more closely reflects the values of the bible like no homosexuality ) -millenarian movement (believe the supernatural will destroy this society and create a new one e.g heaven gate cult) -liberation theology

Answer 101

They are large, bureaucratic and closely linked to the state They are conservative, integrate with the social and economic structure of society They are universalist with open membership they tend to be intolerant and hegemonic they make up the ecclesia of a country World accommodating E.g. Church of England,Roman catholics, Islam,Judaism

Answer 102

Medium size They’re bureaucratic but do have some division in authority and more democratic they are generally conservative They are intergrate with the social and economic structure of society they are universalists with open membership they are tolerant of other demoninations World accommodating E.g. Methodists,Sunni Muslims,Orthodox Judaism,Buddhism

Answer 103

Small They are not bureaucratic and hierarchal but are more egalitarian they are radical in nature They’re withdrawal They have closed/controlled membership:they are intolerant of others World rejecting E.g peoples temples,the monies,Jehovah witnesses

Answer 104

Small They have a loose structure They emphasise opportunity and success They expect followers to continue living normal lives They have open membership and are tolerant of other religions May not be religious in nature See their members as customers/consumers E.g. Scientology

Answer 105

Small They tend to be religious in nature Membership is usually young adults Temporary membership- high turnover Led by a charismatic leader Monopoly of truth and isolationist Short lived and transient E.g. heavens gate, Pentecostal movement

Answer 106

Small Emphasis on the self Everything is connected The self is the final authority Global cafeteria Therapy World affirming E.g.astrology,tai chi,crystals,ufo

Answer 107

Barker: religious organisations as escapes from the pressures of work and family life and can offer an alternative family structure Wallis: NRMs can teach techniques that inspire people to achieve emotionally and materially by unlocking spiritual power within Heelas: NRMs appeal to more affluent and highly education who feel that something is missing from their lives they seek these groups to fill that gap and have the money to pay for the services

Answer 108

Globalisation and mass media have opened up access to new ideas and belief systems from around the world this is what baudrillard refers to as a media saturated society he believes that this has allowed NRMS to grow as the media gives the group more of a public profile and visibility in order to attract members

Answer 109

Wilson stated that periods of sudden or rapid social change can create anomie as it undermines or disrupts traditional norms and values and universes of meaning NRMs provide solutions to such periods of uncertainty as they provide new and clearly defined belief systems or a sense of certainty in an uncertain world the rise of NRMs then can be seen as a response to the uncertainties generated by the rapid social change that has occurred since the 1960s

Answer 110

Giddens: traditional religions have watered down their beliefs to fit in a more secular world people look to NRMs to receive comfort and community in NRMs which the big religions no longer offer Bruce: loss of faith in traditional religious leaders who are seen as out of touch NRMs provide a refuge for those seeking spiritual and firm beliefs in a secular society

Answer 111

Weber: argued that groups like world rejecting NRMs are most likely to emerge among marginal. The NRMs appeal by providing a theodicy if disprivllege Stark and bainbridge: world rejecting NRMs provide access to a close knit group of members in a similar position offering a sense of security,clear values and a reward in heaven

Answer 112

Stark and bainbridge argued that the ideas and support derived from NRM membership may help to overcome those suffering a subjective feeling of being deprived or lacking something in comparison to those in the social group with which the individuals identify and compare themselves

Answer 113

Lyotard: there is a loss of faith in meta narratives and what berger referred to as universes of meaning which have created gaps which people look to NRMSs to fill Bauman: with so many conflicting ideologies and beliefs people experience a crisis of meaning and as such form and join NRMs to retain some control and normality Identity formation:traditional forms of identity have become fragmented to people turn to NRMs to help from their identity

Answer 114

Glock and stark argue that NRMs emerge as a form of religious or social protest hence many may appeal to those whose values are at loggerheads with those of the society around them or of other religious groups

Answer 115

Wallis: argues that marginality may cause status frustration Wallis believes NRMs appeal to the young as membership can provide some support for an identity and status independent of school or family and so overcome the sense of status frustration Barker: believes that young people lack the financial and time commitments of mortgage/rent and work/family which give them the time and freedom to get involved if they choose

Answer 116

-problems maintaining commitment -loss of the leader -changing circumstances -religious diversity/postmodernism

Answer 117

Barker: people are unable to cope with the strict discipline and rules imposed on members the heavy and often extreme commitment required is difficult to maintain so people leave Niebur: the enthusiastic fervour is hard to maintain after the first generation this leads to wither the death of the sect or it will adapt and become less of a protest movement and more tolerate of mainstream society what Becker referred to this process as a sect cooling down and becoming more like a denomination

Answer 118

Leaders of sects tend to be very charismatic which is what attracted people to the sect in the first place without that leader the group may collapse without a central figure to hold on to Loss of a leader may be due to death or imprisonment

Answer 119

Not all groups disband after the loss of their leader some become more fanatical especially when the leader is imprisoned FLDS has continued since the arrest for warren jeffs charles Mansons family continued to support and follow his lead after his arrest and their own

Answer 120

The social circumstance and personal reasons that originally led to someone to join a cult may change or disappear over a period of time making membership to the cult redundant second generation members may not have felt the initial reason for joining the sect so are more likely to leave Baker: suggests that as younger people get older their reasons for joining the sect wane and they wish for a more normal life this then leads to either the sect disbanding or changing to become more of a denomination

Answer 121

Postmodernists believe that the modern world is characterised by a fragmentation of beleif and that the wide variety of religious and spiritual systems to choose from this allows people to experiment without making a long term commitment e.g. spritual shopping The greater tolerance of beliefs also means that sects have a short shelf life due to changing fashions and consumer tastes

Answer 122

Many sects have existed for a long time and retain their features as a sect Not all sects have a charismatic leader Many sects are successful in socialising the next generation into the sects beliefs and practices as well as converting more followers Sects have strict behaviour codes and expel anyone who doesn’t conform allowing them to maintain these standards over time

Answer 123

Jehovah’s Witness: developed in the 1880s and is still going strong today. Started by Charles Taze Russell but has had a number of different leaders since then Amish: developed from a break within the Swiss anabaptist in 1693, those that followed Jakob Ammann became the Amish

Answer 124

Wilson-conversionist sects are most likely to turn into a denomination These sects are less hostile to the wider world and believe that the best way to save the world is to convert people and spread their message If successful and win a lot of support the group could develop into a denomination whilst maintaining the characteristics from when it was a smaller sect e.g Salvation Army

Answer 125

Introvertist groups are able to continue as they believe that salvation is only achievable through isolation and not trying to convert people this is why they don’t survive in denominational forms Advent/revolutionary sects these groups hold doomsday views and believe that only a selected group will be saved they are unlikely to become denominations as they do not compromise on their views,values or exclusivity of membership

Answer 126

1.religious scriptures 2.being barred from the priesthood 3.stained glass Ceiling 4.patriarchal religious doctrines 5.veiling of women 6.the portrayal of women as sexual predators and corruptors 7.women have fewer rights than men

Answer 127

In most religious scriptures women are subordinate or invisible to men De Beauvoir 1953-scriptures suggests man is master by divine right

Answer 128

Women are excluded form the priesthood in all major religions including Catholicism,Judaism,Islam,Hinduism and Sikhism

Answer 129

Women face the same obstacle to career progression in the church as they face in other organisations

Answer 130

In most religions the ideology emphasizes subordination of women and their role as wives and mothers e.g. Virgin Mary

Answer 131

Aldridge believes that this practice within Islam is a way of keeping women invisible and anonymous

Answer 132

Sex for reproduction only and women are out to seduce men to diver them from the religious duties periods are seen as something dirty e.g. jezebel and eve

Answer 133

In some Islamic sects men can have multiple wives but a women can’t have multiple husbands Catholicism bans contraception,abolition and divorce

Answer 134

Female goddesses were worshipped equally with male gods in Ancient Greece,Rome and Egypt

Answer 135

Female bishops from 2015 quakes, unitarians and baha’is are more gender equal- Aldridge

Answer 136

Ahmed 1992, Watson 1994 and woodhead suggest veils are freeing woemn of male gaze and sexual harassment

Answer 137

-women are more religious than men-brierley 2005 -women are more likely to identify as religious-BSAS 2012 -in all major religions except Sikhism woemn are more likely to practice religion-Ferguson and hussey 2010 -woemn have a greater interest and stronger commitment to their religion- miller and Hoffman 1995

Answer 138

1.gender role socialisation 2. Greater life expectancy 3.social deprivation and marginality 4.status frustration 5.new religious movements

Answer 139

Walter and davie suggested women feel closer to god due to their involvement in the creation of life Miller and Hoffman-suggest women are more religious because they are socialised into traits such as empathy and submissiveness

Answer 140

Women in general live longer than men this means they are more likely to be widowed and living on their own as they get older this can lead to greater religiosity as religion can be a source of support and comfort and means of building a support network

Answer 141

Women are more likely than men to face social deprivation and marginality and may experience more disillusionment and alienation from wider society these circumstances means that women may look in the religion for support and solace in particular gorups which offer theodicies explaingin their feelings and as well as solutions and support

Answer 142

Status frustration can be experienced by women who lack personal fulfilment or status as a result of being confined to the home or in lower middle class jobs religious participation may help to overcome or compensate for this

Answer 143

NRM-woemn are more likely to be mems of NRMs for three reasons : -organismic deprivation:women are more likely to suffer ill health so will look to sects and cults for healing -ethical deprivation :women tend to be more morally conservative and thus more likely to see the world in moral decline and share the views held by sects and cults -social deprivation :sects and cults tend to attract the poorer groups in society and women are more likely to be in poverty than men

Answer 144

Changes in the role of women have changed the way they engage with religion she identifies types of women with regards to religious participation : Home centred- women who stay at home rather than work these women are more likely to engage in traditional religions as they subscribe to conservative values and they may also require the support that the churches offer because they lack status Work centred- woemn who work in demanding jobs are more likely to be secular because they don’t have time for religious activities and can’t relate to the way women are portrayed. By those religions Jugglers- women who balance work and family life still eek some sort of spiritual experience of guidance these woemn are more likely to be involved in NAM which are more individualistic and require less commitment

Answer 145

Feminism-feminist movements has led to women questioning the role of woemn in society as well as in religious organisations Changing role of woemn- with women taking on paid work it is taking the place of religion as focus for woemn as well as limiting the time they have for religious activities Changing family relationships- contemporary society has growing diversity in family structures and role including changes in living arrangements which are often disapproved of by traditional churches

Answer 146

Refers to the extent to which someone sees themselves as religious

Answer 147

Afro Caribbean-the main religion among Afro Caribbean groups is Christianity and Afro caribbeans made up 17% of those attending church on the average Sunday in 2007 Their Christianity had developed mainly in the Pentecostal and charismatic tradition and found that British churches were boring so they established their own churches Asian groups- main religions of Asians tend to be non Christian and include Islam,Sikhism and Hinduism this has meant that this ethnic minority has had to establish its own temples,mosques and places of worship in contemporary Britain Growing up in contemporary Britain has also led to difficulty for these religions to maintain traditional values such as the Hindu caste system with young people as they have grown up in a society of equal opportunities

Answer 148

Ethnic minorities tend to be more religious than the ethnic minority in the uk and religious affiliation forms a big part of their ethnic identity Brierley 2013-black people are twice as likely to attend church as white people Muslims,Hindus and black Christian’s are more likely yo see religion as important and attend weekly at their place of worship Modood-there is less religiosity amongst second generation ethnic groups

Answer 149

-cultrual defence -cultrual transition -social deprivation and marginality -social identity

Answer 150

Bruce-religion can offer support and a sense of cultrual identity in uncertain or hostile environments Bird- religion can be a basis for community solidarity a means of preserving one’s culture, language and a way of coping with a oppression in a racist society

Answer 151

Herberg-religion can be a means of easing the transition into a new culture by providing support and a sense of community in the new environment Pryce- Pentecostalism is a highly adaptive relgiion which provided migrants with values that were appropriate to their new world in a format that they could understand

Answer 152

A sense of dissatisfaction with a lack of status in society may account for higher religiosity amongst ethnic minorities as many ethnic minority groups are amongst the poorest in the uk some older Asian woemn may turn to relgiion as a source of support as they are marganilased from the mainstream due to a poor grasp of English relgiion may also provide a source of identity ans status that is lacking from the mainstream

Answer 153

Religion can help to provide many markers of identity for ethnic minorities such as dress,food and customs as well as ritual and festivals they celebrate this can help members to resist the denial of their status and the devaluing of their culture through racism Jacobson-British born Pakistanis in the east end of London identified as Muslim rather than Asian or Pakistani first as this provided them with the stability,security and certainty when they face a lot of uncertainty in other aspects of their lives

Answer 154

-the only group to show a recent rise in church attendance is the over 65 age group -since 1980 the number of under 15s attending church regularly has halved -by 2025 it is projected that only 2.5% of regular church goers will be between 15 and 19 years old -half of uk churches have none under the age of 20 in their congregation

Answer 155

The aging effect-as people come closer to the end of their lives their interest in spirituality and what comes next increases this can lead to greater religiosity as people look for answers about the after life and forgiveness for past sins this may also explain why more elderly women attend church then men as they live longer Generational effect-the current elderly gneration may be more religious due to their upbringing which was less secure then that experienced by todays youth due to war and massive social change Norris and inglehart call this an existential security theory

Answer 156

Arweck and beckford argue it is increasingly unlikely that parents will pass on their religious beliefs to their children VOAs- suggests that this could be due to the growth of inter faith marriages Sunday schools which were once quite prevalent are now quite rare meaning that churches are unable to recruit from them This links with hervieu-legers idea of cultrual amnesia

Answer 157

Brierley- 87% of 10-14 year olds in 2015 felt that church was boring and that they couldn’t relate to the rituals and traditional teachings so they avoided attending

Answer 158

Collins-mayo- religion has become more of a personal choice in postmodern society therefore the young don’t feel pressured to obligated to affiliate themselves with a particular church of relgiion and choose to spend their weekends and free time on leisure activists and hobbies

Answer 159

Traditional Marxists suggest that religiosity and religious participation is more prominent in the most deprived of society for those people religion provides a means of coping with the deprivation and oppression whereas the ruling class use religion as a means of justifying their authority and ideology however there isn’t much in the way of reliable data on social class and religiosity due to the complex nature of social class

Answer 160

The upper and middle classes tend to be over represented in churches in 2015 a yougov survey found that over 60% of those that regularly attended church considered themselves middle class and only 38% considered themselves working class Farthing- found that church attendance tends to be more of a middle class activity with the upper classes were more fringe or occasional church goers and the manual working class were the least likely to be regular attendees

Answer 161

Sects appear to gain the majority of their support from amongst the most deprived and marganalised groups in society Cults tend to attract their membership from a cross section of society including deprived and marganlised groups however Bruce and Heelas suggest that new age cults and world affirming NRMs have more appeal to the more affluent in society due to the consumer nature of the group Heelas suggests that new age movements are more attractive to middle class movements who can afford it

Answer 162

Secularisation is the process whereby religious thinking,practice and institutions lose social significance

Answer 163

As was seen earlier there is very little consensus on what is meant by the term religion and being religious (inclusivist vs exclusivists)

Answer 164

Due to the problems with defining the terms it is difficult to determine the validity of any research that is conducted Historical documents are sparse making it difficult to find trends Results are open to interpretation- high participation doesn’t mean high belief martin 1969 Victorian society required church attendance for respectability

Answer 165

Historical documents regarding religiosity may not meet contemporary standards of reliability there are too many variables in terms of the wording of the questions if the questions are available etc. social desirability is a huge factor in the study of religion census-what is your religion (68% have a religion)/ BHA are you religious (29% said yes)

Answer 166

Can results that are obtained on relgiion be generalised to the rest of the population

Answer 167

Disappearance thesis- modernity has brought on the death of relgiion. Religion as a whole has lost significance for both the individual and society and this decline will continue until relgiion disappears Differentiation thesis-religion is in social decline but not individual decline religion no longer plays an important role in the day to day running of society but individual beleif is still strong

Answer 168

Old fashioned-the rituals and traditions of the main religions are seen as out of touch with the modern world Loss of status-religious leaders have lost status in society particularly in the wake of sex abuse scandals Loss of functions-many of the functions carried out by the church like welfare,health care and education have been taken over by the welfare state Challenges from sects,cults- links to TRs being old fashioned in that people are looking for teachings that fit more with the modern thinking Changing leisure patterns-fragmented and consumers based lifestyles have meant that Sundays are no longer a day of rest/rellgion Growth of science- Comte and Weber saw rationalisation of the modern world by sciences displacing the religious understanding the world Decline of meta narratives- people are abandoning what were once taken for granted beliefs and facts and are shopping around for beleif systems that match their own values Religious pluralism-due to globalisation countries like the uk have become multi faith meaning that no one relgiion commands the respect of the whole nation

Answer 169

Loss of the ability to experience a sense of sacredness or the mystery of life caused by the growth of scientific knowledge and application of technology Bruce 2002

Answer 170

Religious belief is now in the most part the last resort once science and technology have failed e.g. cancer

Answer 171

Traditional chruch based views of things such as divorce,abortion,cohabition,sex outside of marriage and homosexuality impact little on peoples behaviour

Answer 172

Postmodernists like lyotard and Bauman argue that meta narratives like religion have lost their influence as people are more likely to control their own identities in a liquid,pick n mix world People now have more choice to create do it yourself identities and enter the spiritual supermarket when it comes to their beliefs

Answer 173

2001 census: highlights evidence to support that many people who claim they are religious really know little about their religion :72% of showed they knew little about the life of Jesus or the meaning of events such as Easter and Christmas

Answer 174

Religious diversity creates a crisis of credibility with so many views available religious beliefs become relative rather than absolute

Answer 175

Declining membership-in the uk decline can be seen in all major Christian denominations Declining attendance-in 2007 2%of the population attended religious ceremonies on Sundays compared with 40% in 1851 there is also declining attendance at Christmas and Easter Decline in marriage and baptism- fewer than 1/2 of all marriages in the uk involve a religious ceremony less than 1/4 of babies are now baptised compared to 2/3 in 1950 Decline in Sunday schools-100 years ago half of children attended Sunday schools if current trends continue Sunday schools will become extinct

Answer 176

Despite the growing numbers of NAM and NRMs membership is still very small also the growth of new NRMS/NAMs is insignificant to the number of religious movements that are collapsing

Answer 177

Many church buildings are dilapidated and being left to crumble today even though in medieval times even the poor donated to the upkeep of grand,ornate churches The church has lost many of its power to other institutions- structural differentiation Religious institutions command declining respect for major festivals such as Christmas and Easter which are fast becoming money making empty festivals The church has little influence over social policies e.g. civil partnerships are legal now despite opposition from some religions People look toward new knowledge systems and ways of viewing the world-particularly with the advent of the internet within the globalised world

Answer 178

The ecumenical movement might be interpreted as a sign of weakness within religious organisations

Answer 179

Herberg suggests that religions are going against their traditions and regulations themselves and as such are showing weakness he points out the ordination of women as evidence of this and also the downplaying of miracles and the literal interpretations of scripture, the acceptance of homosexuality as evidence of this

Answer 180

Heelas argues that the world is going through a spiritual revolution people are getting more invloved in new age holistic milieu-mind body spirituality People are rediscovering religion in personalised forms pick n mixing their religious and spritrual self and tailoring their religious identities as there is more choice in modern society

Answer 181

Evangelicalists believe that the bible is the literal word of god and should be followed strictly Followers believe in sin,possessions,the second coming of Christ,faith healing and miracles. Evangelical Christianity can’t be accused of being watered down and is an examples of strong, traditional beliefs being present in the world Strong,traditional beliefs are also present with Hinduism,Sikhism and Islam

Answer 182

Religion is so ingrained with many societies that it actually acts as the foundation for those societies and therefore will always be important Even events that occur within the world that seem completely unrelated to religion often really care

Answer 183

Believing in god doesn’t necessarily mean attending a religious institution or service people can express their beliefs and worship at home in a privatised manner-helped by tv,radio and the internet also church attendance may have been higher in the past because there was a social pressure to attend if you wanted respectability that social pressure is no longer there

Answer 184

Although membership to come faiths are declining it is important to note that some groups such as the Mormons and jehovahs witnesses and religions such as Islam,Sikhism and Hinduism are actuallly increasing in membership Some researchers might be accused of ethnocentricity by focusing only on traditional western Christian religions it is also worth noting that many people still attend religious institutions for events such as marriage,baptism and funeral

Answer 185

Although some see the sheer number of sects,cults and denominations (religious pluralism) out there as religion losing its meaning,warner argues that market competition actually makes these institutions stronger and more powerful

Answer 186

Crockett-1851 40% of adults regularly attended church Wilson-1960s only 10-15% of adults attended church regularly Church weddings,baptism and Sunday school attendance has also declined Great diversity in beleif including non Christian beleif

Answer 187

The trend in attendance to church services has continued to decline. CoE in 1960 had 1.6 million regular attendees in 2013 that had dropped to 0.8 million However smaller denominations are seeing less of a decline Bogus baptism-to attend a faith school

Answer 188

British social attitudes survey showed that between 1983 and 2014 the number of adults with no religious affiliation rose from 1/3 to about half there was slight increase in catholics due to migration from Eastern Europe and Christian denominations have stayed static since 1983

Answer 189

He points out that in the Middle Ages the church was central to society with enormous wealth and power church leaders excercised real power over secular matters such as education,law making,social welfare and politics However in modern society religious institutions have become more marganlised as they have lost this power many people today can live their lives completely untouched by religious institutions

Answer 190

Religious beleif has become privatised but this doesn’t mean that there has been a decline in person religious beleif Davie suggests that the nature of religious activity has changed and people are believing without having to belong to a congregation she refers to this a vicarious religion

Answer 191

Developed the idea that people could be religious without having to attend a place of worship the growth of the internet has changed the way that people can interact with the religious community and religious beleif has become disembedded Hellend suggests two ways that the internet has changed religious practices 1.religion online-when religious movement use the internet to communicate their message to followers 2.online relgiion- where like minded people interact in forums and discuss their beliefs in an unstructured format

Answer 192

Wilson found that 42% of Americans attended church on Sundays,however he argued that church going in America was more of an expression of the American way rather than religious beleif Wilson argued that America had become a secular society not because people had abandoned churches but because religion had become superficial

Answer 193

He found that Wilson’s figure of 40% didn’t add up as if 40% of the population went to church on Sunday all the churches would be full and that wasn’t the case his study found that the level of attendance to church was 83% higher than the head counts they conducted suggesting there is an exaggeration in church attendance when asked

Answer 194

He suggested that American religion has adapted to modern society by moving from tradition beleif and glorification of god to a more psychological or therapeutic beleif system this has allowed religion to remain popular in a more secular society religion has moved from seeking salvation to self improvement

Answer 195

Bruce has identified a trend towards practical relativism among American Christian’s which involves the acceptance of differing views this is shown in lynd and lynd study from 1929 which found that 94% of young Christian’s agreed with the statements that Christianity is the one true religion and all people should convert to it compared to only 41% in 1977

Answer 196

Stark and bainbridge argue that secularisation theorists try to fool people into believing that there was a golden age of religion in the past and this has since declined instead they believe that religious beleif flows through cycles in which temporary periods of secularisation are followed by periods of religious revival which occur due to the creation of new religions and NAMs.

Answer 197

According to stark and bainbridge there are 2 assumptions about human nature and the way people engage with religion 1.people. Are naturally religious-there will always be a demand for some form of religion 2.all humans want big rewards for the smallest cost-humans make rational decisions about what benefits them the most They believe that by believing in religion has a small cost with barely any risk and promises great reward

Answer 198

Fundamentalism appeal to tradition-they seek return to the basis or fundamentals of their faith

Answer 199

-Western fundamentalism -third world fundamentalism -secular fundamentalism

Answer 200

Fundamentalism develops as a reaction to changes within society, especially the trend towards diversity and secular choices. Bruce uses the example of the New Christian Right in the USA which has developed as a response to family diversity, sexual permissiveness, gender equality, secular education and the privatisation of religion. They aim to restore religion to a public role where they can shape laws and morals.

Answer 201

Fundamentalism as a reaction to change being thrust upon a society from outside. If is often triggered by Westernisation imposed by foreign capital or local elites supported by the West. Here fundamentalism is a reaction to the states attempts to privatise religion. Bruce uses the Islamic Revolution in Iran as an example of this.

Answer 202

Davie First Phase (18c - 1960's) Enlightenment philosophy held optimistic secular belief in progress based on science and reason. Second Phase (1970's +) Enlightenment has come under attack due to growing pessimism and uncertainty caused by globalisation and environmental issues. This has led to a rise in nationalism and anti-religious sentiment.

Answer 203

Literalism-a literal interpretation of religious text Them and us mentality-separateness from the rest of the world they are right everyone else is wrong Agresssive action-they like to draw attend to their perceived threat to their beliefs through aggressive action as directed by elders Modern technology-although the groups are against modern society they tend to use modern technology to achieve their aims Patriarchy Prophecy Conspiracy

Answer 204

Globalisation which undermines traditional social norms concerning the nuclear family,sexuality,abortion etc cosmopolitanism refers to a way of thinking that embraces modernity, is open to alternative views and modifies beliefs based on new ideas

Answer 205

Monotheism and fundamentalism- fundamentalism is a unique feature of monotheic religions due to the fact that they have a single text from which gods will is given whereas polythetic religions such as Hinduism are lack a single authority and are sometimes considered more a collection of religions

Answer 206

Postmodertnity- too much choice can cause uncertainty and heightened awareness of risk in this situation some will embrace the freedom whilst others are attracted to fundamentalism

Answer 207

Responses to fundamentalism: Resistance identity-a defensive reaction of those that feel threatened and retreat to fundamentalism Project identity-response of the forward thinking who engage with social movements such as environmentalism and feminism

Answer 208

-ignore hybrid movements -fixate on fundamentalism and ignore the impact of globalisation on religions such as catholicism -Giddens ignores differences between fundamentalists groups -Giddens doesn’t consider a return to tradition as a reflexive rather than defensive action

Answer 209

Islamic fundamentlaism isnt always a reaction against globalisation but a reaction to local elites failing to deliver on promises to improve the standard of living

Answer 210

Nation states are less significant as a source of identity creating a gap that religion has filled. Globalisation has also increased contact between civilisation which can cause conflict leading to a them v us mentality Religious differences are hard to resolve than political ones due to them being deeply rotted in history and culture Huntington believes that the rise in Islamic fundamentalism is a reaction to western civilisation 7 civilisations: -western,Islamic,Japanese,Slavic orthodox,Hindu,Confucian,Latin American

Answer 211

Orientalism: western ideology stereotyping eastern people and religions as trustworthy in order to justify human rights abuses

Answer 212

From 1945-1989 Poland was under communist rule imposed from outside by the Soviet Union during this time the Catholic Church was suppressed but for many poles it continued to embody polish national identity the church served as a popular rallying point against the communist regime and the polish communsit party in fact the church lent active support to solidarity and did much to bring about the fall of the communist regime in the 1980s

Answer 213

Western Powers and Big Oil companies have long held influence in tran including the overthrowing of democratic government in the 1950's in orer to estabish a pro-west regime headed by the Shah of Iran. During the 1960's and 1970's his successor embarked on a poicy of modernisation and westernisation. This included banning veil and replacing the Muslim calendar. Change was rapidly imposed from above which caused great suffering which led to Isom oecoming te rocus for resistonce under the leadership of the Ayatollah Khomeini. The revolution of 1979 brought about the creation of the Islamic Republic in which clerics held state power and were able to impose Islamic Sharia Law.

Answer 214

Globalsation has led to rapid economia growth in india, it has also led to a rising prosperity and a new middle class developing Nanda examines the role that Hinduism played in this growth and the development of ultra Hinduism in the growing middle class. Nando claims that the surge in populority of Hinduism is due to the role of tek-Gurus which has changed the way that Hindu's value Prosperity and wealth. Generally Hinduism denounces wealth as a sin, however contemporary Guru's view wealth in a progressive way suggesting it is a sign of divine favour. This encourages young people to purse the opportunities available to them without the guilt imposed by traditional Hinduism. This has led to an economic growth simiar to that of Calvinism. Nanda suggests that Hindus believe that it is their Hindu values that have led to the economic growth and prosperity. As a result Hinduism is creating a sense of ultra nationalism by generating a worship of the Indian culture rather than a focus on the gods Parallels could be drawn between this an Bellah's Civil reigion.

Answer 215

The rapid spread of Pentecostalism across South America has had a similar impact to Calvinism in Europe. Berger suggests that Pentecostalsm has become a strong rival to Catholicism as it out of poverty rather than waiting for salvation in the after ife. This in turn simulates the economy by inspiting followers to adopt a dedicated work ethic

Answer 216

1 in 5 Christian’s according to the 2011 census

Answer 217

Found that older people are losing faith in god as they age. His study tracked over 300 ppl over 65 of pensioners over 20 years. The proportion that felt that religion was important to them fell from almost 3-quarters to less than half. Involvement in organised religion also declined. The reason given was a general questioning of authority in society and a disappointment with both churches and the clergy

Answer 218

Argues that those involved in new age were Middle Ages or older

Answer 219

Arguing that its Middle Ages,middle class women in caring professions that dominate the new age They may be seeking self improvement and have the money available to be involves in activists such crystal healing and yoga

Answer 220

Older people may not be more religious-they may turn to religion for social reasons many older people live alone as their partners and friends die they may turn to religion as it can offer support and companionship for older people

Answer 221

Believes there has been cultural amnesia of religion where children have failed to have been. Socialised in religious doctrine. Instead individual consumerism has replaced collective tradition therefore the young are less religious

Answer 222

Religion is a closed belief system religious belief systems can’t be challenged and doesn’t change

Answer 223

Religion is an ideology its the way the ruling classes gain control over wc by promising them a paradise if they are obedient

Answer 224

Tell women to be obedient and only then they’ll go to heaven Religion claims a monopoly of truth they claim that they are correct and everybody else is wrong

Answer 225

Functional definitions define it in terms of the social or psychological functions it performs for individuals or society such as answering the ultimate question

Answer 226

Focuses on the content or substance of religious belief such as belief in god or the supernatural

Answer 227

A set of beliefs or principles that help people make sense of the world

Answer 228

As distorted and in the interest of the upper class Believe there is a ruiling class ideology

Answer 229

Argues that religion and science are all part of the ideological state apparatus -justifying and legitimising capitalism

Answer 230

Argues that ruiling class hegemony is maintained through institutions such as religion Argues worker have a dual consciousness a mixture of ruiling class ideas and ideas they develop from their own experience of exploitation Therefore they might develop alternative practices e.g. sects, fundamentalism

Answer 231

There are 2 broad types of beleif systems Those who have ideological thought- ppl who benefit from society and therefore seek to keep things as they are, this is the dominant type of ideology Utopian thought- those who want to change society

Answer 232

Ideologies support a partiarchal society, religion argues that men are superior to women

Answer 233

Believe there are many types of social groups each with their own ideology

Answer 234

There’s been a decline of meta narratives (theories that seek to explain all aspects of society and existence) such as Christianity or Marxism People are picking and choosing which narrative they use this can change according to which suits them better

Answer 235

Postmodernism is value laden and a form of ideology-which supports capitalism-consumer culture as choice

Answer 236

Political ideologies are sets of ideas offering an interpretation of the world- they are usuallly aimed at protecting the interests of particular social groups Religion offers a vision of the world but unlike ideologies religious beliefs aren’t tied to a specific social groups Ideologies tend to concentrate in this worldly matters whereas religion tends to concentrate on other worlds such as heaven or hell

Answer 237

Describes ideologies as secular religions as both beleif systems and ideologies contain a view of the world and a moral code

Answer 238

Popper thought ideology was rigid and inflexible used to oppress people he states that ideologies claim a monopoly on the truth and are intolerant of any other Popper climaxed that scientific research sets out to falsify theories and provides evidence

Answer 239

The values, beliefs, career aspirations and funding all impact on what is researched in science Not value free

Answer 240

Postmernists argue that as forms of identity decline such as class,ethnicity and gender political ideologies are less important there’s less participation in unions and political parties Popper argues that due to failure of political ideologies such as communism people have turned to other beleif systems

Answer 241

Since the creation of scientific knowledge it has been argued that there is an objective truth that transcends all culture- specific knowledge

Answer 242

1.knowledge must be based on empirical evidence which must be observable 2.scientists must remain objective at al times 3.scientifc thinking should be rational and logical 4. Scientists observations and theories must be testable This forms the basis of positivists (rationalists) view of scientific enquiry

Answer 243

Argue science allows us to discover real knowledge of the world it allows us to explain predict and control the world in a way that non scientific beleif systems can’t do

Answer 244

An open beleif system- its theories can be tested and falsified therefore scientific knowledge is cumulative

Answer 245

Merton argues that science as an institution needs and ethos that make scientists act in ways that serve the goal of increasing scientific knowledge

Answer 246

1.commuism- knowledge should be shared by the scientific community 2.universlaism- the truth of falsity of scientific knowledge is judged by universal objective criteria 3.disinteredness- being committed to discovering knowledge for its own sake 4.organised scepticism- every idea is open to questioning this is compared to closed beleif systems- religious beleif systems can’t be challenged

Answer 247

Argue that all knowledge including scientific knowledge is socially contracted- ethnomethodologist

Answer 248

Scientists make sense of the world around them in the same manner as everyone else

Answer 249

See science as just one of many beliefs and science shouldn’t be given a special status e.g. gould argues that science and religion are two separate realms or non overlapping magisterial He maintains that science provides certain knowledge about the world whereas moral guidance is the job of religion science can’t tell us how to live our lives

Answer 250

Disagrees insisting that the objective nature of science sets it above all other forms of knowledge

Answer 251

Point out that science is based on fact whereas beliefs rely on faith they argue that arguments for the existence of god are illogical

Answer 252

(Post modernists) argue there are different beliefs and science is just one of them Scientists are humans and have their own views and feelings therefore can’t be objective

Answer 253

Argues that science is far less objective that scientists claim it is he studies scientists experimenting on lab rats and concluded that scientists were more influenced by their existing theories than they should’ve been

Answer 254

Argues that scientists are human and have their own views and feelings therefore can’t be objective Sciencitsts work within a paradigm only when evidence overwhelmingly suggests it is incorrect will it be dismissed and replaced with an alternative paradigm j

Answer 255

Argues that the theories scientists produce are a product of their social context for example the theory of natural selection and survival of the fittest was an adaptations of Darwin’s theory he proposed a far more collaborative approach between species but this was a little too much like communism and not capitalism so this part of Darwin’s theory was ignored

Answer 256

Popper argues that good science is objective an open system adn should attempt to be falsified if this proved difficult then the theory is likely to be true

Answer 257

science has been linked to powerful social forces especially those represented by industry and technology

Answer 258

Science is an ideology used to dominate other groups therefore science can be seen as a form of ideology it has become techno science serving capitalism by producing commodities for profit

Answer 259

Argue that in todays society there’s a number of competing belief systems

Answer 260

Looks at science in late modern society- he argues that people have serious doubts about science because of the constant changing of scientific theory many people find this uncertainty unsettling

Answer 261

Argues late modern society is characterised by uncertainty and risk which is magnified by the process of globalisation many risks are associated with science e.g. GM food He argues that as we know more through tech advances we control less we become more fearful and looking inward to try reduce the risk to ourselves personally

Answer 262

Science: -open belief system -cumulative-builds upon existing knowledge -based on observation -data collection is reliable -objective/ value free Religion: -closed belief system -knowledge is set -concerned with metaphysical -based on faith

Answer 263

Pluralists- argues that in todays society there are a number of competing beleif systems Gould- argues there 2 separate realism and can’t be overlapping science provides knowledge religion guidance Hefner- emergence of modern societies undermines the plausibility of religion as rational bus science doesn’t replace religion

Answer 264

Dawkins-supernatural gods are a delusion promotes the idea of evolution rather than intelligent design Popper-science is falsifiable religion isn’t Bainbridge- questions whether there can be such a close relationship as religion is human centred whereas science doesn’t place humans on top

Answer 265

There’s been a decline in membership of political ideologies such as conservatism, nationalism, communism this has occurred due to the breakdown of communist in countries such as Russia and may reflect voter disaffection with political parties and beliefs

Answer 266

Believe capitalists ideology and patriarchal ideology is present

Answer 267

Bruce argues that scientific method rather than findings has challenged religion members of modern society seek evidence based ideas rather than those based on faith adn miracles Bruce believes in secularisation-decline of religious beliefs

Answer 268

Giddens are that people have serious doubts about science because of the constant changing of scientific theory

Answer 269

Believes that there would be a growth of religious surrogates e..g football,celebrities has replaced religion. People may carry out other actives- leisure has become a much bigger part of life Young ppl have more demands on their time and many prefer to do leisure activities

Beliefs in Society Flashcards

(295 cards)