Beliefs In Society - Key Concepts

Question 1

Religiosity

Answer 1

The extent to which someone sees themselves as religious.

Question 2

Fundamentalism

Answer 2

Appeal to tradition - seek return to the basics or fundamentals of their faith.

Question 3

Secularisation

Answer 3

Means the decrease in power that religion has in society.

Question 4

Ideology

Answer 4

Means a set of ideas, values and beliefs that provide a means of interpreting the world.

Question 5

Types of religion

Answer 5

• Theistic beliefs
• New age movements
• Animism
• Totemism

Question 6

Theistic beliefs

Answer 6

A belief in a higher power that could be a single GOD (monotheistic) or many gods (polytheistic).
This supernatural being is the source of the beliefs around which the religion revolves.

Question 7

New age movements

Answer 7

Spiritual rather than religious belief system focused on self development and fulfilment rather than a devotion to a higher power.
Often based on eastern religions like Buddhism.
E.g. Reiki or Yoga.

Question 8

Animism

Answer 8

A belief in spirits and ghosts that can positively or negate Ivey impact the human or natural world.
Animistic religions tend to be more prevalent in pre-industrial and non-industrial societies e.g. paganism and ancient religions such as the Aztecs.

Question 9

Totemism

Answer 9

A form of animism in which a community creates a symbol that represents them as a group.
The symbol gains sacred significance and is believed to protect the people it represents.
E.g. Australian Aboriginals.

Question 10

5 features of religion

Answer 10

1. Belief in sacred beings.
2. Sacred and profane objects - places and times.
3. Ritual acts based on sacred and profane objects, places and times.
4. Moral code with supernatural origins.
5. Prayer and other forms of communication with supernatural being.

Question 11

3 definitions of religion

Answer 11

1. Substantive definition
2. Functional definitions
3. Constructionist definition

Question 12

Substantive definition

Answer 12

Aim to identify the core characteristics shared by major religions.
They are exclusive in nature because belief systems can only be classed as a religion if they have these particular features.
E.g. one characteristic is the belief in a God.

Question 13

Evaluation of substantive religion

Answer 13

Ethnocentric focus in on Western religions.
Doesn’t have room for belief systems which perform similar functions as religion but do not have a supernatural God.

Question 14

Functional definition

Answer 14

Looks at what a religion does for the society in which it exists.
May bring comfort to its believers or reinforce societal values and inequalities.

Question 15

Evaluation of functional definition

Answer 15

Too inclusive as any belief system could be considered a religion it performs similar functions.
E.g. supporting a football team may perform these functions but doesn’t make it a religion.

Question 16

Constructionist definition

Answer 16

Mainly interested in how definitions of religion are constructed, challenged and fought over.
Interpretivists believe therefore that the definition of religion depends on who has the power.
Aldrige - shows how the followers of Scientology see it as a religion despite many others disagreeing.

Question 17

Constructionist evaluation

Answer 17

Impossible to generalise about the nature of religion as people may have widely differing views of what counts as religion.