BELIEFS TOPIC 2 - SOCIAL CHANGE Flashcards
(9 cards)
Religion as a conservative force
It is often seen as conservative in the sense of being traditional, defending public customs, institutions, moral values, roles etc.
It functions to conserve or preserve things as they ar, stabilising society and maintaining the status quo.
Functionalists see religion as a conservative force because it functions to maintain social stability and prevent society from disintegrating, promoting solidarity by creating value consensus.
Marxists and feminists see religion as an ideology that supports the existing social structure and acts as a means of social control, creating stability in the interests of the powerful.
Religion and capitalism - prevents social change by legitimatiung exploitation and inequality,
Religion and patriarchy - acts as an ideology that legimates patriarchal power and maintains women’s subordination in the family and wider society.
Weber: religion as a force for change
The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism
Religious beliefs of calvinism (a form of protestantism founded by John Calvin during the reformation) helped to bring about major social change - specifically the emergence of modern capitalism in northern europe in the 16th and 17th century
Calvinist beliefs:
Predestination - god had predetermined which souls would be saved before birth and individuals could do nothing to change this
Divine transcendence - god was so far above and beyond this world and so incomparably greater than any mortal and no human could claim to know his will.
Asceticism - self discipline and self denial
The idea of a vocation - renouncing everyday life to join a convent or monastery - other-worldly asceticism
Their wealth and success performed a psychological function for the calvinists allowing them to cope with their salvation panic. As they grew wealthier, they took this as a sign of god’s favour. They systematically and methodically accumulated wealth by the most efficient and rational means possible, reinvesting into their businesses which grew and prospered.
Hinduism and confucianism
Ancient china and india were materially more advanced than europe, but capitalism did not take of there. The failure of capitalism not developing was due to the lack of religious belief system like that of the calvinists that would have spurred on its development.
In ancient india, hinduism was an ascetic religion favouring renunciation of the material world. However, its orientation was other-worldly, it directed its followers’ concerns away from the material world to the spiritual world.
In ancient china, confucianism also discouraged the growth of rational capitalism. Although it was a this-worldly religion, it wasn’t ascetic and therefore did not involve the drive to accumulate wealth.
Religion and social protest
Bruce compared two case studies and the role of religiosity in inspiring protest
THE AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Bruce describes the black clergy as the backbone of th movement. Led by martin lurther kind, they played a decisive role giving support and moral legitimacy to civil rights activists. Their churches provided meeting places and the sanctuary away from threat of white violence. They were able to shame the whites into changing the law by appealing to their shared christian values of equality.
In this way, religion is an ideological resource providing beliefs and practices that protesters could draw on for motivation and support.
THE NEW CHRISTIAN RIGHT
Aim to take America back to god and make abortion, homosexuality, gay marriage and divorce illegal. It believes strongly in the traditional family and gender roles, campaigning for the teaching of creationism. It makes effective use of the media and networking such as televangelism.
Bruce gives two reasons for its lack of success.
Campaigners find it difficult to cooperate with people of different religious groups
Lacks widespread support and has been met with strong opposition.
Bloch - the principle of hope
Sees religion as having a dual character
He accepts that religion can inhibit change but he emphasises that it can also inspire protest and rebellion. Religion is an expression of the principle of hope - our dreams for a better life containing images for utopia.
This can sometimes deceive people with promises of rewards in heaven as Marx describes. However, they may also help people to see what needs to be changed in the world.
Liberation theology
A movement that emerged within the catholic church in latin america at the end of the 1960s with a strong commitment to the poor and opposition to military dictatorships.
It was a major change in direction for the catholic church in latin america.
Factors that led to liberation theology
Deepening rural poverty and the growth of urban slums throughout latin america
Human rights abuses following military takeovers such as torture and death squads murdering
The pentecostal challenge
Liberation theology faced competition from pentecostal churches
Lehmann contrasts the two:
Liberation theology - option for the poor - community consciousness-raising and campaigning for social change led by revolutionary priests and nuns in their jeans and sandals
Pentecostalism - option OF the poor for individuals to pull themselves out of poverty through their own efforts supported by the congregation and led by the church pastors, uniformly respectable in their suits
Millenarian movements
Religion raises the hope of a better world in the afterlife, it may also create the desire to change things there and now.
In christian theology, millenarian refers to the idea that christ would come into the world for a second time and rule for a thousand years before the day of judgement and the end of the world.
Worsley - such movements expect a total and imminent transformation of this world through supernatural forces, creating a heaven on earth
The appeal is largely to the poor because they promise immediate improvement. European colonialism led to economic exploitation and cultural and religious domination. It shattered traditional tribal social structures and cultures.
Worsley - movements combined elements of traditional beliefs with elements of christianity. They used religious images but united native populations in mass movements that spanned tribal divisions. Many of the secular nationalist leaders and parties that were to overthrow colonial rule in the 1950s.
Gramsci - religion and hegemony
Used the term hegemony to refer to the way that the ruling class use ideas such as religion to maintain control. Gramsci means ideological domination or leadership of society. When hegemony is established, the ruling class can rely on popular consent to their role so there is less need for coercion.
Hegemony is never guaranteed. Gramsci sees religion as having a dual character and he notes that in certain circumstances, it can challenge as well as support the ruling class. Popular forms of religion can help workers see through the ruling class hegemony by offering a vision of a better, fairer world. Some clergy may act as organic intellectuals.
