Focused concepts and theories

Question 1

Name the functionalist theories of beliefs

Answer 1

Durkheim- Religion creates social solidarity, value consensus, studied Totemism, socialisation

Parsons-Mechanism of adjustment

Malinowski- Trobriand islanders, use religion life crises, times of uncertainty

Bellah- Civil religion of Americanism replacing traditional religion

Question 2

Name the marxist thinkers and there beliefs on religion

Answer 2

• Marx= Opium of the people, instrument of oppression, cushion of the effects of oppression
• Lenin=Spiritual gin

Question 3

Name the neo marxists and there beliefs on religion

Answer 3

Gramsci= Religion reinforces hegemony, but it can be used to create a new hegemony and educate the working class about their oppression

• Maduro=Religion was used to liberate the oppressed people in Latin America – Liberation Theology
• Althusser= Religion as an ISA can attempt to create change but will often be pushed back by RSAs e.g. Burmese monks

Question 4

Name the feminist thinkers

Answer 4

• Woodhead and Heelas =Orthodox Judaism gives women clear roles which they find gives them status and purpose
• Aldridge Religion is patriarchal e.g. the veil, religious practices such as triple talaq
• Holm Women are seen as polluting in religion e.g. not allowed to pray during menstruation
• Woodhead Religion is beginning to respect women more e.g. they can be priests

Question 5

Name the postmodernist key thinkers

Answer 5

• Hervieu-Leger Spiritual shoppers – pick and choose religious beliefs which suit us
• Lyon Religion has become disembedded from traditional churches and moved online/to commercial places
• Bauman Postmodernity has led to a crisis of meaning and religion can offer a universe of meaning

Question 6

Name the social action theorists

Answer 6

• Weber Religion gives meaning to every day actions e.g. Calvinism gave meaning to hard work etc.
• Berger Religion is a sacred canopy

Question 7

Who argues that religion acts as a conservative force ?

Answer 7

Functionalists such as:
Durkheim- Religion is a conservative force and helps maintain stability in society

• Marx= Religion is a conservative force, maintains capitalism
• New Right=Religion can help maintain traditional values e.g. anti-abortion
• El Sadaawi= Religion is a tool used to maintain Patriarchy

Question 8

Who argues that religion can cause social change

Answer 8

• Weber- Calvinism led to social change in the form of the creation of capitalism
  McGuire
• Nelson =Religion can spearhead the resistance
• Gramsci/maduro= Religion can overthrow existing hegemony

McGuire- Religion can create change under the right conditions

Question 9

Name the globalisation theorists

Answer 9

Davie=Globalisation and modernisation have led to uncertainty and instability and so religion is growing as a response to this

Castells=Religion is growing as a resistance identity, migrants use it to maintain a source of identity

Bruce=Religion is cultural defence for migrants to defend their identity

Huntington= Conflict has increased due to more religions competing with each other and being in close contact with each other

Question 10

Name the secularisation theorists

Answer 10

Wilson=5 measures of secularisation – disengagement, participation, pluralism, rationalisation, internal secularisation

Bruce=Church and state are more separate now

Bruce= Religious pluralism increases competition between religions and they undermine each other

Weber =Disenchantment of the world and rationalisation have occurred

Herberg= Religious practices like going to church are less about the spiritual experience and more about being ‘American’ and part of a community

Davie=Belief without belonging

Kendal Project= Spiritual revolution thesis – traditional religion is declining, spirituality is growing

Question 11

Religion an social group theorists

Answer 11

Ashworth and Farthing=Those in professional occupations (middle class) more likely to attend churches

Neibuhr= Denominations appeal to more marginalised groups

Bruce= Cults appeal to middle class who are lacking in spiritual fulfilment

Voas and Crockett The ageing effect and generational effect

Miller and Hoffman= Women are the guardian of family life so more interested in religion

Bruce and Trzebiatowska= Men are more influenced by secularisation than women as they are more likely to be in the public sphere

Bruce= Females are socialised to be caring and nurturing and therefore more interested in this aspect of religion

Bruce= Ethnic minorities use religion for cultural defence and cultural transition

Question 12

Define religion :

Answer 12

: a belief system based on faith and involving collective rituals and practices, can involve a belief in the supernatural

Question 13

Define ideology

Answer 13

a belief system which supports the interests of a particular group, biased in nature

Question 14

Define science

Answer 14

Science: a belief system which claims to be based on evidence and the pursuit of objective knowledge/fact

Question 15

What is a scared canopy? and who looks at this

Answer 15

• a scared canapoy is developed by Berger who claims that religion acts as a scared canopy which protects its believers from all of the danger in the world and comforts its followers by answering the big questions of the world

Question 16

Name the types of religions

Answer 16

• NRMS- new forms of religion which operate as more spiritual systems which focus on personal development ie Buddhism, yoga , meditation..
• Totemism-

Question 17

Name the key thinkers of religion

Answer 17

Popper
Kuhn
Bruce
Weber
Giddens
Lyotard
Gramsci

Question 18

Who argues religion acts as a conservative force

Answer 18

1. Functionalists- argue that religion maintains social stability and harmony through collective worship- supported by Durkehim for example in his study of totemism. Religion acts as a social glue which unites and provides society with a consensus. Functionalist Parsons supports the idea that religion is a conservative force because it maintains social order. Individuals are hit by events that they cannot control or foresee therefore religion helps to maintain the social order through these times.
2. Marxists argue that religion acts as a conservative force, mainting status quo and prevebts social change . Marx argues that religion acts as an opium of the people which numbes w,c oppression and suggests that they will be rewarded in the afterlife.
3. Feminists see religion as preventing gender equality ie religion is male dominated , women are kept vunerable and powerless

Question 19

How is secularisation measured?

Answer 19

1. Church attendance- willson - there has been an significant decline in the number of people who go to church ie 2015 around 5% of population regularly attended church where as in the 1970s 60% of people went to church ( however this is christoncennrtic and ignores groth in islam)
2. decline in clergy- these are the poeple who work in churches. Bruce argues that the church of England is no longer an influentail organisation

Question 20

What are some arguments for secularisation

Answer 20

1. Increased in rattionalisation - weber religion has become disembedded from society this is reflected in the rejection of supersitition. science is now the dominate type of belief system
2. Privatisation of religion - Bruce argues that relugion has undergone the process of individualisation which suggests that religion no longer exists the same. Davie belife without belonging religion is now practices privately
3. religious pluralism- Berger - the growth in secularisation was because of the increased number of religious organisations which exists ie there are so many religopns which has resulted in a crisis of credibility

Question 21

Arguments against secularization

Answer 21

1. Davie belief without belonging - bruce argues religion is now privitised , people still belong to a religion but are practicing it differently
2. Online religion - people are religious without going to a place of worship ie Helland- discusses the importance of globalisation . religion has become dismebbeded from places of worship and transported to a digital space
3. Growth in new aged spirituality- kendal project- ie yoga etc

Question 22

Name some reasons how social class links to religiosity

Answer 22

• Weber rekigion attracts poorest in society because it exaplins why they are in poverty ( monopoly of truth)
• Church attendance linsk to ruling class - ashworth= fartington argue that those of benefits less likely to attend church
• middle class have more time
• church of engalnd has some political/ elitist links oie house of lords , there backgroud privatley educated etcb

Question 23

Why are older people more interested in religion?

Answer 23

• Ageing effect - voas and cricket

- Generational effect - voas and crocket

Question 24

Why are ethnic minorities more intrested in religion ?

Answer 24

1. Cultural defence - bruce - religion can be used as a way to unite a community against change and hostility from wider society according to bird many angelicin churches in 1950s were discriminatory against minorities which lead to a rise in pentecostalism,
2. Cultural transition- bruce - helps assign ethnic minorities int British society. places of worship act as a communal meeting place and a support network