module 5

Question 1

Modernization

Answer 1

The process by which societies are transformed
from traditional, rural, agrarian to urbanized secular and
industrialized spaces

Question 2

Secularization (a process of..):

Answer 2

The process whereby religious thinking, practises
and institutions lose social significance.
– It is a process of
De-sacralization

Question 3

Rationalization

Answer 3

rational thinking in the form of science has
replaced religious influence in our lives

Question 4

Disengagement:

Answer 4

separation of the church from wider society;
no longer involved in politics etc.

Question 5

Religious Pluralism

Answer 5

society has fragmented into a marketplace
of religions and there is no longer one unifying religious force

Question 6

Sacralization:

Answer 6

This is an opposite of secularization. In the work
of Durkheim, it is the process of deifying things

Question 7

De-secularization:

Answer 7

A shift away from secularism or a return to
religion. This process is synonymous with
Re-sacralization

Question 8

Secularization Thesis- emergence

Answer 8

The French Revolution served as a major catalyst for visible secularization,
known as ‘laïcisation’ in French.
▪ This period saw the dismantling of the Catholic Church’s monopoly on
authority.
▪ A wave of rebellion against Church authority unfolded in Belgium following
its independence in 1830, a trend that was pervasive across Europe.
▪ Urban lifestyles became increasingly individualistic, with people shifting
away from communal living toward more isolated lives.

Question 9

It was believed that the transition from rural areas to urban centers
undermined the

Answer 9

social and moral foundations of the Church’s authority in
society

Question 10

Ferdinand Tönnies described this shift as a movement from

Answer 10

Gemeinschaft (rural/community) to Gesellschaft (urban/society), which
occurred alongside the growth of industrial capitalism

Question 11

As society advances toward modernization, religion is thought to lose its

Answer 11

authority
- Additionally, there is an assumption of a strong negative relationship
between religion and human development

Question 12

secularization involves

Answer 12

church and state (private and public)

Question 13

Secularization is viewed as a functional process in which the

Answer 13

political,
economic, scientific, aesthetic, and legal spheres are considered
autonomous from the religious sphere.

Question 14

Secularization Thesis – Saint-Simon

Answer 14

feudal-
theological system’ was gradually being replaced by a
new social order based upon the industrial classes and
positivistic science.
- In the industrial-scientific system, the government of human
beings would be transformed into the administration of things

Question 15

saint simon predicted a new religion based on

Answer 15

humanism and
science; he referred to this emergence as the
New
Christianity.

Question 16

secularization thesis comte

Answer 16

For Auguste Comte, his positivistic and humanist philosophy
proposed that medieval society — marked by the dominance
of the Catholic Church and militarism — would be replaced by
a new social system where scientists and industrialists held
the dominant social roles

Question 17

secularization comte and disengagement

Answer 17

is considered a crucial aspect of
secularization.
– In this context, religion no longer influences human behavior

Question 18

The secularization thesis was almost a

Answer 18

dogma,
culmination during the sixties background.

Question 19

peter bergers most famous expression

Answer 19

“The sacred canopy”
(Berger, 1967), unchallenged till the 80s.
– Here, he spoke about human predicaments and religious
ambivalences. (See the previous module)
It was a critical element of the general sociological theory then
(paradigm)

Question 20

Increased Liberty

Answer 20

A notable trend in contemporary society

Question 21

Personalization/Privatization:

Answer 21

This is a central tenet of capitalism that
shapes individual experiences

Question 22

Increased Competition:

Answer 22

This can lead to ambivalence and frustration
among individuals (as in fatalistic and anomic suicides of Durkheim)

Question 23

Pluralism:

Answer 23

While fostering diversity, it can also result in exploitation and
marginalization – hegemonic powers control other spheres of human
interaction.

Question 24

A New Search for Balance:

Answer 24

This is a realization that no scientific fact
alone can fully explain or provide meaning to human experiences and
challenges
- The failure of the secular system to address age-long social ills like
racism, gender inequality and institutionalized discrimination further
compound the tractability of secularism as the solution to human
challenges

Question 25

Criticisms of the Secularization Thesis

Answer 25

eurocentric - favour weber over marx - failure to recognize that religion has not disapeared - people continue to seek refuge in religion for comfort during times of crisis

Question 26

robert wuthnow criticism of secularization

Answer 26

the notion that religion is purely metaphysical or superstitious is unsustainable. If that were the case, religion might indeed decline in the face of scientific advancement. "But religious practices are well institutionalized in every conceivable place which means they are far more durable than might be true if the sacred were present only in the imagination" - Moreover, individual experiences of religion are diverse and cannot be reduced to generalized social facts. This highlights the complexity of religious belief and practice in contemporary societies.

Question 27

Robert Wuthnow's work illustrates that religion's influence goes beyond a specific analysis of its effects at any given time. According to him;

Answer 27

- practices of individuals are a vital component of power arrangements often localize and shape situational experiences - History plays a crucial role in perpetuating religion, as people remember and reinvent what has worked in the past. This process can be integrated into socialization experiences. ▪ Individuals hold significant power within religious practices. ▪ Since life events are not static, improvisation becomes essential, allowing religion to adapt as a form of social invention. This idea aligns with Peter Berger's propositions.

Question 28

After Berger's Sacred Canopy: De-secularization

Question 29

Ab initio, the tapestry of sociology reflected

Answer 29

agnosticism and much ambivalence towards religion

Question 30

Grace Davie, 1997: vicarious religion or

Answer 30

‘believing without belonging’ – People practising privately or by proxy.

Question 31

After Berger's Sacred Canopy: De-secularization

Answer 31

Peter L. Berger (1999) argued that the world is more religious than it ever had been. ▪ In his later submissions, Berger further explored the complexities of modern religion, suggesting that rather than diminishing, religious expressions have evolved and adapted to contemporary contexts.

Question 32

Paul Heelas (2000): ‘holistic milieu

Answer 32

a rejection of science and modernity where people want spirituality, as shown by New Age Movements.

Question 33

Marxism posits that materialism is

Answer 33

blind to the spiritual dimensions of life.

Question 34

Functionalism primarily focuses on

Answer 34

utility, overlooking aspects of existence that are free and do not require functional explanations

Question 35

The Weberian approach can inadvertently justify

Answer 35

colonization by framing social changes in terms of rationalization and authority

Question 36

social change impacts all institutions, including

Answer 36

religion