MT6 - Social groups and religiosity

Question 1

Why are women more religious than men - Gender Socialisation

Answer 1

Gender socialisation

Girls are brought up to be feminine by being passive, obedient and nurturing in their behaviour.

Miller and Hoffman argue that these qualities are valued and promoted by all religions so they appeal to women more than to men.

Example: love thy neighbour

Question 2

Why are women more religious than men - Material deprivation

Answer 2

Refers to the lack of basic necessities and living in poverty, which women are more likely to experience.

Glock and Stark argue that religion offers women the promise of salvation. For example, religions such as Islam and Christianity promise heavenly rewards in the afterlife for those suffering here on earth.

Similarly, de Beauvoir says religion offers women compensators for their suffering and exploitation.

Question 3

Criticisms of why women are more religious / join NRMs

Answer 3

GS: Brown - since the 1960s, the Feminist movement has inspired rejection of traditional gender roles/ traditional religions as well.

Brierley argues women’s increasing involvement in paid employment makes women less materially deprived therefore less religious.

NRMs often fail to deliver their promises so drop out rates are high.

Question 4

Why women are more likely to join NAMs/NRMs - self-improvement

Answer 4

Society is patriarchal and expects women to look their best.

Cults are world-affirming and promise their members rewards in this life as well as advice on self-improvement.

example, Scientology practices dianetics which promise the members the ability to reach their full potential.

Question 5

Why women are more likely to join NAMs/NRMs - material deprivation.

Answer 5

Glock and Stark argue that sects offers women the promise of salvation in the afterlife.

Similarly, Weber argues that sects offer theodicy of deprivilege - a religious explanation for their deprivation.

As women are more deprived than men, this makes women more likely to join sects.

Question 6

Why e/m are more religious - cultural transition

Answer 6

refers to the ways in which religion can be used to help recent migrants ease into a new culture.

Bruce argues that religion does this by providing support and a sense of community.

Example, Pryce’s study of Caribbean immigrants showed how Pentecostalism supported them when they first arrived in Bristol.

Question 7

Why e/m are more religious - social frustration / marginalisation

Answer 7

e/m more like to face this bc of racism

Marginality = being socially excluded, not contributing to or benefiting from society
Status frustration = feeling of dissatisfaction with your place in the social hierarchy.

Question 8

Criticisms of why e/m are more religious

Answer 8

Modood argues that the second generation is much less religious than their parents because they have been socialised into the mainstream culture so their ethnic identity and religion are not so important to them.

once these groups become integrated into society, religiosity declines

Question 9

Why are w/c more religious - exploited by capitalism

Answer 9

refers to the w/c not being paid the full value of their labour.
Marx argues that religion is the opium of the people; it is a drug that lessens the pain of oppression by promising rewards in the afterlife.

Question 10

Why are w/c more religious - Relative deprivation

Answer 10

subjective feeling of lacking possesions others have

Stark and Bainbridge argue that religion provides people with compensators when earthly rewards are unobtainable by promising supernatural rewards.

Question 11

Criticisms of why are w/c more religious

Answer 11

RD - ignores the possibility that the m/c can also feel relatively deprived which means that w/c are not more religious than m/c

Marx claimed that in a communist society there would be no religion as there would be no need to indoctrinate the w/c in the FCC, but in most communist societies religion continued to exist.

Question 12

Why m/c are more likely to join NAMs/NRMs - economic capital / wish to improve present situation

Answer 12

World-affirming NRMs (cults) promise techniques for self-improvement

example: scientology practices dianetics through which the followers are promised the fulfilment of their potential, but these services have to be paid for.

Question 13

Why m/c are more likely to join NAMs/NRMs - NAMs embrace postmodernity

Answer 13

Features of postmodernity include individualism, choice and fragmentation which means there is no absolute truth and everything’s a metanarrative.

Individuals practice NAMs to create opportunities to seek the truth from within themselves.

Giddens argues that m/c are more educated and liberal and thus cosmopolitan; a way of thinking that embraces postmodernity, and therefore m/c find NAMs appealing

Question 14

Criticisms of why m/c are more likely to join NAMs/NRMs

Answer 14

However, world-affirming NRMs often fail to deliver on their promises so drop-out rates are high.

However, this ignores the extent of secularisation among all social classes.

Question 15

why the w/c are more likely to join sects - more likely to experience marginality

Answer 15

fers to being excluded from society; not contributing to or benefiting from society.
Weber argues that sects provide a theodicy of disprivilege; a religious explanation for their low position in society, e.g. it is at test from God and will be rewarded in the afterlife.

Sects also give a sense of community and belonging because they are close-knit. For example, Nation of Islam recruited young, black, w/c men

Question 16

why the w/c are more likely to join sects - relative deprivation

Answer 16

refers to the subjective feeling of lacking what you perceive others to have.
Stark and Bainbridge argue that sects provide its members with compensators, e.g. promises of rewards in the afterlife

Question 17

Criticisms of why the w/c are more likely to join sects

Answer 17

RD - ignores the m/c who can also experience relative deprivation e.g young, educated people joined the Moonies as they felt society was morally corrupt.

sects are short-lived; the Protestant work ethic effect means that members are encouraged to work hard, but once they gain the benefits of this, they are no longer marginalised and so leave the sect.

Question 18

why young people are less religious / have lower church attendance - difference in the values

Answer 18

Young people’s values are at odds with traditional conservative teachings promoted by religion, e.g. pro-life, anti-contraception and abortion, ban on pre-marital sex, homosexuality, divorce, … all of which the young are more accepting of.

Also, church services are seen as boring, repetitive and old-fashioned thus their attendance is declining.

Question 19

why young people are less religious / have lower church attendance - Cultural amnesia

Answer 19

refers to the loss of collective memory; parents are no longer socialising their children to follow traditional religion and allow them religious freedom.

Hervieu-Leger argues parents no longer teach their children about religion, but let them choose their own and this is causing the decline in traditional religion.

Question 20

Criticisms of why young people are less religious / have lower church attendance

Answer 20

Statistics on church attendance show that the middle aged and under-15s have some of the highest attendance which shows that parents do socialise their children to follow traditional religion

Davie argues that young people are more likely to believe without belonging; they hold religious beliefs, but don’t attend church