Religion

Question 1

Substantive definition

Answer 1

These aim to identify the core characteristics shared by major religions
E.g reference to God

Question 2

What does MAX WEBER (1905) say about substantive religion

Answer 2

He claims that it is belief in a SUPERNATURAL POWER that cannot be proven scientifically

Question 3

Constructionist definitions

Answer 3

Interpretivists are mainly interested in how definitions of religion are constructed, challenged and fought over.

Question 4

ALDRIDGE (2007) view on sociology

Answer 4

Shows that Scientology is a religion despite the fact that several governments have denied it its legal status of being a religion

Question 5

INTERPRETIVISTS conclusion of religion

Answer 5

Whether a belief system is defined as a religion depends on who has power

Question 6

Functional definition of religion

Answer 6

Functionalists analyse what a religion does for the society that it exists within. - comfort to its believers

Question 7

Sacred canopy BERGER (1967)

Answer 7

Claims that religion acts like a SACRED CANOPY to its believers as it protects them from all the dangers in the world

Question 8

Theistic religions

Answer 8

Belief in a higher power 
One god (MONOTHEISTIC)
Many gods (POLYTHEISTIC)

Question 9

New age movements religion

Answer 9

Spiritual rather that religious belief system - self-development

Question 10

Totemism religion

Answer 10

A form of animism in which a community creates a SYMBOL that represents them a s a group e.g ANIMAL or PLANT

Question 11

Durkheim belief of sociology (1915)

Answer 11

Believed many religions contain elements of totemism

Question 12

Animism religion

Answer 12

A belief in spirits and ghosts that can positively or negatively impact the human and natural world e.g PAGANISM

Question 13

Religion as a closed belief system

Answer 13

These religions see themselves as the true representation of God and not tolerant to other religions
ARGUED THAT IT IS TOO CONSERVATIVE

Question 14

Religion as an open belief system

Answer 14

They are having to adapt to social change in order to stay relevant. E.g CATHOLIC CHURCH HAVING FEMALE VICARS AND BISHOPS

Question 15

Polanyi (1958)

Answer 15

States that in order to protect themselves from challenge, closed belief systems, such as religions, tend to have specific tendencies:

1. Denial of legitimacy
2. Subsidiary explanations
3. Circularity

Question 16

Denial of legitimacy

Answer 16

By completely rejecting the basic principles of their rivals, belief systems can convince their followers that they are the only possible answers
E.g creationism (the belief that god made the world - IGNORING ALL EVOLUTION EVIDENCE

Question 17

Subsidiary explanations

Answer 17

Polanyi claims that closed belief systems have a series of “get out clauses”. Deflecting the focus of the argument
E.G“God works in mysterious ways”

Question 18

Evans - Pritchard (1936), functionalist, studied the Azande people of Sudan, REFLECTING A CLOSE BELIEF SYSTEM

Answer 18

Their view that witchcraft caused misfortune may have seemed irrational to non- believers, but the Azande people had been indoctrinated into their beliefs and they were not allowed to question them

Question 19

Core principles of science

Answer 19

1. Science is the pursuit of FACTS that are supported bu evidence
2. It is OBJECTIVE (not biased)
3. Science studies the impact of CAUSE AND EFFECT relationships based on RELIABLE data that can be accurately tested

Question 20

Sir Karl Popper (1959) believes that science has become the dominant belief system in the eastern world because it can be challenged and has therefore grown as a discipline

Answer 20

Claims that the basis of science is built upon FALSIFICATION, challenged pre-existing theories or knowledge. If proven wrong, another replaces it and therefore the knowledge within the discipline grows

Question 21

Thomas Kuhn (1970)

Answer 21

Believes that science as a discipline is actually a closed belief system due to the PARADIGMS that dominate it

Question 22

What is a paradigm shape?

Answer 22

• how the discipline is defined and understood by those who operate within it and by others
• how research is conducted, i.e by creating hypotheses and so on

PRE EXISTING FRAME-WORK

Question 23

The impact of science

Answer 23

Scientific discoveries have led to technological and medical advances that have revolutionised our economy and everyday life, along with providing society with potential answers to Euston about our existence

Question 24

Robert Merton and the CUDOS norms (1942)

Answer 24

agrees with Popper’s views of science by claiming it has grown because of ethos which is shaped by 4 specific norms: 
Communism
Universalism 
Disinterested ness
Organised scepticism

Question 25

CUDOS NORMS: Communism

Answer 25

Scientific knowledge is shared with the whole community and therefore is not kept private

Question 26

CUDOS NORMS: Universalism

Answer 26

All scientists are regarded as equal and so it should be their work that is challenged and no their social characteristics

Question 27

CUDOS NORMS: Disinterestedness

Answer 27

Scientists should be committed to truth and publish their findings honestly. There should be no fraud or subjective bias in their claims

Question 28

CUDOS NORMS: Organised scepticism

Answer 28

All knowledge within science should be challenged and scrutiny should be encouraged by all scientists

Question 29

Ideologies

Answer 29

Both science and religion are IDEOLOGIES as they are beliefs based around core principles aimed at explaining why the world works in the way that it does.

Question 30

Marxist view on science and religion

Answer 30

All ideologies, including science and religion, are manipulated by the ruling class to maintain and reproduce inequality. Generally motivated by mass products.

Question 31

Michalowski and Kramer (1987) - an example of this Marxist view

Answer 31

They studied pharmaceutical companies who produce vital medicines that are needed in society, but sell their products at prices only the wealthy can afford

Question 32

Femenist view on religion and medicine

Answer 32

They have both promoted patriarchy for generations, e.g block women from positions of power training gumtree as weak or impure.

Question 33

EXAMPLE of feminist view on religion and medicine - ANN OAKLEY (1972)

Answer 33

Argues that John Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation (1951) is a good example of science acting as an ideology. The development of young children was “damaged” by working mothers. Strengthening the idea that only men should be breadwinners and women should stay at home

Question 34

Postmodernist view of religion and medicine

Answer 34

Claims that both religion and science are META- NARRATIVES. These ideologies seek to explain the “truth: are no longer relevant as both scientific facts and religious teachings are no longer accepted as the immediate “truth”

Question 35

Karl Mannheim (1929)

Answer 35

Claims that all world views or ideologies are the products of theologians or intellectuals who cannot relate to the everyday individual so study personal interests.

Question 36

Mannheim states that there are 2 types of work view:

Answer 36

1. IDEOLOGICAL THOUGHT - this style of work view attempts to justify tradition and the maintenance of society as it is 2. UTOPIAN THOUGHT - this is the style of world view or ideology attempts to promote social change because the current state of the world doesn’t suit the utopian belief system

Question 37

The sacred and the profanity - DURKHEIM (1915)

Answer 37

Believed that the main purpose of religion was to clearly differentiate between things that were SACRED or PROFANE in our society

Question 38

Sacred:

Answer 38

Things that are special because they are the product of a higher being a supernatural power E.g churches and temples are sacred

Question 39

Profane

Answer 39

Things that are Reinhard, average , and have no special meaning or purpose E.g offices

Question 40

Circularity

Answer 40

Each idea explained in terms of another within the same system