Religion Is A Force For Social Change

Question 1

The American civil rights movement (forward)

Answer 1

Bruce argues that black preachers in the 1960s were the backbone of the civil rights movement. Religion provides the belief and practices that ignited motivation for change. Mlk used Christianity to ensure the movement was seen as respectable by society and encouraged turning the other cheek. This resulted in racial segregation being abolished and black people earning the right to vote

Question 2

Evaluation of the civil rights movement

Answer 2

Functionalist would argue that reminding Americans of their beliefs in Christianity reinforced societies collective conscience.

Question 3

The new Christian right (backwards)

Answer 3

The new Christian right was a conservate movement which disagreed with the liberalising of American society’s they wanted to take America back to god and ban abortion, homosexuality and divorce in order to turn back the clock. Believed strongly in the TNF. Used the media to spread their beliefs and this led to the overturning of roe v wade making abortion illegal in many states.

Question 4

Evaluation of the new Christian right

Answer 4

Radical feminists would argue that the new Christian’s rights aim of banning abortion is reinforcing patriarchal control over women’s rights to keep women in their traditional gender roles

Question 5

The principle of hope - neo Marxism (forward)

Answer 5

Bloch sees religion as having a dual character as it often inhibits change but can also inspire protest and rebellion. Religious beliefs can create a vision of a better world. With an organic intellectual with a vision such as Malcom X who protested against white Christianity to help black people see an alternative vision of a better America. This created social change

Question 7

The 1979 Iran revolautiom

Answer 7

When America replaced irans shah with a pro-western shah to benefit America Iran became westernised. Islamic festivals were banned and casionas and cinemas were opened. Women were allowed to go to uni. This is was then overthrowed by a revolutionary Islamic group who opposed this westernisation and set up an Islamic state based on ancient sharia law. Iranians used their faith to cause this change and used religion as cultural defence and a symbol of their identity.

Question 8

Evaluation of the 1979 Iran revolution

Answer 8

Not all social change is necessarily progressive as the taliban set up an extreme religious regime which banned girls from having any education. This was a complete backwards change