secularism - Sacred and Secular Flashcards
what does the book demonstrate and how is it structured
- Book demonstrates
o Industrial societies are moving towards secularism
o There are more religious people now than before
♣ First proposition accounts for the second
♣ Secularisation = negative impact on reproduction - Structure of book
o Part 1 – how is RE related to modernisation, economic inequality, generation etc.
o 2 – compares religion in US and Muslim world, post-communist EU etc.
o 3 – socio-political consequences of secularisation
human security
o Linked to idea of economics
♣ Less wealthy countries do not have good access to healthcare etc. and this contributes to human security
o ‘even the most affluent postindustrial nations may experience a sudden widespread resurgence of insecurity; for example, fears of terrorism arose sharply in the United States… immediately after the events of September 11, 2001’ (17)
o human security is not necessarily confirmed for modern societies
religious values hypothesis
♣ ‘variance in religiosity must be generated by supply’ (18)
♣ there is a need for religious reassurance
♣ demand for religiosity is less in industrial societies
♣ in times of stress, there is a greater need for strong and benevolent authority
♣ religion = force of reassurance
religious culture hypothesis
♣ ‘predominant religious cultural traditions in any society, such as the legacy of Protestantism and Catholicism in Western Europe, are expected to leave a distinct imprint upon the contemporary moral beliefs and social attitudes that are widespread among the public in these nations’ (20)
♣ predominant religious cultures adapt and evolve but also strongly reflect past legacies
♣ can look at this in relation to Weber
demographic hypothesis
♣ expectation that rich societies are getting smaller and more secular
♣ poor societies value religion and are growing populations
♣ ‘as a result of these two interlocking trends, rich nations are becoming more secular, but the world as a whole is becoming more religious’ (23)
♣ less people in rich societies and so more investment in the individual. Opposite for poorer societies
♣ linked to gender as well – women are not as well education. This has an indirect cost, more children produced but less women in careers
impact of weberian ideas
o science and education will lead to more rationalisation
♣ suggests secularisation will be most common amongst educated
o cognitive factors = irreversible and universal
♣ however, there are different levels in religiosity
diffrent categories of comparison
o predominant religious cultures
o generational comparisons
♣ sense that older generations = more committed to religion
♣ however, this is seen less in societies such as Nigeria etc. that have not experienced such modernisation
♣ ‘the decline of religiosity does not reflect the inevitable spread of scientific knowledge and education; it is contingent on whether a society’s people have experienced rising existential security – or whether they have experienced economic stagnation, state failure, or the collapse of the welfare state, as has happened in the less successful post-Communist economies’ (29)
o sectoral comparisons (rich vs. poor, education etc.)
o demography, fertility, population change
o social and political consequences
limit to surveys
- limit to surveys = Asian faiths such as Buddhism etc. do not have same sense of religious service as other religions. More individual participation inc. meditation
- 44% of agrarian society attend church weekly, 20% postindustrial
- however, 68% of agrarian and 32% of postindustrial belief in soul
- World Values Survey, pooled 1981-2001
o Sex
♣ Women and men equal in agrarian societies (49% religious participation)
♣ In post-industrial, 26% women, 18 men
o Age
♣ Under 30, 49% in agrarian, 15% in postindustrial
♣ 60+, 47% agrarian, 35% postindustrial
- ‘the evidence shows that the sharpest reduction in religiosity occurs following the first stage of societal modernisation, in the shift from agrarian to industrial societies’ (71)
poland as exception to secularisation thesis
♣ E.g. Poland, ‘Soviet-led attempts at repression of religion were counter-productive, leading the Polish people to emphasise their attachment to religion as a way to preserve their Polish identity’ (112)
♣ Would expect older generations to therefore be more religious
♣ Religion is expected to remain strong in post-Communist agrarian societies just like other reasons for agrarian societies’ religiosity
♣ However, regardless of communist history, post-comm countries show sense of religious decline
♣ There was an incline ‘immediately after the fall of communism, but the study found that commitment to the Church, and the level of religious practice, are as low today as in the most secularised Western European countries’ (113)
♣ Need to note variation within single post-comm countries
♣ ‘post-comm societies have shown very diverse rates of progress toward democratisation and economic development’ (117)
• e.g. Poland = successful economy
• Russia GDP fell by 6% a year in the 90s
♣ In Poland, RCC was strengthened by communism
homogenous cultures
- But some more consistently religious e.g. Poland
- ‘religion not only becomes less important to people’s lives in secure societies, but freedom of worship is also expanded as part of human rights and democratic liberalisation’ (130-1)
- ‘it is the more homogenous religious cultures, exemplified by the role of Catholicism in Poland, which have best-preserved faith in God and habitual church attendance, not the most plural’ (131)
- this shows that society encourages secularisation
huntington thesis
o ‘Marxist class warfare, and even the disparities between rich and poor nations, have been overshadowed in the twenty-first century by Weberian culture’ (133)
o importance of culture in huntington’s thought is supported by data
o error is in viewed West and Islamic societies as a political clash. Same ideas of democracy in Islamic world
o religion = defining element of culture
o religion and secular authority are separate
o emphasis on
o democracy = main difference between Western Xian and Muslim world
o 2/3 of xian countries = democracy
o ¼ of muslim
Huntington thesis summarised - 3 fold claims
o societal values in contemp society = rooted in religious cultures
o main cultural division between west and Islamic world = democratic values
o post-cold war, culture class = source of conflict
- 2 major parts of cross-cultural variation
o transition from traditional to secular-rational values – decline of traditional fam
o transition from survival to self-expression values – increasing gender equality
four main findings in chapter 6
o political attitudes between muslims and west = minimal
o democratic clash divides post-comm states in east EU
o support for religious authorities is stronger in muslim societies than in the west
o there is a contrast in attitudes towards gender equality and sexual liberation
