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Flashcards in Soc 100 - Religion Deck (40)
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1
Q

How political scientists look at political institutions vs sociologists…

A

Political scientists may interpret political institutions on their own terms, by the way they work, whilst political sociologists look at the integration of state and society, and the ways political arrangements relate to social power structures�.

2
Q

Value-free or Value-neutral

A

Sociologists examine people’s deeply-held values and beliefs; describe these values, and try not to judge whether they’re true or false, good or bad.Weber’s concept of charismatic authority explains why people might support someone like Hitler – as sociologists, we can understand and explain it, even if we personally disapprove�.-When examining beliefs, sociologists are interested in how these beliefs have broad social consequences – not in whether they’re true or false beliefs�.

3
Q

Theology

A

Systematic philosophical study of gods, including whether or not they exist, what their nature is.May include metaphysical or moral arguments�.

4
Q

Sociology of Religion

A

Examines social impact of religion, by seeing how many people belong to religions, and how this affects their behaviour.Doesn’t prove/disprove existence of God�.

5
Q

What does it mean to say that the question of the existence of any god is a metaphysical question?

A

there can be no evidence sufficient to prove or disprove existence of any divine power. (There may always be another explanation.)Even if we discover historical origins of any religion, that doesn’t make it ‘untrue’ – any more than social/historical emergence of scientific theories undermines their validity.Sociology cannot ‘prove’ or ‘disprove’ religion�.

6
Q

Rites + Rituals

A

Collective practices, e.g. worship, in which people engage in religion together�

7
Q

Beliefs

A

The ideas, values, and metaphysical claims that any religion makes about its gods�

8
Q

Organizations

A

Religious institutions, often with authority over those claiming to be part of religion�

9
Q

How do sociologists define religion?

A

Don’t agree. Broad concept: sociologists differ on precise definition.-religion difficult to define: sociologists point to different elements, so hard to come up with coherent theory�.

10
Q

Sacred vs Profane

A

Sacred: Set apart from daily life: they should not be treated lightlyConsidered ‘holy,’ & treated as if they have mystical power�.Profane: Objects of everyday use.Cannot come into contact with sacred objects, so they don’t make them ‘unclean.’

11
Q

How does Emile Durkheim argue what religions are defined by?

A

Emile Durkheim argues that religions are defined by the fact that they categorise all objects in society as ‘sacred’ or ‘profane.’Other characteristics (e.g. belief in a god) are not shared by all religions everywhere.Durkheim found sacred/profane distinction even in what he saw as ‘simplest’ religions: Australian ‘totemism’ in tribes�.-Ubiquity of this distinction makes it the hallmark of religious life�.

12
Q

Describe Durkheim’s “Tribal Totems”:

A

each group has its own symbolic representation, which is sacred to it alone.People in a specific tribe may be forbidden to eat the animal that represents their tribe.-Individuals in tribe may wear some symbolic representation of the shared totem: they mark their allegiance to the tribe�

13
Q

How does the sacred/profane distinction extend to people?

A

people: the group is defined as ‘those with access to sacred things.’Thus, for Durkheim, in worshipping totems, society is in effect worshipping itself. Functionalist view: religion helps ensure social solidarity�.

14
Q

Negative vs Positive Rites

A

Negative: Rites of initiation, designed for ritual purification, before new members can join religion� (hazing…)Positive: Shared celebrations (feasts, worship), in which believers come together as one�

15
Q

For Durkheim, how are religious rites the most important aspect of religion? Who is usually allowed to participate?

A

because these are when members of religion come together in formalised performances of religious beliefs.May include church services, retelling of ancient legends�.-Only those who have been formally admitted to religion may participate. Therefore, even membership is ritualised: you are admitted to group in formal ceremony�.

16
Q

Collective Effervescence

A

Ecstatic feeling of joy, almost of intoxication, which some believers feel in shared worship.Durkheim attributes it to sense of losing your individuality in the community�.-People may suspend individual morality and behave ‘irrationally’ whilst in such situations�-He speculates that this consists of a dissolution of your normal self: you are lost in society.Rejoicing comes from being made aware of society as a whole�

17
Q

How does Durkheim attribute rites and rituals to the higher suicide rates among protestants?

A

attributes difference to lower rates of social integration amongst Protestants: rites & rituals play lesser role. (Egoistic form of suicide: not enough experience of society.)

18
Q

Civil Religion. Who said it?

A

Robert BellahCollective festival that isn’t explicitly religious, but shares features of religious rites.May include big sports events or nationalism: people celebrate group identities�.-Most Western societies are increasingly pluralist: they contain members of many different faiths. Religion can’t play same unifying role as it used to�

19
Q

How is Civil Religion still similar to Religion?

A

However, we can see many similar collective rites:We dress up in team colours to go to sports events, where we express loud support and behave as a crazy crowd.People make ‘shrines’ to deceased celebrities�.They have the same function as religion, encouraging solidarity

20
Q

Organized Religion vs Spirituality

A

Organized Religion: Set of social institutions (buildings, hierarchies, official doctrines) and shared worship oriented towards a god�Spirituality: Set of beliefs or values about metaphysical realm that aren’t normally practiced with other people; inner, reflective.

21
Q

How are religious beliefs most often expressed in their original form?

A

expressed in a set of official doctrines: a religious hierarchy or institution may set rules; there may be an official liturgy (rules about ritual of worship); there may be a holy book that is the source of authority�.

22
Q

4 Forms of Religious Organization

A

Ecclesia: A ‘national’ religion that everyone within society is a member of, just be being born into that society� (think nation states)Denomination: Large organised religion, but not explicitly connected to state or nation. Usually has clear beliefs & some hierarchy�.Sect: Smaller religious group that has splintered off from a larger denomination. May claim to be return to roots of ‘real’ belief�.Cult or New Religious Movt: Often entirely new, based on novel set of beliefs. May be very cut off from society�.

23
Q

How do Sociologists categorize religions, specifically of the four forms of religious organization?

A

according to the ways they organise themselves internally, and relative to the rest of society�.

24
Q

Protestant Ethic

A

Weber’s term for a specific set of beliefs held by Protestants in Europe, encouraging them to behave in calculating, systematic fashion.Weber uses this to explain the rise of capitalism�.

25
Q

How was the protestant ethic ideal for fostering capitalism?

A

those who believed God called them to work hard, whilst avoiding worldly pleasure, were naturally successful in business�

26
Q

Doctrine

A

The set of beliefs or values of a religious group, telling members how to behave & what’s right or wrong�.

27
Q

Orthodoxy vs Heterodoxy/Heresy

A

Orthodoxy: The beliefs and values approved by the central authority of the religion�Heterodoxy/Heresy: Religious beliefs that are different from or criticised by the central authority�.

28
Q

The Iron Cage

A

Weber’s metaphor for the rigid structures that trap us in a system of coldly-rational practices.Originated in set of chosen practices, but this created inescapable situation�.Early Protestants engaged in self-denial and asceticism because they felt God wanted them to do so.Nowadays, we are all forced to take same rational, utilitarian attitude towards our world: we’ve become trapped in structures created out of freely-chosen religious beliefs�.

29
Q

Proto-Constructionist Approach (in contrast to Iron Cage)

A

explains social structures that restrict our action with reference to original value-driven actions�.

30
Q

Secularisation

A

Decline in religious practices & beliefs in society in recent centuries.Often seen as societies become more pluralist or more industrialised & capitalist�

31
Q

How do we know religion is in decline?

A

Declining influence of established religions (ecclesia) over government policy.Declining attendance at religious services�.

32
Q

Why is religion in decline?

A

Religious rules often seen as restrictive or prohibitive: they set down strict standards of acceptable behaviour.Churches sometimes portrayed as highly-conservative, or as interested only in preserving their own authority�.

33
Q

What did Social theorists generally agree about religion and its importance over time?

A

Social theorists (e.g. Marx, Weber, Durkheim) generally agreed that religion would decline in importance over time�.

34
Q

Social Differentiation

A

Process by which society becomes more complex & diverse, thus more specific needs.Emergence of many highly-specialised social institutions & parts of society�.

35
Q

What kind of institutions were churches historically? What did they control? Why is this now difficult?

A

Historically, Churches were all-encompassing institutions: they played multiple roles - education, welfare, centres of nation.Pluralism makes this difficult: multiple belief systems mean reduced role for church�.

36
Q

Describe how social differentiation has affected govt:

A

multiple specialised institutions spring up:Government agencies focused on each of these tasks, in order to carry it out better.Thus, no single institution unites society: tasks split amonst many private & public bodies�.

37
Q

Rationalization

A

Attempt to explain material world solely by reference to natural science, not through a supernatural being. Focus on logical coherence & unity of ideas.Weber: growth of capitalism = rationalisation�.

38
Q

How does Weber describe the process of Secularization as one of Rationalization?

A

people turn away from religion and look to science for explanations of events.This ‘disenchantment of the world’ means people believe less in ‘magical’ or ‘enchanted’ explanations for events�.-Growth in value of science, cold calculation, and rule by abstract or universal principles.We have ‘universal human rights’, not privileges granted by a divinely-appointed king�.

39
Q

How does Weber think rationalization originated?

A

Although growth of rationalisation may have undermined social role of religion, Weber thinks it originated in religious practices�.-Monotheistic religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity) often tried to systematise their beliefs in a coherent theology.This meant rejecting folk beliefs as ‘superstition’ or ‘witchcraft.’Emphasis on philosophical investigation into nature of God�

40
Q

For Weber, how was Protestantism especially rationalistic?

A

Relies on highly-abstract notion of God, and insists on subjecting life to strict rational regulation and calculation.Consequent growth of capitalism forced further rationalisation:What started with individual beliefs and practices turned into society-wide trend of rationalisation�.