Topic 2 - Religion And Social Change

Question 1

What are 2 ways which religion can be seen as ?

Answer 1

-Religion is a conservative force (doesn’t encourage change )
-Religion is a force for change ( does encourage change)

Question 2

Religion as a conservative force- what are these religious beliefs ?

Answer 2

-they have traditional beliefs about how things should be organised eg Catholic Church forbids divorce and opposes gay marriage
-favour patriarchal division of labour
-Hinduism endorses male domestic authority and the practice of arranged marriage

Question 3

Religion as a conservative force - what do functionalists believe are religion’s functions ?

Answer 3

Functionalists see religion as conservative force as it aims to maintain the status quo and prevent society from disintegrating
Promotes social solidarity by creating value consensus and stops individuals pursuing selfish desires

Question 4

Religion as a conservative force - what do Marxists such as Marx believe are religions functions ?

Answer 4

Religion and capitalism - Marx sees religion as a conservative ideology that prevents the overthrow of capitalism through false class consciousness

Question 5

Religion as a conservative force - what do feminists believe are religions functions ?

Answer 5

Feminists see religion as a conservative force as it maintains the patriarchy and women’s subordination in the family and wider society

Question 6

What is an example of how religion is a force for change

Answer 6

Weber sees religion as promoting social change through his idea of Calvinism

Question 7

Religion as a force for change - What does Weber believe are the 4 key Calvinist beliefs ?

Answer 7

-Predestination
-Divine transcendence
-Asceticism
-The idea of a vocation or a calling

Question 8

Religion as a force for change - Weber Calvinist beliefs - what is meant by pre destination ?

Answer 8

Pre destination - God has already determined which souls will be saved and there is nothing that can be done to change it

Question 9

Religion as a force for change - Weber Calvinist beliefs - what is meant by Divine transcendence and what does this lead to ?

Answer 9

Divine transcendence- God was so high and mighty that no one could claim to know his decision and when combined with predestination it leads to salvation panic (no one knew if they were going to heaven and no one could find out as god is so powerful which made them panic )

Question 10

Religion as a force for change - Weber Calvinist beliefs - what is meant by Asceticism ?

Answer 10

Asceticism - this is the self discipline that people show to their religion eg monks live an ascetic lifestyle through wearing simple clothing

Question 11

Religion as a force for change - Weber Calvinist beliefs - what is meant by the idea of a vocation or a calling ?

Answer 11

The idea of a vocation or a calling - we were put on earth to glorify god’s name by our work but the idea of a calling was through a job and not religious buildings

Question 12

Religion as a force for change - Summary of How calvinists see religion as a force for change ?

Answer 12

-Calvinist’s worked long hours and the money that they earned performed a psychological function , helping them to cope with the salvation panic which they faced
-They reinvested the money they earned back into the business , which grew and this then turned into capitalism
-(Calvinism helped bring about capitalism )

Question 13

Evaluation of religion as a force for change such as Calvinism evaluated by Hinduism ?

Answer 13

-Some religions such as Hinduism direct its followers away from a material lifestyle

Question 14

Religion as a force for change - Evaluation by Marx ?

Answer 14

Marx saw the rise of capitalism as being economic or linked to material factors

Question 15

Religion as a force for change -Evaluation by Kautsky ?

Answer 15

Kautsky argues that capitalism was around before Calvinism

Question 16

Religion as a force for change - Evaluation by Tawney ?

Answer 16

Tawney argues that technological changes brought about capitalism

Question 17

Religion as a force for change - Evaluation that Calvinism isn’t a cause of capitalism ?

Answer 17

Capitalism didn’t develop in every country where there were Calvinist’s , eg Scotland had a large Calvinist population but was slow to capitalise

Question 18

Religion and Social protest - what are the 2 examples provided by Bruce which helps us understand how religion can bring about social change ?

Answer 18

-The American Civil rights movement
-The new Christian right

Question 19

Religion and social protest - Summarise the American civil rights movement ?

Answer 19

-Wanted to end Racial segregation
-Began in 1955 with Rosa parks
-Campaigned through protests etc
-Led by Martin Luther King

Question 20

Religion and social protest - what does Bruce see religion as when looking at the American civil right movement ?

Answer 20

Bruce sees religion as an ideological resource (religion provides beliefs and practices that protestors Could draw on for support and motivation )

Question 21

Religion and Social protest - what are the 4 ways in which Bruce identifies which can support and contribute to social change (American civil rights movement) ?

Answer 21

-Taking the moral high ground -Black clergy pointed out the hypocrisy of white clergy who preached love thy neighbour but supported racial segregation.
-Channeling dissent -Religion provides channels to express political dissent . For example , the funeral of Martin Luther king was a rallying point for the civil rights cause
-Acting as honest broker - churches can provide a context for negotiating change because they are often respected by both sides in a conflict and seen as standing above mere politics
-Mobilising public opinion - Black churches in the South successfully campaigned for support across the whole of America

Question 22

Religion and Social Protest - Summarise the new Christian Right ?

Answer 22

• The aims of the new Christian right seek to take America back to God and make abortion , homosexuality , gay marriage and divorce illegal
  -The new Christian right believe strongly in the traditional family and traditional gender roles .
  -It campaigns for the teaching of “creationism” the view that the bible’s account of creation is literally true . And ban sex education in schools

Question 23

Religion and social protest - what are the 2 reasons that Bruce argues that the New Christian right has been unsuccessful in achieving its aims ?

Answer 23

-It’s campaigners find it very difficult to cooperate with people from other religious groups , even when campaigning on the same issue , such as abortion
-It lacks widespread support and has met with strong opposition from groups who stand for freedom of choice

Question 24

What are the key Ideas of Bloch ?

Answer 24

-Bloch sees religion as having a dual character due to it being able to inspire change but also as be the source of conflict
-Religion is an expression of the “principle of hope” - our dreams of a better life that contains images of utopia (a perfect world )
-Images of utopia can deceive people with a promise of rewards in heaven
-However , it can also help people identity what needs to be changed

Question 25

What is an example of how religion can be a dual character ?

Answer 25

Example of how religion can be a dual character - Liberation theology Movement that emerged within the Catholic Church in Latin America . They had a strong commitment to the poor and opposition to military dictatorship

Question 26

What are 3 factors which led to the liberation theology ?

Answer 26

-Deepening rural poverty and the growth of urban slums throughout Latin America -Human rights abuses following military takeovers such as torture -The growing commitment amongst catholic priests to an ideology that supported the poor and opposed violations of human rights

Question 27

summarise the liberation theology ?

Answer 27

The liberation theology ; -set out to change society -Priests took an active role in helping the poor through educating them -The movement has since lost its influence , however it helped bring about democracy

Question 28

What do Millenarian movements believe in ?

Answer 28

Millenarian movements believe in the coming of a new world through supernatural action . They believe in a second coming of Christ , and this will create a heaven on earth and the whole group will be saved

Question 29

Who are most likely to believe in millenarian movements and why ?

Answer 29

Millenarian movements appealed mostly to the poor and exploited groups as they are promised immediate improvements

Question 30

What is the millenarian movement described by Worsley ?

Answer 30

-Worsley investigated a millenarian movement in Melanesia (Western Pacific) known as cargo cults -Melanesia was an isolated group of islands with people living a basic and natural life , with no contact from the wider world or any technological advances -Melanesia began to be colonised by western countries , and the islanders felt wrongly deceived when cargo arrived in the islands for the colonists

Question 31

What is meant by ideological domination ?

Answer 31

Ideological domination - when socially powerful people use their influence to convince less powerful people it is in their best interest to do what the most powerful people want

Question 32

What did Gramsic discover about religion and Hegemony ?

Answer 32

When the ruling class uses their ideas such as religion to maintain control , hegemony is established

Question 33

Gramsci , why is hegemony not always guaranteed ?

Answer 33

Hegemony is not always guaranteed and the working class are not always hypnotised by the dominate ideology , they may experience a dual consciousness