topic three - secularisation Flashcards
evidence to suggest church attendance is declining
the Census of Religious Worshipp estimated that in the year 1851 40% more of the British population attended church on a Sunday compared to tday
list some evident changes
- the age of churchgoers increasing
- a decline in the proportion of the population going to church
- fewer baptisms
- greater diversity
- decline in no. of individuals who hold trad christian beliefs
how does W define secularisation
Wilson defines secularisation as ‘the process whereby religious beliefs, practices and institutions lose social significance’
what has been changing
- church attendance
- religious affiliation
- religious institutions
church attendance percentages
Wilson found that:
- mid 19th century 40%
- 1960’s 10-15%
- by 2015 5%
even if there is a downward trend, what are the ‘anomalies’
-church weddings and baptisms, especially bogus baptisms remain more popular
- however, bogus baptisms could be a sign in the demand for faith schools due to better performance rather than actual faith
trends in religious affiliation
a continuing decline:
- BSA 2015: adults with no religion rose from a third to around a half from 1982 to 2014
how have religious institutions changes
- they have less influence as a social instituion as the state performs functions that the church once performed e.g. there are now more state schools rather than faith schools
- another e.g. there is a legal requirement for schools to provide worship of a ‘broadly Christian character’ however a BBC survey in 2005 showed that over hal f of secondary schools in Wales failed to comply with this
Bruce’s perspective and evidence about the clergy
‘whether we measure church mebership, church attendance etc, we find a that there is a steady and unremitting decline’
- the clergy are an aeging workforce with only 12% of Anglican clergy being under 40
define rationalisation
the process by which rational ways of thinking come to replace religious ones
how does W use rationalisation to explain secularisation
- many socs note that Western soc has undergone a process of rationalisation
- Weber in particular points to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th cent which undermined the medieval Catholic worrldview which saw the world as enchanted with God and other spiritual beings controlling the course of events
explain how the Protestant reformation undermined religious enchantment
Weber: Protestantism saw God as a transcendental being who created the world but let it run according to the laws of nature, therefore:
- events were no longer unexplainable and unpredictable but were the predictable workings of natural forces
how did this new way of thinking led to disenchantment
Weber: in order to understand the natural laws, humans simply had to use rational thought and reasoning such as science
- as a result there was no need for religious explanations as humans could now predict how the world worked and use technology to control it, leading to disenchantment
how does B develop Weber’s rationalisationm perspective
Bruce argues the growth of the techological worldview has replaced thr religious one
- e.g. if a plane crashes we look towwards scientific and technological explanations rather than the work of evil spirits
- religious explanations therefore only survive in areas where tech is least effective e.g. illness with no cure = prayer
what does P use to explain secularisation
Parsons uses structural differentiation: a process of specialisation that occurs with the development of industrial soc
how has structural differentiation led to secularisation
Parsons:
- religion dominated pre-industrial society and influenced social welfare, the law and education
- it is now small institution as other institutions such as the state have replaced their functions
- Bruce: this leads to disengagement as religion now becomes disconnected from wider society
how does B build on Parsons
Bruce explains that sturctural diff has led to religion becoming a matter of the private sphere where it is a matter of personal choice
- even where religions continue to have ifnluence e.g. in faith schools, they must still comply with the secualr state
3 examples of how social change/cultural diversity have led to secularisation
- decline pf community
- industrialisaton
- diversity
how has decline in community led to secularisation
Wilson:
- social shift towards industrial society = decreased sense of community towards individulaism
- shared values and collective religious rituals have less importance therefore no longer can perform the function of social integration/collective conscience
- therefore religion loses its vitality
how has industrialisation led to increased diversity and how has this led to secularisation
Bruce:
- industrialisation hsa encouraged the growth of lose-knit urban communities with diverse beliefs amd values
- so even when people continue to hold thier religious beliefs, they inevitably realise their peers hold different views
- this undermines the plausibility of religious beliefs
has the decline in community really caused secularisation
Aldridge explains how community is not neccessarily in a given area/location:
- religion can be a source of identity on a worldwide scale (intetrnational Jewish, Hindu and Muslim communities) who can also connect through the global media
- moreover Pentecostal and other religious groups flourish in ‘impersonal’ urban areas
according to the food (clue for name) what is another cause of secularisation
Berger points to the trend towards religious diversity where there aer many instituions and society is becoming multi-faith and identified two main consequences:
- the sacred canopy
- the plausibility structure
sacred canopy
BERGER
- in the Middle Ages the Catholic church held an absolute monopoly
- so everyone lived under a single sacred canopy of a set of shared beliefs = little questioning
- Protestand ref caused Protestant churches and sects to break away from the monopoly
- many different religios and belief systems have grown since each with a different version of the truth
- now no organisation can claim an unchallenged monopoly of truth
what is the result of the sacred canopy being undermined
BERGER
- the plurality of life worlds
- this is where people’s understanding of the world is varied
