Beliefs in Society - Postmodernism and Religion - Revision Notes in A Level and IB Sociology

Transformation for modern society to postmodern society has profound implications for religious organisations and they way religion is practiced.

Religion and modern society

The type of society they argue existed before the emergence of postmodern society.
(a) Modern society is dominated by an industrial economic system focused on factories producing manufactured goods.
Modern society began with the industrial revolution.
As industrial society developed, so too did other chacteristics of modern societies:
(1) urbanisation
(2) a meritocratic society based on universal rules, especially examinations and qualifications
(3) a centralised government
(4) the nation-state
(b) Moderin society is dominated by particular approaches to knowledge.
Three types of belief systems:
(1) Science - high status - underpins the standard of living in modern societies.
(2) Political ideologies - ideas about how we should organise our economies.
(3) Religion - Christianity.
(c) People's identities are shaped by social influences over which they have little or no control such as:
social class
gender
ethnicity
nationality
In modern societies, people are usually born into a religion - they do not choose it.

Postmodern society

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