Religion and social change

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What does it mean by religion as a conservative force?
Religion keeps society stable and prevents it from changing
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In what 2 ways is religion a conservative force?
It's beliefs, it's functions
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What does religion uphold?
Traditional beliefs about how society should be organized
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How did traditional and conservative beliefs oppose changes?
Don't allow individuals more freedom in personal and sexual matters eg. catholic church forbids contraception and abortion
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What else does religion uphold in its beliefs?
Family values and patriarchal divisions of labor
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How are religious functions conservative functions?
Maintains society and the status quo
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Who do functionalists see religions as a conservative force from its functions?
Its functions maintain social stability by providing society with shared norms and values ensuring consensus and no disintegration
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Provided 2 examples
Durkheim- religion reinforces norms and values
Bellah - civil religion integrates multi-faith societies
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Provide a critcism
Weber argues they civil religion acts as a means for social change eg. calvanists
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Why do traditional Marxists believe religion is a conservative force?
Because it an ideology that prevents social change as religion legitimizes inequality and prevents revolution - stabilises capitalist society
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Provide an example for a Marxist view?
Marx religion is opium that dulls the masses from the pain of exploitation and prevents revolution
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Provide a criticism from feminists for the Marxist view of a conservative force
Feminists argue the ignore gender inequalities and that religion reinforces patriarchal values
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Why do feminists see religion as a conservative force?
Legitmises patriarchal power and maintains women's subordination so reinforces traditional belies regarding women's position in society
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Provide an example for feminist view
Armstrong sees catholicism as not allowing women to be in position of power and reinforces women's subordination
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Provide a criticism of the feminist view
Bruce points religion can lead to social change eg. Civil Rights movements movement in '50s/60's
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Religion and social change
..
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What did Weber (1905) find promoted social change?
Calvinism and its influence on creating what we see as capitalism today
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What's the Calvinist belief of predestination?
Before birth God new who would go to heaven - made members anxious as they couldn't change it
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What's the Calvinist belief of divine transcendence?
God is highly above mortals so no one could know who he has chosen so they devoted themselves to their worth acquiring mass wealth as they saw it as a sign of favour from God
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What is the Calvinist belief of Asceticism?
Living a life of abstinence, self-discipline and dential eg. simple clothing so reinvested money into business
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What's the Calvinist belief of vocation or calling?
The only way to glorify God was to devote themselves to their work - religious duty
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Provide an evaluation of Weber (sociologist)
Kautsky (1927) Moderns capitalism existed before Calvinism was to justify reasons why R/C controlled means of production
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Provide another Criticism
Scotland had a large population of Calvinists but capitalism was still slow to develop there.
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Who claimed it was because Scotland lacked investment and skilled labor
Marshland (1982)
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What did Bruce see as religion causing the social change?
Black civil rights movement 1950/1960's
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How did the Black clergy induce social change?
Point out hypocrisy of white clergy who supported segregation but preached love thy neighbor
Negotiated with the oppresstion
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How did The new Christain Right promote social change?
The main aim is to resist change and make society socially and politically conservative again eg. Texas criminalsing abortion at 6 weeks
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Why did bruce say new certain right largely unsuccessful
- Lack of widespread support, negative media coverage
- Find it difficult to cooperate with people even if they had the same view
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Neo-Marxist and social change
..
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Why does Engels see religion as having a duel character?
Because it prevents change because it disguises inequality but it can promote social change by challenging status quo
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Who believes that religion is a principle of hope that could inspire the proletariat to revolt by providing better images of life?
Ernst Bloch
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What's liberation theory?
Catholic priests in Latin America in 60's helped them recognize the exploitation they faced and help with poverty by establishing literacy programs and base communities
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Provide a criticism for liberation theory
1980's John Paul II condemned liberation Theology saying it resembled marxism
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Who argues that instead of LT that offers a radical solution to poverty, the Pentecostal Church challenges their followers to take charge of their own futures by working hard to get out of poverty (benefitting capitalism)?
Lehmann (2002)
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What does Gramsci argue?
Religion played a part in maintaining cultural hegemony (combined economic, political, and cultural authority of W/C) but can alos produce own ideas to inspire social change
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Provide an example for Hegemony
Methodist church would preach to workers in factories and encourage them to join religion which gave them away to vent whilst still participating in capitalist system
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Provide an example of counter-hegemony
Members of methodist church involved in developing early trade unions and labour party
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What does this show is about Gramsici view on duel character ?
help w/c develop counter-hegemonic bloc (can support and challenge R/C ideas )
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

In what 2 ways is religion a conservative force?

Back

It's beliefs, it's functions

Card 3

Front

What does religion uphold?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

How did traditional and conservative beliefs oppose changes?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What else does religion uphold in its beliefs?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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