Religion Today

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  • Created by: FatCat3
  • Created on: 21-02-23 18:38
what is secularisation?
the extent to which society is becoming less religious
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what does another sociologist describe this as?
the process whereby religious thinking practices and institution lose their social significance
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what does quantitative data suggest to support secularisation?
who found this data?
Crockett- religious practice and institutions are losing their social significance in counties such as UK/US, in 1850s church attendance was 50% of adult population, in 2000 it was 7.5%
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what did another sociologists find about the belief after life?
Gill et all found there was a significant decline in belief in God and the afterlife
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what is the disappearance thesis?
that as modernity has brought on the death of religion, religion has lost significance for both the individual and society and this decline will continue until religion disappears
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what is the differentiation thesis?
that religion is in social decline but not individual decline, religion no longer plays an important role in society but individual belief is still strong
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what are the causes of secularisation?
.old fashioned- rituals and traditions and out of touch with the modern world
.loss of status- religious leaders have lost their status in society
.loss of functions- many of the functions traditionally-
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include sociologist
-carried by church such as welfare, health care and education are done but the state(parsons)
.challenge from sects, cults, etc- links to mainstream religions being old fashioned in that ppl are looking for teachings that fit modern thinking
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include sociologists
.changing leisure patterns- fragmented and consumer based lifestyles have meant that Sundays are no longer a day of rest/religion
.growth of science- Comte and weber believe the growth of rationalisation of the modern world of-
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-sciences is displacing religious understandings of the world
.religious pluralism- due to globalisation countries like UK became multi faith so one religion isn't the 'one' religion in respect for the whole nation (Berger- Eurocentric)
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include sociologists
.decline of metanarratives- ppl abandoning what were once for taken for granted beliefs and facts and are shopping around for belief systems that match their own values- fits in with the postmodernism perspective (Lyon)
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include sociologists
.Bruce: technological worldwide- technology and science has become too advanced ie if airplane accident ppl ask 'whats wrong with plane', not looking to supernatural for answers why accident happened (+religion online and online religion- Hellend)
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.secularisation from within- some regions themselves become more secular to fit in with the modern world or to remain relevant ie church of England figures ie bishop Durham question key tenets of christian faith
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name the evaluations
-no reliable measurement of secularisation as church attendance doesn't correlate with religiosity (+church census data only revels attendance on one day)
-Davie argues religion isn't declining, just-
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-changing ie more privatised at home rather then going to a religious organisation
-Norris+Inglehart propose Existential Security Theory that states religion is a key part of societies where there is a lack of economic security
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what is the religious market theory and who was it proposed by?
Stark+Bainbridge argue 1.ppl make rational choice about what gives them the biggest reward with the smallest costs and 2.ppl are naturally religious, so religion gives ppl promises of great rewards with a small cost
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what its globalisation?
when society has become more interconnected economically, culturally and politically
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what are the effect on religion from globalisation? who highlighted these impacts?
Beyer;
.Particularism- religion has increased as it is used for an avenue of antiglobalisation activity, one feature of g is a sort of cultural homogenisation (creation of a single, global popular culture)-
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-religion is often seen as the opposite of that, a symbol of how ppl are culturally diff from one another not the same, this gas contributed to fundamentalism and is a feature of political conflict in many areas of the world
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.Universalism- some evidence that shows the opposite, while some fundamentalist groups might emphasise their difference from other groups but the major religions have more focus on what unites them
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.Marginalisation- religion is increasingly marginalised in contemporary society playing less part in public life although this may well be a rather eurocentric view and may be caused by other social changes rather then globalisation
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what other ways has globalisation effected religion?
.more communication (Bruce/Hellend)
.religion identity less attached to national identity then it once was, ie state religions are clear but its less of a feature in west then it used to be
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what did another sociologist study about Hinduism?
globalisation+religion has led to an increase in change being made in regions ie traditionally Tele-Gurus valued wealth as a sign of sin and greed but in contemp society its seen as a sign of divine labour, encouraging ppl to go for opportunities-
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without guilt that their religion wouldn't accept of it, this has led to economic development, rise of the middle class and rising prosperity, similar case to calvinism
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what is fundamentalism?
its an appeal to traditional/basic functions of religion that contemporary society is neglecting
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what are the key characteristics of fundamentalism?
include sociologists
literalism- interpretations read at face value, them and us mentality (Davie), Aggressive actions, use of modern technology, patriarchy (Hawley), prophecy, conspiracies
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what are the causes of fundamentalism?
include sociologists
what is cosmopolitanism?
Giddens argues traditional social norms concerning the nuclear family, sexuality, abortion, etc isn't prioritised which fundamentalism provides, cosmopolitanism means a way of thinking that embraces modernity to open to-
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-alternative views and modifies beliefs based on new ideas
.Bauman- postmodernity argues that there it too much choice which can cause uncertainty and heighten risk awareness of risk, with this some ppl-
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-will embrace the freedom whilst others are attached to fundamentalism
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what are 2 reactions to fundamentalism and who proposed this?
Castells;
.Resistance identity- a defensive reaction of those that feel threatens and retreat to fundamentalism
.Project identity- response of the forward thinking who engage with social movements ie environme -ntalism/ feminism
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name the evaluations of this
-some point out that f religion isn't new its just more noticeable as a result of globalisation in a largely secular/liberal beliefs society
-there are many other places which have seen large fundamentalist religions in place for many-
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-years ie what is now considered fundamentalist christian was considered mainstream religion historically
-Armstrong points out that fundamentalism movements are not throwbacks to medieval-
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-religion but thoroughly contemporary where as medieval religions were mysterious+elitists where as contemporary fundamentalism movements are populist which make use of tech and methods of modern social movements to achieve their goals
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-ignores hybrid movements ie NAM/NRM
-Haynes argues fundamentalism isn't always a reaction against globalisation but a reaction to local elites failing to deliver on premises to improve the standard of living
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what does another sociologist describe this as?

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the process whereby religious thinking practices and institution lose their social significance

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what does quantitative data suggest to support secularisation?
who found this data?

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what did another sociologists find about the belief after life?

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what is the disappearance thesis?

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