Social groups

• Weber (social class)


  Wc turn to sects due to marginalisation/theodicy of disprivilege

  > for an explanation and justification for disadvantage

  Mc - Protestant work ethic, encouraged to work hard

  > ‘elect’ go to heaven - work hard, save money, reinvest
• Norris and Inglehart (social class)


  existential security theory

  > wc poverty means theyre more likely to be religious to gain comfort and support
• Marx (social class)


  religion cushions oppression for wc

  > ‘religion is the opium of all people‘ - cope with alienation
• Nanda (social class)


  Hindu-ultranationalism - telegurus encourage persuit of luxury
• Age trends with religion


  45-65 year olds are most likely to attend church

  > then declines due to illness and mobility issues

  Brierley - 87% 10-14yo thought church was boring

  > still high rate of under 15s attending due to parental pressure
• Voas and Crocket (age)


  2 explanations for age difference + religion:

  1. ageing effect - death = ‘naturally concerned’

  2. generational effect - secular society = each new gen is less religious - parents not passing down

  > older are more religious due to it being popular when they were born
• AGE- what age most likely to join world rejecting NRMs


  young adults

  > due to freedom of children, longer educaition

  > experience anomie - sects offer guidance + community
• AGE- what age most likely to join world affirming NRMs


  middle aged

  > due to too much to lose to join a sect - don’t have time to withdraw from world

  > relative deprivation (stark and bainbridge) - cults promise success
• What gender is more likely to participate in religious activity?


  women
• Miller and Hoffman (gender)


  Socialisation - women have caring, obedient, passive qualities suited to religion

  Structural locations - likely to be in part-time work/full time carers

  Risk - fear of ‘hell’ - close to life and death matters
• Davie (gender)


  women are often carers and question life and death
• Heelas and Woodhead (gender)


  80% holistic milieu = female

  > women associated with healing and nature attracted to NAMs

  > achieve higher status
• Drane (gender)


  NAMs popularity due to shift towards postmodernism as science has failed so people turn to new age to find truth
• Bruce (gender)


  trend to NAMs is actually a phase to late modernity (individualism, picknmix)
• why has the amount of women going to church been declining since 1980s


  fertility levels - less kids

  feminism - reject traditional gender roles

  paid employment - due to more time as less kids

  family diversity - law changes

  sexuality
• ethnicity trend


  ethnic minorities originate from poorer countries with traditional culture (maintain religious pattern from origin country)
• Bruce (ethnicity)


  globalisation =

  > cultural defence - support cultural identity

  > cultural transition - eases transition into a new culture