Secularisation

    Cards (29)

    • Wilson: secularisation is the process where by religious thinking, practices and institutions lose social significance 
    • Founding fathers on ‘secularisation’ 
      Durkheim, Comte, Marx and Weber shared the same assumptions/ predictions:
      • religion would decline as science became more significant 
      • this would initially occur in most advanced societies 
    • Comte 
      Modern society will replace religion and will be dominated by science not by religion 
    • Durkheim 
      • individualism undermines collective consciousness 
      • individuals separated by industrialisation and urbanisation = weakening Of social solidarity
      • New forms of the sacred would emerge 
    • Marx 
      • secularisation inevitable due to the coming of socialism 
      • religion will die as capitalism is overthrown
      • Death of religion = inevitable 
    • Weber
      Rationalisation has:
      • stripped the world of its mystery 
      • Taken away the meaning that religion gave to some people’s lives 
    • Problems with measuring secularisation 
      • difficult to define and operationalise ‘religiosity’
      • Once operationalised, there is no guarantee that observable behaviour = commitment 
      • Davie: privatisation of religion argument - people may not worship in church but may practice religion at home 
    • Wilson: measuring secularisation
      Wilson says when these questions are combined we will get an accurate measurement of secularisation 
      1. Look at peoples religious thinking 
      2. Religious practices
      3. Significance of institutions
    • Arguments for secularisation:
      Weber: rationalisation
      • with the advent of industrialisation, people will replace religion and the supernatural with science and rationality
      • The Protestant reformation started the ‘disenchantment of the world’
      • Replaced by a technological world view 
    • Arguments for secularisation -
      Bruce: Technological world view 
      • technology has replaces religions as to why things happen e.g. people will ask google rather than other people or asking god
      • Although science does not always directly challenge religion, it can reduce religious scope 
    • Arguments for secularisation -
      Parsons: Structural Differentiation 
      • structural differentiation = process of secularisation that occurs with the development of industrial society 
      • Separate, specialised institutions have developed to carry out the functions that were previously performed by religion 
      • A02 - the NHS gives medical care and therapy, the government provides education 
    • Arguments for secularisation -
      Berger: Religious Diversity 
      • religious diversity has now replaced the sacred canopy of medieval Catholicism 
      • Each religion has its version of the truth, none has monopoly 
      • Religious diversity creates plurality of life worlds - different interpretations of the truth 
      • Creates a crisis of credibility for religion - erodes certainty 
    • Arguments for secularisation -
      Wilson and Bruce: Socialisation 
      • a decline in community leads to a decline in religion 
      • Contemporary life is fragmented and no longer locally based 
      • Wilson: pre industrial communities shared values were expressed through collective rituals which also regulated their behaviour 
      • Bruce: In contemporary society beliefs are no longer reinforced or automatically accepted 
    • Arguments for secularisation -
      Martin: Disengagement 
      • power, wealth and prestige has declined. Church of England has become distant from the state.
      • Religion has lost out in High Court case 
      • A02 - 2011 case of Pentecostalist foster parents. Their ban was upheld because of their homophobic views 
    • Arguments for secularisation -
      Hervieu Lenger: Individualism 
      • Similar to Kendal project 
      • Religion is part of a chain memory - passed down from generation to generation 
      • This chain has been broken in many western societies 
      • Individuals now choose their own path - spiritual individualism - shopping around for a religion which suits them 
    • Arguments for secularisation -
      Herburg: Internal Secularisation 
      • churches are diluting their beliefs as they are losing their place within society 
      • They adhere to cosmopolitan society e.g. use of social media - but as a result are losing people to fundamentalism 
      • A02 - the modernisation of church - megachurches in the US
    • Argument against secularisation
      A03 : Gracie Davie - ‘believing without belonging’ 
      • DISAGREES those arguing for secularisation
      • The declining power and influence of the church does not mean that there is a decline in personal religiosity 
      • A02: Kendal Project - decline in church attendance but increase in spiritual practices 
      • A02: British social attitudes survey - only 10% claimed to be atheist and 14% agnostics 
    • Issues with secularisation theories are:
      •Research has focused mostly on western, industrialised nations
      •Assume that the same will happen to all countries when they develop
      •It ignores other countries, globalisation and postmodern analyses
      To fully understand secularisation, we need to look other parts of the world
    • Three examples of religion in a global context:
      • Pentecostalism 
      • Hinduism
      • Fundamentalist groups 
    • Arguments against secularisation:
      The growth of Pentecostalism:
      • the fastest growing form of Christianity both in Britain and in the world 
      • Emphasises the role of the Holy Spirit and direct personal experience of god by the believer 
      • There are 1 million in UK and 20 million in USA
      Characteristics of Pentecostal churches/ services -
      • charismatic leader 
      • Excitement/ involvement 
      • Music 
      • Large numbers of African americas 
      • Elements of the supernatural 
    • Arguments against secularisation:
      Why has Pentecostalism grown?
      • cox - it appeals to the emotions - offers promise to the poor by encouraging an ascetic lifestyle 
      • Berger - agrees with Weber that religion can promote economic development - the prosperity gospel = living a certain kind of christian life will bring spiritual blessings and monetary reward 
      • Lehmann - it has been very successful because it incorporates local beliefs - A02 - Tribal African religions believe that people can be possessed. Pentecostalism will practice exorcisms to ‘cast out demons’ from people.
    • Arguments against secularisation:
      Ultra -nationalist Hinduism
      • an extremist form of Hindu ideology
      • it promotes the idea that Hindu culture and valves should dominate all aspects of society
      • associated with a desire to assert a distinct Hindu identity in response to perceived past and present threats 
      • supporters argue for policies that prioritise Hindus over other religious groups, leading to religious intolerance and discrimination  
    • Considerable growth in religious fundamentalism:
      1. Christianity in the USA
      2. Islam in Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria etc
    • Arguments against secularisation:
      Giddens: the features of fundamentalism
      • traditionalists who seek to return to the basics or fundamentals of their faith
      • They believe unquestioningly in the literal and infallible truth of scripture = provides answers to all life’s important questions 
      • Fundamentalism = monopoly of truth = intolerant and refuse to engage in dialogue 
      • Fundamentalists tend to avoid contact with others who think differently
      • They reply upon guardians of tradition e.g. the clergy or elders, to interpret the sacred text and lay down rules that determine their lifestyles 
    • Arguments against secularisation:
      Christianity -
      • new christian right in the US, American right wing politics that relies on Christianity as the foundation of their political beliefs e.g. Donald trump 
      • Holds conservative views, e.g. teaching of creationism, believes sex education in schools should be abolished 
      Some specific organisations that fall into this category all over the world are: 
      • Assemblies of God
      • The southern Baptist convention 
      • Seventh day Adventists
    • Fundamentalism as a response to modernity
      • product of and reaction to globalisation, which undermines traditional social norms e.g. nuclear family 
      • Giddens - fundamentalism is attractive to individuals who are constantly faced with choice, uncertainty and risk 
      • Bruce - fundamentalism ‘responds to problems created by modernisation’ 
      • Beck - risk society 
      • Armstrong - makes use of technology and the methods of modern social movements to achieve their goals e.g. Islamic state group
    • Arguments against secularisation:
      Islam -
      • refers to puritanical Muslims who seek to follow the founding scriptures of Islam 
      • Most visible in nations such as Iraq 
      • Several well known examples of fundamentalist Islamic groups e.g. taliban and al-queda
      • General belief that countries with Muslim majority populations should return to fundamental Islamic state governed by the rules and laws of Islam in all aspects of society 
      • They view secularisation and westernisation as corrupting 
    • Arguments against secularisation:
      Existential security theory
      Norris and ingleheart- 
      • the strength of religion is related to the level of existential security in a country 
      • A sense of existential security - the feeling that survival is secure enough that it can be taken for granted 
      • A02 - compared to the most of the west, USA has a higher inequality and a less comprehensive welfare state. They experience greater insecurity than citizens of other highly developed societies 
    • Arguments against secularisation:
      Explaining the appeal of fundamentalism:
      1. Marketing - key factor is use of technology e.g. ISIS use of social media 
      2. Totalism - very successful in integrating faith into all areas of life 
      3. Personal transformation - attracts individuals with its promise of direct spiritual experience 
      4. Grassroots involvement - fundamentalist groups are populist and non elitist with a do it yourself ethos 
      5. Certainty in a world of choice - fundamentalist groups appeal to those who seek a moral anchor in a world of unlimited choice (postmodern world)
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