Globalisation and fundamentalism

• Religious fundamentalism

  Keeping to the core principles of the religion, interpret religious texts literally, say all society should follow this
• Bruce - religious fundamentalism (reaction)


  Religious fundamentalism = reaction to:

  • modernisation: rational thought, disenchantment
  • societalisation: intimate communities to complex cities, society becomes fragmented
  • permissiveness - allowing people to do what they want e.g. gay marriage
  • western world and egalitarianism (equal rights) - western world moved towards equal rights e.g. gender equality - right to vote, reproduction rights
  • developing world = more likely to conform to religious fundamentalism, reaction to the power of the West
• Bruce - religious fundamentalism

  Monotheism - fundamentalism, believe in one god, one text/god, easier to say that is law
• Almond et al - religious fundamentalism


  Western secular rationalism = fundamentalism = reaction to dominance of the Western world with secular approach and rationalism

  • inequality and deprivation - as people are getting poorer, they find radical religious groups appealing in response to poverty
  • cultural defense - ethnic minorities react against prejudice by turning to religious fundamentalism - rejection of US culture
  • Western imperialism - fundamentalism is defensive response to Western imperialism
• Giddens - religious fundamentalism


  Cosmopolitanism

  • inclusive, multi-cultural culture in cities
  • challenges religious fundamentalism
• Castells - religious fundamentalism

  Project identity - to be diverse, inclusive

  Resistance identity - resisting diversity and inclusivity, want to retain traditions
• Davie - religious fundamentalism

  Secular fundamentalism

  • anti religion, reaction to religious groups + revivals
  • people believing in no god, want religion gone
  • Often disrespectful to religion e.g. in France, not allowed to wear hijab in schools

  Postmodernity - metanarratives questioned

  • religious fundamentalism = reaction to the rejection of religious metanarratives
  • secular fundamentalism = reaction to religious fundamentalism
• Huntingdon - globalisation


  Clash of civilisations

  • conflict between Islam and West: Islam is incompatible with Western values

  Nation state in decline

  • lack of importance in national identity, so people turn to religious identity

  Global interconnectedness

  • through internet and mass migration
  • leads to disputes and conflicts about religious beliefs and practices = clash of civilisations
• Critique: Huntingdon - globalisation

  It is not conflict between Islam and West but Western influence trying to interfere which causes other countries to resist
• Bruce - globalisation

  Cultural defense - turning to religion as a defense to resist influence of powerful, foreign country

  • Poland and USSR, Solidarity, Roman Catholicism
  • Iran and the West, became fundamentalism Islamic state in response to West
• Nanda - globalisation


  Economic growth in developing world

  India's new middle class

  • Capitalism in India = people get rich, quickly
  • as people get richer, Hinduism increasing

  Tele-gurus

  • Tele-gurus = preachers on internet, say you can stay spiritually balanced - as long as you spend money on Hindu rituals, celebrations, temples etc
• Lehmann - globalisation

  Spread of Christianity

  • first wave of Christian globalisation via colonialism, impose it on people
  • second wave of through Pentecostalism = empowering the poor, effective in motivating people to abandon drinking, drugs etc. helps global development
  • 'Africanisation of Christianity' - success spreading Pentecostalism because it integrates with the local culture, service in different languages