religious fundamentalism

• • claim monopoly of truth
  • not open to falsification
  • very rigid + literal - take religious scriptures to the letter
  • have high demands upon followers
  • have traditional views about males + females
• 1-to end westernisation = RF groups want to stop the spread of western ways which have been forced upon them e.g bars, clubs

  e.g Boko Haram = Islamic terrorist group in Nigeria, Africa

  -means western education is forbidden = believe western culture is a corrupting influence

  -kidnapped girls and forced them to convert into Islam + marry their fighters

  -when their husband dies, they are married off to another fighter and after time they are turned into suicide bombers

  -this is not a response to westernisation but to social inequality
• 2-protest against modernity = not all fundamentalist hate western countries but hate social inequality as they believe that modern ways have polluted their true vision of the world

  e.g ISIS - Islamic terrorist group who use violence to stop modernity which goes against Allah as they want to change the society and go back to the basics of Islam with a literal interpretation of Qur'an + create an Islamic state

  -electronic fundamentalism = these groups are against modernity but use their products to spread their message e.g social media + email
• 3-remove liberal values = these values are a threat to traditional beliefs + practices e.g legislation of homosexuality

  e.g Westboro Baptist Church = christian fundamentalist group (USA) - protest + picket events like gay and lesbian funerals + want to back to the basics of Christianity

  -fundamentalist groups in western societies are responding to change within society = individual fundamentalism - groups want to maintain traditional values in this stable liberal society
• 4-offer direction + certainty in modern society = people living in PM society are less clear-cut + certain

  they argue that this society is characterised by anomie

  religious fundamentalism offers very clear rules + moral guidelines on how to live e.g ISIS - clear traditional gender roles like man performs the instrumental roles whereas woman performs the expressive role

  -fundamentalism offers direction + certainty in countries where governments have failed e.g Islamic state has developed as a result of conflicts in the middle east