defence and transition

• Secularization


  The decline of religious belief and practice in modern society
• Globalization

  Has led to the spread of religions particularly those once confined to specific geographical locations
• Migration and the imposition of western cultural norms and values

  Can be seen to have increased secularization
• Globalization

  Has led to increased religiosity in some areas of the world
• Cultural defense


  A reaction to the imposition of external cultural values and norms, where people reaffirm their commitment to religious values to protect elements of their culture and identity in the face of change
• Cultural transition


  A result of migration to the western nations, where migrants gravitate towards others of the same religion to help them settle in their new homes
• Examples of cultural defense

  • The rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Iran in the late 1970s as a result of increased western political and economic involvement in the region
  • The growth of Christian fundamentalism in the USA as a reaction to permissive liberal social policies
• The growth of non-Christian religions in the UK can be seen as evidence of the cultural transition argument
• The rise in Catholicism prior to the fall of communism in the late 1980s was a reaction to the increased influence of Soviet policies that limited freedom of expression
• Following the fall of communism, Poland's Catholic community saw a sharp decline in attendance as people look to re-establish their own norms and values
• The rise in fundamentalism in areas impacted by the growth of western capitalism, such as Iran and Afghanistan, can be seen to be responsible for cultural defense