Religion

• Religion


  Beliefs, values, practices & religious buildings
• There is no one universal definition of religion
• Definitions of religion


  • Inclusive definitions - religion as a source of social solidarity & necessary for society
  • Exclusive definitions - rejects functionalists & believes religions try to make a difference between what is real & what is supernatural
  • Definitions in use - social constructionism - every individual has its own definition of religion
• Sociological theories of religion are primarily concerned with religion's role in individuals and society
• Marxism


  • Religion is a conservative force, a haven from the harshness of daily realities of capitalism, a source of social control and alienation, making people passive rather than active
• Opium of the people


  Religion is seen like a pain-relieving drug creating illusions among the working class, cushioning the effects of oppression and exploitation
• Functionalism


  • Religion is mainly a conservative force which promotes harmony, social integration, and social solidarity, an important element in achieving value consensus
• Sacred


  Things that members of society regard as special, spiritual, religious or holy
• Profane


  The ordinary, every day, non-sacred, non-spiritual and non-religious
• Totemism


  The practice of worshipping a sacred object, representing the clan's society
• Collective effervescence


  A heightened feeling of energy generation in collective gatherings & events
• Collective consciousness


  Common values & beliefs amongst the individuals believing in the same religion, controlling individuals' behaviour and regulating how members of a community relate to one another
• Max Weber


  • Religion can be an important source of social change, as seen in the influence of Calvinist religious beliefs on the development of capitalism
• Predestination


  Calvinists' belief that their fate was already decided by God, with some being the 'elite' or 'chosen few' who were saved
• Protestant ethic


  Emphasis on values and virtues like hard work, trade, profit, modesty and punctuality, and the avoidance of idleness, time wasting, and excessive sleep
• Spirit of capitalism


  The mentality brought about by the Protestant ethic, leading to an increase in profit and the rise of modern capitalism
• Secularization


  The process of religion gradually losing its influence over various aspects of social life
• Secularization is present in Western societies, with fewer people attending religious services regularly
• Many people in Western countries know very little about religion, even if they describe themselves as religious
• Believe without belonging


  An increase in the number of people who hold religious beliefs but do not actively participate in religious institutions
• Secularization in Malta came about with the acquisition of National Independence from Britain in 1964, as the main concerns of the Maltese became primarily economic, not religious
• Dimensions of secularization


  • Quantitative measure - level of membership of religious organizations
  • Decline in religious practice and attachment to religious institutions
  • Decline in the social influence, wealth, and prestige of churches and other religious organizations
• Comparison of % Catholic Mass Attendances


  • Malta population
  • Gozo population
  • Gibraltar population
  • English Catholics
• The Eurobarometer in 2010 found that only 37% of people in the UK believe that there was God, compared to around 60-70% in polls in the 1980s
• The 2011 census found the one-quarter of the population in England and Wales said they had no religion at all
• In Malta, Church attendance has decreased by 1.1% annually between 1995 and 2005
• In Gozo, church attendance is consistently still much higher than it is in Malta - 83.5% as opposed to 50.7% in the last census taken in 2005
• Gozo has managed to retain its traditional, rural character more than Malta
• Comparison of % Catholic Mass Attendances


  • Malta
  • Gozo
  • Gibraltar
  • English Catholics
• The Church used to be very influential on the government (state) in the past, but it lost its social & political influence in modern society
• Many of the functions that used to be carried by religious organizations, like education and welfare are now taken over by the state
• Religion has become side-lined in people's daily lives
• The Church has lost its influence on the state, it is no longer imposing on what is legalized and not in Malta
• Malta is gradually legalizing policies that the Church has always shown its disapproval in, such as separation, divorce, same-sex marriage, civil union, contraception, and abortion
• In 2011 there was a referendum about divorce in Malta, in total 72% of the people voted - 46% voted against and 54% voted in favor of divorce
• Globalization


  The process whereby there is growing interconnectedness of societies around the world, with the spread of the same culture, consumer goods and economic interests around the globe
• Globalization has meant that different cultures and religions have become closer to each other, mainly caused by globalized media including social media and the internet, migration and cheap airlines
• We are constantly being exposed to different lifestyles and cultures as a wide range of different religious ideas and religious organizations have spread across the globe
• The internet and social media have also played an important part in making it easier to gain access to information regarding the teachings and activities of other religions, enabling individuals to adopt elements of different religions
• We are living in multi-faith societies, therefore we become more aware of different religions