Beliefs in Society

• science:

  • tested
  • proven
  • validity
  • empirical
• religion:

  • scripture
  • generations
  • spirituality
• ideology:

  • political
  • ideas around an aim that justifies behaviour
  • not always the truth but aims at appealing to people
• Ideology: Trumpism

  • protectionist capitalism = protect America's economy
  • anti-immigration = Mexicans become a scapegoat for crime
  • anti-environmental protection = more factories means more workers, therefore more money
  • anti-globalisation = want to prioritise America, limits funding to other countries, doesn't have NHS
  • pro-infrastructure = new factories, new prisons, more roads
• moral entrepreneurs = edit what we hear and see in the media (e.g. Rupert Murdoch)
• Social Change: Does religion promote change or stability in society?

  Preserves the status quo - macro meta narratives:

  • Functionalism = religion helps preserve social order and social solidarity
  • Marxism = religion is an ideology which maintains social control, creating a false class consciousness
  • Feminism = helps maintain patriarchy and gender inequality
• Social Change: Does religion promote change or stability in society?

  Changes the status quo - micro meta narratives:

  • Weberian Theory = from an agricultural to industrial society as people believe in calling and salvation anxiety, believing God knows whether you're going to heaven or hell therefore people work harder and contribute more to capitalism
  • Religion as social protest = people using religion as a form of social protest (e.g. Reverend Martin Luther King)
  • Religion and fundamentalism = reverting an already changed society back to its traditionally fundamentalist views
• Religious Organisations:

  Sect:

  • emphasises a specific teaching of the church
  • splintering off from a church
  • e.g. Jonestown
  • e.g. Seventh Day Adventists
• Religious Organisations:

  Cult:

  • small membership
  • one charismatic leader
  • has its own faith a values
  • e.g. Church of Scientology (Tom Cruise)
  • e.g. Heavens Gate (group suicide)
• Religious Organisations:

  Denomination:

  • a sect with a larger membership
  • one charismatic leader
• Religious Organisations:

  New Age:

  • an umbrella term for new forms of spirituality and religion
  • meditation and yoga
  • tarot readings
  • crystals
  • sociologists argue it encourages consumerism
• Secularisation:

  Bruce: described secularisation and the New Age as a "global cafeteria" whereby people can choose a faith or practise that suits their lifestyle through "spiritual shopping"

  • secularisation = decrease in religion
  • Kendall Project, may be a decrease in public practise and an increase of private practise due to the New Age
• Marxists = argue religion justifies inequality, therefore becomes an ideology
• Feminists = argue the New Age is important for making women more involved
• Relationships between groups: ethnicity

  Ethnic minorities are more likely to be religious:

  • creates a sense of belonging, identity and purpose
  • migrants being their culture to the Uk, however global secularisation causes Uk and original country to change and become less religious (ironic, no longer a sense of belonging anywhere)+
  • migrants become Westernised, may introduce new culture but also becomes more secular down generations
• Relationships between groups: class

  Class means people have little to lose so find religion (Marxist belief) to join sects and cults:

  • prosperity preaching (Church of Scientology) means members donate money as a sign of commitment to God
  • leaders prey on the vulnerable for self gain
• Religion and Religiosity:

  religiosity = visual signs of religion and faith (e.g. clothes)

  • religiosity is in decline, however, that doesn't mean religion is in decline
  • e.g. migrants losing their turbans and Westernisation doesn't mean a loss of faith
• Religion and Globalisation:

  Economic Development:

  • the more affluent you are, the less religious you are
  • Marx: "religion is the sigh of the oppressed" an "opioid"
  • (counterpoint) Nanda: believes if you think you're blessed, you're more likely to remain religious
  • 80% of people in India embraced their faith more as they became more wealthy
• Religion and Globalisation:

  Fundamentalism:

  • Castelles: identified forms of fundamentalism

  (1) resistant identity = more defensive if feeling threatened by Western concepts, turn to religion for comfort

  (2) project identity = people perhaps feel threatened by Western concepts, therefore feel the need to expand and convert others to become the majority
• Religion and Globalisation:

  Cultural Defence:

  • when money gets tied up with religion
  • more political
  • links to resistant identity
  • e.g. the Ayatollah of Iran helping America
• Religion and Globalisation:

  The clash of civilisations:

  • Huntington: identified 7 civilisations:

  Western } claims will always clash over expansion power

  Islamic } 'Westernisation vs Islamic Fundamentalism'

  Latin America

  Chinese

  Japanese

  Hindu

  Slavic/Orthodox
• Technology:

  • increases the potential for conflict as people become more aware of each others differences
  • e.g. Shamima Begum - technology allowed her to go to Syria at 15 and join ISIS having communicated with them online
  • not only conflict between different cultures, but also within the same culture
  • e.g. association with 9/11 causes conflict within the culture of Islam
  • also allows people to preach religion to other countries+
  • e.g. Protestantism