(LT5) Social change

• Max Weber (Religion as a force for sociaL change)

  • Believes religious beliefs of calvinism (a form of Protestantism) helped bring about social change with emergence of capitalism in Western Europe and Northern America.
• Max Weber

  • Believed specific calvinist beliefs that facilitated the development of capitalism:

  1. Predestination
  2. Asceticism
  3. A calling
• Max Weber

  • Was also aware that both material and economic factors were necessary to create a capitalist society.
  • eg. natural recourses, towns for trade, system of law
• :( Weber (criticism)

  • Weber can be criticised as capitalism didn't develop in all European countries where there was also a strong calvinist presence eg. Norway and Scotland.
• :) Marshall(1982)

  • Argued this was due to lack of investment and skilled labour in these countries which supports Webers' point that material and economic factors are required for capitalism to emerge.
• Weber

  • Believed that due to lack of religious belief system such as calvinism to create a fire for wealth, countries such as India and China were more materially advanced, but failed to develop capitalism until much later.
• :( Kautsky(1972)

  • believes Weber overestimates the role of religion played in creating capitalism and underestimates the role of economic factors. Believes that capitalism comes first rather than it following calvinism.
• Bruce(2003) Religion as a force for social change

  • Argues that the black civil rights movement to end racial segregation is an example of religiously motivated social change.
• Bruce

  • Describes the black clergy as the backbone of the movement with Dr Martin Luther King providing a leadership role.
• Bruce

  • Argues that by appealing to their shared Christian values of equality, the movement was able to shame the white oppression into changing the law.
• :( Bruce

  • However, Bruce provides evidence where, when religion is used for social protest, it does not always bring about social change.