sociology 7.6 sociologists AS

flashcards to memorize 7.6 AS level sociologists

Max Weber

Argued sects attract marginalised groups who feel excluded from mainstream society. these groups use a theodicy of disprivilage (religious explanation for inequality) to make sense of their low status and hope/salvation

Bryan Wilson

Sects grow during periods of rapid social change when norms break down (industrial revolution). People join sects for stability, strong norms, and community during societal disruption.

Roy Wallis

New religious movements grew in the 1960’s due to extended youth transitions, counterculture, political movements, and new technology. Even middle-class youth were “marginal” because of their alternative lifestyles (hippies, surfers, drug culture)

Stark and Bainbridge

Sects form when the relatively deprived feel cheated by mainstream churches and break away. Sects offer spiritual compensators for unmet desires or lack of material success

John Drane

New age movements grow because people lost trust in modern institutions (science, medicine, church). Failures like world wars, environmental damage, and corruption push people toward personalized spirituality. Drane=drain=damage

Gracie Davie

Religion becomes privatized. People still beleive in God but no longer attend church or participate publicly. Faith becomes an individual choice rather than a social obligation.

Jean-François Lyotard

Postmodern society rejects big universal “stories” like religion or scientific rationality. Individuals now seek personal truths and create their own spiritual paths instead of accepting one dominant worldview.

David Lyon

Religion is now shaped by consumerism and popular culture (disney, media, televangelism). He argued religion is not dying but relocating to new spaces and experiencing a re-enchantment through new forms of spirituality. Lyon=lion=enchant

Daniele Hervieu-Leger

Secularization broke the chain of memory (passing religion from parent to child). People now create their own mix-and-match beliefs through spiritual shopping, leading to spiritual individualism.

Almond, Appleby, and Sivan

Fundamentalism= a militant reaction to globalisation, secularization, and modern social changes. It attempts to defend religious identity, reinforce boundaries, and resist liberal western values. Found accross Islam, christianity, hinduism, judaism, buddhism.

Steve Bruce

Modernisation leads to secularization, rationaization, fragmentation, and equality, all of which weaken religion. Fundamentalism is a reaction to these threats - a rational attempt to defend tradition agaionst social, political, and cultural change.