religious fundamentalism [religion and globalisation]

religious fundamentalism

• they seek a return to the basics or fundamentals of their faith

• arises where traditional beliefs and values are threatened or challenged by modern society and especially by the impact of an increasingly globalised economy

• takes sacred texts literally

key features of religious fundamentalism

• an authoritative sacred text - the text is inerrant and not open to questioning

• an ‘us and them’ mentality - fundamentalists separate themselves from the rest of the world and refuse to compromise with it

• aggressive reaction - fundamentalist movements’ reactions are aggressive and intended to intimidate and cause harm

• use of modern technology - they are keep to use modern technology to achieve their aims such as televangelism and military weaponry

• patriarchy - fundamentalists favour a world in which control over women’s sexuality and social roles is fixed by a divine decree

• prophecy - christian fundamentalists proclaim the relevance of biblical prophecies to contemporary events. they believe that the ‘last days will be upon us

• conspiracy theories

Fundamentalism and Modernity

Davie argues that fundamentalism is born out of the clash between modernity and traditional cultures and values. The attraction of fundamentalism and its strict beliefs is the certainty it promises in an uncertain world.

Giddens argues that fundamentalism is a product of globalisation, which undermines traditional social norms regarding the nuclear family, gender and sexuality (ie: homosexuality)

cosmopolitanism

Giddens contrasts fundamentalism with cosmopolitanism- a way of thinking that embraces modernity and is in keeping with today’s globalising world.

responses to post modernity

Bauman sees fundamentalism as a response to living is post modernity. post modernity brings freedom of choice and a heightened awareness of risk. thus, some are attracted to fundamentalism by its claims of absolute truth and certainty.

Castells distinguishes between two responses to post modernity: resistance identity (a defensive reaction) and project identity (a forward-looking take and engages with social movements such as feminism)

criticisms of giddens, bauman and castells

• they distinguish too sharply between cosmopolitanism and fundamentalism, ignoring ‘hybrid’ movements

• they ignore other important developments, including how globalisation is also affecting non-fundamentalist religions such as catholicism

monotheism and fundamentalism

Bruce believes that fundamentalism is confined to monotheistic religions who believe in a single almighty God. This is because monotheistic religions often have an authoritative sacred text.

Two fundamentalisms

Bruce

• different fundamentalist movements may have different origins, especially within Christian and Islamic fundamentalism

• in the west: fundamentalism is most often a reaction to change taking place within a society, especially the trends towards diversity. ie: the new christian right in America has developed in opposition to family diversity and abortion rights.

• in developing countries: fundamentalism is usually a reaction to changes being thrust upon a society from the lit side, as in case of the Islamic revolution in Iran. It is triggered by modernisation and globalisation, in which western values are imposed by foreign capitalism or by local elites supported by the west.

secular fundamentalism

Davie

• when non-religious ideologies like secularism are followed dogmatically or intolerantly, in a similar way to religious fundamentalism.

• being extremely committed to secular values, often to the point of rejecting or suppressing religion.

  Examples

• in 2004, France banned pupils from wearing religious symbols in school, and in 2010 made it illegal for women to wear the veil in public.

• this is a form of cultural racism

the ‘clash of civilisations’

• in recent years, religion has played an important role in a number of global conflicts ie: the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA

• Huntington claims that religious differences between civilisations are now a major source of conflict, as globalisation has made nation states less important as a source of identity. globalisation also increases the contacts between civilisations, increasing the likelihood of conflict.

• in huntington’s view, are creating hostile ‘us and them’ relationships. In particular, he sees the west as under threat from islam, a view for which he was been strongly criticised.

criticisms of huntington

• jackson sees huntington’s work as an example of orientalism- a western ideology that stereotypes eastern nations and people (espiedslly muslims) as untrustworthy, serving to justify exploitation and human rights abuses by the west

Inglehart and Norris

the issue that divides the west from the Muslim world is not democracy but gender and sexuality, with great differences when it comes to attitudes to divorce, abortion, and gender equality.

cultural defence

Bruce

when religion unites a community against as external threat.

Religion and Development

• religion plays a large role in development in today’s globalising world

examples

God and globalisation in India

• globalisation has brought rapid economic growth and has seen india become a more independent player on the world political stage. It has also brought rising prosperity to some- notably India’s new middle class. Nanda examines the role of hinduism in legitimating both the rise if a new hindu ‘ultra-nationalism’ and the prosperity of the new middle class.