Sociology: Beliefs in Society

Define Fundamentalism

Appeal to tradition or literal/basic interpretations of faith.

Define secularisation

Increase in non-religious beliefs in society

Define theistic beliefs

Belief in a supernatural being that could be one God or many

Define New Age Movements

Spiritual not religious belief systems, focused on self-fulfilment, often based on Dharmic/Eastern religions like Buddhism or Hinduism

Define Animism

Belief in spirits/ghosts that positively and negatively impact the world

Give an example of a New Age Movement

Yoga

Give an example of Animism

Paganism

Define Totemism

Form of animism where a community creates a sacred and significant symbol representing them as a group to protect them.

Give an example of Totemism

Australian Aboriginals

5 features of a religion

• Belief in sacred being(s)

• Sacred/profane objects, places and/or times

• Rituals based on sacred/profane objects, places and/or times

• Moral codes with supernatural origins

• Prayer and other forms of communications with sacred being(s)

3 names of definitions of religion

• Substantive definition

• Functional definition

• Constructionist definition

Outline substantive definition of religion

Defining religions through their core characteristics and are exclusive in nature because they are only including those with core characteristics

Evaluate the substantive definition of religion (2 points)

• Ethnocentric as it focuses on Abrahamic or Western religions

• No room for belief systems performing same functions without a supernatural being (Buddhism)

Outline functional definition of religion

Looks at function of religion, such as providing comfort, creating communities or reinforcing societal values.

Evaluate functional definition of religion

Too inclusive- can make football teams a religion??? I mean it performs the functions it outlines soooo-

Outline constructionist definition of religion

Focus on how people construct definitions of religion, believe these definitions depend on who has the power.

Evaluate constructionist definition of religion

Impossible to generalise nature of religion as people have wildly different views about what a religion is.

Define ideology

Set of social, economic, political, religious and moral beliefs people in certain groups may have.

Outline general Marxist religious view

All institutions including religion are means of control by bourgeoisie, justifying capitalism.

Outline general feminist religious view

Ideologies such as religion have perpetuated the patriarchy. Differ as to extent this means religion is bad.

Outline general functionalist religious view

Religion promotes social cohesion and is good!

4 aspects of Durkheim’s religious views

• Sacred and profane

• Totemism

• Collective conscious

• Cognitive functions

Define Durkheim’s ‘sacred and profane’

Purpose of religion is differentiate between ‘SACRED’ (products of supernatural beings) and ‘PROFANE’ (no special meaning/purpose)

Define Durkheim’s ‘Totemism’

Studied Arunta tribe who worshipped totems which increased group solidarity and sense of belonging, and Durkheim suggested essence of religion can be found in its ‘simplest’ form

Define Durkheim’s ‘Collective Conscious’

Shared norms, values, beliefs and knowledge making living in a society possible reinforced through regular rituals.

Define Durkheim’s ‘Cognitive Functions’ in relation to religion

Believed religion was origins of the reasoning, communication, knowledge and concepts of society, suggesting religion is origin of human thought/reason.

Outline Bellah’s views on Civil Religion

People assign sacred qualities to society itself- i.e., Americanism

Outline Malinowski’s ‘Psychological Functions’

Religion helps people deal with situations which may cause a breakdown in social solidarity or emotional upset and stress

Explain Malinowski’s Psychological Functions of religion

• At times when humans are unsure- puberty, birth, death, etc… there is religious ceremonies

• Triobrand tribe have ‘Canoe Magic’ ceremony for dangerous tasks like sea fishing

Outline Parsons’ 2 functions of religion

• Creates/legitimises societal values

• Primary source of meaning enabling social stability

Evaluate of functionalist views of religion (2 points)

• Ignores negative aspects of religion

• HAMILTON: Social division caused by religion, i.e., Troubles in Northern Ireland

Outline Engles’ religious view

Socialism and Christianity similarly target the poor but Christianity offers afterlife salvation and socialism offers it now.

What is the quote Marx said about religion?

“Opium of the masses”

3 ways Marxists would claim religion acts as “opium”

• Dulls pain of exploitation through promise of afterlife rewards instead of curing problem of inequality

• Gives a distorted view of societal inequality, legitimising it

• Temporary high offered by rituals removes from the pain of oppression

Define alienation

The lack of power and fulfilment of the proletariat workers

3 ways Marxists argue religion contributes to proletariat alienation

• Makes a virtue of suffering and poverty

• Offers existential security

• Promises fulfilment in afterlife

2 ways Marxists argue religion as an ideology aids capitalism

• Legitimises inequality

• Legitimises ruling class power as God ordered the world this way

What did Lenin believe about religion?

Religion is like ‘gin’, and manipulates the masses to conforming to the ideologies of the rich through obscuring reality.

Evaluate the Marxist view of religion (3 points)

• Ignores positives of religion as set out by functionalists

• Althusser rejects alienation because it is ‘unscientific’

• Religion doesn’t inherently control the poor- in pre-industrial England Christianity didn’t really impact peasantry how it affected the rich

Outline general Neo-Marxist view of religion

Religion is a source of social change and can help development of class consciousness, but can be used to exploit poor

Outline 3 reasons Stark and Bainbridge said women are more likely to join sects/cults

• Women are more likely to suffer ill health and cults/sects offer healing

• Women are more likely to be morally conservative, sharing typical views of cults/sects

• Women are more likely to be impoverished and cults/sects attract poorer people often

Outline Daly’s views on religion

Religion depicts male domination over women through God’s depiction as a man, restriction of female leadership within Church and similar institutions, and women’s place in religious texts as impure/negative (Eve, Mary Magdalene, etc)

Outline Woodhead’s criticism of Daly

Women use religion to gain freedom, for example how the Hijab can be a form of liberation allowing women to enter public sphere while maintaining modesty.

Outline De Beauvoir’s views on religion

Religion fools women into believing they are equal as they also will be rewarded in heaven, and teaches worship of men as God is presented as a man.

Outline Holm’s 2 ways women are isolated in religion

• Segregated places of worship where men hold more sacred place

• In Islam women cannot read from sacred texts if menstruating

Evaluate De Beauvoir’s view of religion

Liberal Protestant movement (Quakers, Unitarians) there is a large commitment to gender equality within leadership roles.

Outline Armstrong’s ‘Stained Glass Ceiling’

Women are blocked from progression and top positions in mainstream churches specifically studying Anglican churches.

Give an example of the ‘Stained Glass Ceiling’

Vocal opposition to female bishops in the Church of England.

Outline El-Saadawi’s evaluation of Armstrong’s ‘Stained Glass Ceiling’

Suggests religions are not patriarchal but cultures created surrounding them are, for example the Quran does not place women as second class citizens at all but some Arabic cultures do (Afghanistan, for example) citing the Quran as the excuse because the men are the ones with the power to interpret holy texts due to existing patriarchies.

Outline Bloch’s neo-marxist view of religion

Religion has positive and negative impacts on society, acting as a conservative force maintaining social inequality and also acting as a “principle of hope” to followers leading in some extreme circumstances to revolution

Outline Gramsci’s view of religion

Believed religion played part in social hegemony but produced its own set of ideas that could inspire social change, because individual autonomy of ministers/members of the religious institution could reconcile the religious doctrine with revolution and against the wishes of the actual institutions.

Outline Maduro’s view of religion

Churches can act as safe outlets in countries where protests are illegal and religious leaders can be catalysts to revolution as they are viewed as untouchable so any harm to them in dictatorships can lead to civil unrest.

Outline Liberation theology

South American movement rooted in Catholic doctrine and supported by priests suggesting pacifism as the ideal but it is acceptable to violently uprise against oppression in Nicaragua.

Evaluate the Neo-Marxist view of religion (2 points)

• Religion’s social significance is questioned by increased secularisation

• The Vatican has in the past rejected Liberation theology and told priests not to be involved in social movements.