globalisation and religion

in 2015, what percentage of the UK population identified as religious

30%

in 2015, which countries were at the top of the global ranking of religiosity

Thailand, Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, and Morrocco

how can the validity of the global ranking of religiosity be evaluated

some country’s governments are fundamentally secularist and others operate as theocracies, so in these cases, secular or pious beliefs are enforced

in what ways might globalisation have led to religious resurgance

• cultural defence

• cultural transition

• resistance identities

• rejection of liberal, modern values

• the spread of new ideas, such as NAMs

how might globalisation have led to the decline of religion

• spread of science

• spread of secularisation

• modernity and liberal values

how can migration lead to religious resurgance

cultural defence and cultural transition

what is cultural defence

when religion helps to preserve traditions when they contrast the beliefs and often liberal values of the host society

how can cultural defence be countered

Johal’s ideas of hybrid identities

what is cultural transition

when religion can be used as a means of settling into the host society

what is the process that cultural transition helps with

social integration

what is a counter to religion as cultural transition

what happens when social integration has happened, and when religion is no longer needed

what is evidence for cultural transition

many mosques and sikh temples also act as community centres

Breierly on religion and migration

black people in London are twice as likely to attend church than white people; Muslims, Hindus and black Christians are also more likely to see their religion as important and to attend a place of worship every week

Modood on religion and migration

second generation migrants are less religious than their parents

which sociologist argues that globalisation involves the growth of a global economy

Davies

how can the growth of a global economy as part of globalisation create a religious resurgance

• theodicy of disprivilege

• cushion of the effects of oppression

• life crises

• the working class may look to religion as a form of social mobility

what is a theodicy of disprivilege

the poor and oppressed may be more drawn to religion (NRMs) to explain the inequality and give hope of divine intervention

which sociologists argue that religion acts as a mechanism of adjustment and helps with life crises

Parsons and Malinowski

what is the fastest growing Christian rleigion

Pentecostalism

what is the Pentecostal mission

‘our greatest dream is that they all become entrepreneurs’

how does Pentecostalism act as evidence of religious resurgence as the result of the global economy

Pentecostals are told they can escape poverty with the help of God and by their own efforts

Berger on Pentecostalism

Pentecostalism in Latin America acts as a ‘functional equivalent’ to Weber’s Protestant ethic because it encourages the development of capitalism as Calvinism did in the 16th Century; people are encouraged to better themselves, and thus religion acts as a theodicy of uplift

Nanda on Hinduism in India

there is a strong relationship between levels of religiosity and economic prosperity in India; ‘urban, educated Indians are more religious than their rural illiterate counterparts’

with reference to Nanda’s argument, why has their been a growth in participation in Hinduism

Hinduism is perceived as offering opportunity for social mobility

what is evidence of the growth of participation in Hinduism in India

there has been a dramatic growth in religious tourism such as visits to shrines and temples, which has in turn enabled the Indian economy to grow and develop further

how can attempts at modernisation in developing countries be described

they have largely been based on Western models and globalisation has been controlled by Western corporations

what is the effect of westernised modernisation

people in developing countries tend to feel like second class citizens and feel that Western culture is further marginalising their culture and traditions

Castells on westernisation and modernisation

globalisation undermines people’s traditional sense of self and religion helps to build ‘resistance identities’ in response to this, based in part on traditional doctrines

what is an example of a resistance identity

the resurgence of Islam can provide a positive, non-Western identity which draws on traditional culture; it creates an Islamic identity which crosses national boundaries and can mobilise Muslims to take political action in a global context (An-Na’im)

what was the cause of the Iranian Revolution of 1979

westoxification

Bruce on Islamic fundamentalism

it may be seen as a rational means of defending traditional Islamic beliefs threatened by Western cultural imperialism

Nanda on Hinduism

• Hinduism plays a role in legitimising Indian nationalism

• the success of India in the global market is increasingly linked to the superiority of ‘Hindu values’, which are promoted by the media, along with the idea that Hinduism is the essence of Indian culture and identity

how does Hinduism engage in civil religion

within Hindu ultra-nationalism, the worship of Hindu gods has become the same as worshipping the nation of India

how has Hinduism penetrated secular life

Hindu sciences, such as astrology are taught at universities throughout the world

besides Roe v Wade, what is a recent example of the New Christian Right influencing American politics

the banning of drag in Tennessee

Stark and Bainbridge on religious pluralism

religion thrives in the US because there has never been a religious monopoly there; in Europe, most countries have been dominated by an official church which has a religious monopoly, so religion is less appealing

Bruce on religious pluralism

this indicates that postmodern society operates as a spiritual marketplace

Wilson on religious pluralism

religious pluralism is one of the measures of secularisation, because the coexistence of belief systems allows them to discredit one another

Huntington on religious conflicts

• religious conflicts have intensified since the fall of communism in 1989 and are a clash of civilisations

• these conflicts are caused by Islam, and the West needs to reassert itself as a liberal-democratic Christian civilisation

how does globalisation cause religious conflict

• national identity is less important due to increased multiculturalism and migration, so religion is likely to be a source of conflict in its place

• globalisation increases the contact between civilisations

what is a criticism of Huntington

• his view is ethnocentric

• he fails to recognise divisions within the civilisations he identifies

what are examples of conflicts within religions

• Protestantism and Catholicism

• Sunni and Shi’a