Beliefs in society

Religion as a conservative force

Functionalism

Durkheim = religion causes consensus through shared beliefs and practices around a sacred object that unites people. Sacred and profane, Totemism e.g. Diwali

Malinowski = psychological function, Trobriand islanders would only pray when they went fishing in the dangerous open waters e.g. christian funeral verse commenting on resurrection in the after life

Parsons = 1. Religion provides moral guidelines and legitimises societies central or core values 2. Helps people to adjust to events that cannot be predicted

Bellah = civil religion, society attaches sacred qualities to itself and induces a mass response with similar levels of passion,dedication and commitment as those found in mainstream religion. USA dominated by ‘americanism’ e.g. pledge of allegiance

Religion as a conservative force

Marxism

Religion = opium of the people e.g. Lazarus

Religion legitimises ruling class power e.g. caste system

Religion is like a spiritual gin, keeps w/c confused and in their place - Lenin

Religion as a conservative force

Feminism

Armstrong religion = male dominated and exclude women from senior roles - evidence of women’s marginalisation

Turner- religion expects its male leaders to be ‘ascetic’ which is why women arent in senior roles - stained glass ceiling

Walby and De Beauvoir - religious doctrines contain ideology emphasising women’s traditional roles = gives power to men

Religion and social change

Neo-marxism

Religion has relative autonomy and do not automatically pass on a ruling class ideology 

Gramsci - individuals have dual consciousness due to their lived experiences of poverty and work. Therefore, they might subscribe to some aspects of ruling class ideology while being critical of others. Religion can also challenge the ruling class, some clergy act as organic intellectuals (educators and leaders who can help the workers and poor see the reality of their oppression) and help build a counter hegemony (popularising ideas that challenge the order of things and take for granted beliefs) e.g. archbishop Romero and liberation theology

Bloch - religion has a dual character and inspires change through an expression of the principle of hope - dreams of a better world, a utopian ending. Religion can help people see what needs to be changed and potentially bring about social change - inspires people who follow these religions to want to change their situation in the present. E.g. millenarian movement

Religion and social change

religion and social protest

Bruce - religion is involved in protest to try and change society - this religiously inspired protest can have 2 outcomes - progressive or regressive. Progressive e.g american civil rights movement.  Several ways in which religion was equipped to help social change during the civil rights movement: taking the moral high ground, channelling dissent, acting as an honest broker and mobilising public opinion e.g. Montgomery bus boycott

Regression = the new christian right, dont like abortion, homosexuality, divorce and wants to teach creationism in schools. Spreads word through the use of tv (televangelism) and political activism. E.g. Taliban

Religion and social change

Calvinism

Weber - proper ideas and beliefs including religion make up people’s worldviews which has important consequences for the way we think and act - Calvinism brought about the rise of capitalism = religious ideas were the main catalyst for the emergence of industrial capitalism. Calvinism = a form of ascetic protestantism

Religious organisations

Characteristics

Church = open membership, large bureaucratic hierarchical power structure (organisation), low commitment, monopoly of truth, likely to accept dominant norms and values of society and closely linked to the state e.g. church of england, catholic church

Denomination = dont appeal to the whole of society usually born into it, hierarchy with paid officials but a higher degree of democratic participation, higher commitment than a church and may impose some minor restrictions, no monopoly of truth, generally accept dominant norms and values of society e.g. methodism

Sect = exclusive = exclusive, tend to recruit from the poor and oppressed, a charismatic leader, single, tight-knit community, highest commitment with strong demands and expectations placed on members, monopoly of truth, hostile to wider society and try to separate themselves e.g. the people’s temple, jehova’s witnesses

Cults = non-exclusive and often appeal to everyone, loosely structured, low commitment and followers are more like customers than members, no monopoly of truth, accept the world as it is. E.g. transcendental meditation

Stark and bainbridge = audience cult, client cult, cultic movement (scientology)

Wallis - traditional classifications don't account for the variation - he categorises new religious movements into 3 groups based on their relationship to the outside world. World rejecting (the moonies), world accommodating (neo-pentecostalism)  and world affirming (human potential movement)

Religious organisations

explaining the existence/growth of religious organisations

The growth of sects and world rejecting new religious movements = marginalisation, social change (industralisation and the millenium, wesborough baptist church and moonies)

Growth of world accommodating new religious movements = secularisation from within - with the purity and passion of the faith declining they seek to restore it (evangelism and pentecostalism Nelson 1987) 

Growth of cults and world affirming new religious movements = social change (transcendental meditation), practical reasons, relative deprivation (human potential movement)

Religious organisations

Lifespan

Sects dont survive in its original form for a long time -Niebuhr because of the second generation, the protestant ethic effect or the death of a leader. Stark and Bainbridge say that sects dont die out completely but they move through a cycle - 1. Schism, 2. Initial fervour, 3. Denominalisation, 4. Establishment, 5. Further schism. Sects can also be self-destructive e.g. Peoples temple mass suicide. Ao3. some survive e.g. jehovah witnesses or the amish. Globalisation = harder to maintain hostility and separate themselves from people, secularisation = sects dont appeal, too strict and demanding 

Cults/world affirming NRM - dont survive because of weak commitment expected in these organisations, members are like customers and emphasis on consumerism and choice - postmodernists would say this reflects growing individual freedom associated with a post-modern society, shorter life span as its all about whats helpful now - not later 

Are all cults/world accommodating NRM short lived? - scientology, loads of celebrity members tom cruise, shamed if you leave, recruitment centre in large cities around the world, hook people in via personality tests and self help advice

Religious organisations

New age

Two common themes that characterise new age = self-spirituality and detraditionalization. Heelas = there are variations in new age beliefs - world affirming and world rejecting. Bruce = 5 features of new age -

1. Emphasis on the self-freeing the self from within,

2. everything is connected (a holistic approach to life, concerned with the mind, body and spirit all being connected, the idea that individuals are connected to the environment),

3. the self is the final authority there is no authority higher than the individual and no single truth: the truth is what the individual believes and what works for them,

4. global cafeteria there is a vast range of beliefs, therapies and techniques drawn from across the globe and people can mix these as they choose,

5. therapy - the new age ideas are designed to be therapeutic to make you more successful, healthier and happier