Secularisation

How has rationalisation contributed to secularisation?

- Rational ways of thinking are replacing religious ones.

- Weber: protestant reformation begun by Martin Luther, it began the disenchantment which enabled science to thrive.

- Bruce: a technological worldview has replaced religious explanations of why things happen.

How has structural differentiation contributed to secularisation?

- Parsons: process of specialisation occurs with the development of industrial society.

- As functions are being transferred, religion has become disconnected from wider society.

- Bruce: religion has become privatised and has lost public role.

How have structural and cultural diversity contributed to secularisation?

- Wilson: decline of community (pre-industrial), shared values were integrated by religion.

- Industrialisation: Bruce- industrialisation undermines religious beliefs because communities are broken up. Plausibility of beliefs is undermined by alternatives.

How has religious diversity contribute to secularisation?

- Berger: everyone lived under a sacred canopy, meaning the Catholic church had monopoly on the truth so beliefs were plausible and variety of organisations have reduced plausibility.

- Crisis of credibility undermines the 'plausibility structure'

How has cultural defence and transition contributed to secularisation?

- Cultural defence: religion provides a focal point for defence of identity against external forces.

- Cultural transition: religion provides support for ethnic groups who are migrating to a different country.

What do Winter and Short suggest about secularisation being overstated?

- Many people believe without necessarily belonging to a formal church. Many people are religious without formal church attendance.

What does Davie suggest about secularisation being overstated?

- Formal religious belief is not interesting to many sociologists so it remains understudied in comparison to NRMs

What do Hamilton, Stark and Bainbridge suggest about religion being overstated?

It is impossible to tell how religious people were in the past, so we do not know what their actual behaviour and feelings were because we do not know what they believed.

What does a survey about priests knowing the 10 Commandments suggest about secularisation?

It is occurring, many out of 200 vicars couldn't name the 10 commandments.

What does Bainbridge suggest about religion being cynical?

Secularisation is overstated because there are periods of strong beliefs followed by periods of little belief.

How does religious diversity suggest that secularisation is being overstated?

- Some Western societies believe more than others, people may not attend church but will engage in religion online.

How does increase in Islam suggest secularisation is being overstated?

- Christianity is in decline, not religion.

What does David Martin say about NRMs?

NRM's are valid religious and should be included as religions in debates about secularisation.

What is the percentage of Christians in the UK?

59% in 2011 and 46% in 2021

What is evidence of secularisation being overstated?

Number of Muslims have increased from 2.2m to 3.9m

How can religion aid development?

- Calvinism ---> capitalism (Weber)

- Nanda: religion can aid development, for example Indians are becoming more religious, urban, educated individuals are more likely to be religious and it is not motivated by poverty or crisis

- Found religious beliefs are changing- shifting away from Hindu Gods to more localised low status village Gods who become more responsive to peoples needs.

- India's success in the global market is being attributed to the superiority of Hindu values, Hinduism is becoming a civil religion.

How can religion grow as a result of development?

- 15% growth per year of Pentecostalism, 1 million Pentecotals in the UK.

- Lehman suggests that its success is due to the church incorporating local beliefs (pick and mix)

- Strong in developing countries like Brazil and they pose a challenge to other denominations as they educate people in business which helps society to develop.

What is fundamentalism?

- Belief in returning to the basics of religious roots, alternative to 'internal secularisation'

How is fundamentalism and globalisation linked?

- Less developed countries may see globalisation as a threat to their faith and identity, thus provoking a defensive fundamentalist response

- Holden argues fundamentalist organisations like Jehovah's witnesses offer hope, direction and certainty in a world that seems increasingly insecure, confusing and morally lost.

Why has fundamentalism been a reaction to globalisation?

- Causes social change which may be seen as a threat to the dominant faith.

- Policies have little regard for culture, and use fundamentalism as a form of cultural defence.

- Islamic fundamentalists in Iran.

- By product of globalisation assisted by the mass media.

Why has fundamentalism been because of a threat to modernity/secularisation?

- Lyotard: loss of faith in meta narratives causes a crisis of meaning, and traditional religions are unable to deal with this crisis so move to fundamentalism for clearer beliefs

- Possible response to anomie and confusion in society

- Teachings have been watered down over the decades.

How has the rise of fundamentalism been a reaction to local pressures?

- Existential security theory (Norris and Inglehart), people in developing societies feel more anxious and turn to fundamentalism.

- Haynes: the failures of local leaders in dealing with problems like famine can generate fundamentalism.

- Fundamentalist groups offer solutions to concerned people

How is the rise of fundamentalism because of individual choice and postmodern consumption?

- Individual choice has led to pick and mix, Berger 'people still go to church, just different ones'

- People can choose who they invest their beliefs in.

What does Davie argue about Fundamentalism?

- It occurs when those with traditional beliefs are threatened by modernity.

What does Giddens argue about Fundamentalism?

- It is a product/reaction to globalisation, which undermines traditional social norms. It promises certainty in an unknown world.

What does Lyotard argue about Fundamentalism?

- Due to a crisis in meaning that individuals face, brought about by a loss in faith of metanarratives.

What does Fundamentalism look like in the UK?

- Protesting about gender, gay rights and abortions

- Want to see society built on the literal views of the Bible

- Protesting about alternative places of Worship being built

- Protesting on behalf of God

- Can influence politicians.

What are the different types of fundamentalism according to Bruce?

- In the west fundamentalism is a reaction to change within society, especially secularisation which offers choice and diversity, Attempt to reassert the 'true religion'. (INDIVIDUALISTIC FUNDAMENTALISM)

- Often a reaction to enforced changes from the outside, triggered by modernisation and globalisation. (COMMUNUAL FUNDAMENTALISM)

What is secular fundamentalism?

- Anti-religious ideology that military ridicules the idea of God/Religion

What does Huntington argue?

- Globalisation has reduced nation status leaving a gap that religion has filled, but has increased contact between civilisations and increased conflict.

- 'them' and 'us' world where the West needs to reassert its identity.

How can Huntington be criticised?

- It is Islamophobic

- Horrie and Chippendale: portays the whole of Islam as the enemy.

What are some examples of reactions to Globalised relgion?

- War in Afghanistan (Religion being used as a cultural defence because of Western Influence and cultural imperialism)

- London Bombings (4 Muslim extremists used it as a cultural defence as they were critical of UK intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan)

- 9/11 (Religion becomes used as a defence of cultural imperialism of the USA involvement in the Middle East)

What is the data on religion and age?

- 2021: average age of a Christian is 51 where the average age of the population is 41.

- Muslim average age is 27

- No religion average age is 32

What do Voas and Crockett believe about religion and age?

- People become more religious as they age (existential security theory)

- Those born in certain time periods are more likely to be religious

- Each generation is less religious than the previous one (cultural amnesia and cycles of religious revivals)

- Secularisation is ongoing

How can Voas and Crockett be criticised?

- Pentecostalism is increasing

- Decline in belief among the aged

- World rejecting sects have young membership

What are some statistics on religion and gender?

- Women are more likely to be religious than men, 56% believe VS 51% of the population

What does Brierley believe about religion and gender?

84% of women believed in God compared to 64% of men in 2005. However they are more likely to leave at a faster rate than men due to feminism.

What does Madood believe about religion and gender?

Islam women were more likely to believe that religion was more important to them than men, but men were more likely to attend mosques.

What do Miller and Hoffman believe about religion and gender?

- Different socialisation causes women to be more submissive and passive than men (because of Bedroom Culture)

- Structural location: women take part in religion because of their social roles.

- Women tend to be risk averse (not going to Church can be risky)

ALSO: boys are socialised into believing in science more, more rational way of thinking.

What are the statistics on religion and ethnicity?

- White British are more likely to be Christian (46%)

- Asian are majority Muslim (43%)

- Black British are minority Christian (71%)

What do functionalists argue about ethnicity and religion?

- Bruce argues religion helps with cultural defence and transition.

- CRITICISM: some religions are diverse, age may be a more important factor.

What do Marxists argue about ethnicity and religion?

- Ethnic minority religions act as the opium of the people

- It creates a false class consciousness.

What does Weberianism argue about ethnicity and religion?

- Strong correlation between high religiosity and poverty, existential security theory.

What are the statistics on religion and class?

- 62% of regular church goers are middle class.

- 48% of ABC1 have a belief in God

- Higher religiosity in deprived inner-city areas.

What class do denominations appeal to?

- Appeal to the upper working and lower middle class, people who want to help.

What class do sects appeal to?

- The most disadvantaged, people who have less to give up and sacrifice

- Those who want to make changes in themselves (Moonies/Scientology)

What class do cults appeal to?

- A wide category, it depends on the cult

- Appeals to those with 'psychic deprivation'

What class does C of E appeal to?

- Middle class

- Ahearn: people see it as a source of respectability

- Brierly: it is a social activity in rural areas.

What class do Jehovah's Witnesses appeal to?

- Lower middle class, those who experience relative deprivation.

What class do Islamic fundamentalists appeal to?

- Young mobile, Muslim m/c.

- Those experiencing ethical deprivation.