Beliefs in society sociology

Durkheim (1912) – Functionalist: What did he argue was the main social function of religion?

A. It promotes social rebellion against norms.\nB. It offers a path to personal salvation.\nC. It creates social solidarity and collective conscience\nD. It encourages individual expression of faith.\n\nCorrect Answer: C

Parsons (1967) – Functionalist: What role does religion play in society according to him?

A. Supports technological progress\nB. Provides value consensus and moral guidelines\nC. Creates class conflict\nD. Encourages rebellion\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Malinowski (1954) – Functionalist: How does religion help people cope?

A. Promotes inequality\nB. Helps individuals manage life crises and reduce anxiety\nC. Increases rational thinking\nD. Weakens community bonds\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Marx (1844) – Marxist: What is religion’s main purpose?

A. Acts as “opium of the people,” dulling pain of exploitation\nB. Encourages scientific reasoning\nC. Leads to political freedom\nD. Promotes equality and justice\n\nCorrect Answer: A

Althusser (1971) – Marxist: How is religion seen in his theory?

A. A path to spiritual freedom\nB. A driver of modernity\nC. A tool for female empowerment\nD. Part of the Ideological State Apparatus maintaining capitalism\n\nCorrect Answer: D

Gramsci (1971) – Neo-Marxist: How can religion challenge power?

A. Through promoting secularism\nB. Through counter-hegemony, inspiring resistance\nC. By reinforcing patriarchy\nD. By maintaining obedience\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Maduro (1982) – Neo-Marxist: What did he argue about religion and revolution?

A. Religion always supports the ruling class\nB. Religion can motivate revolutionary social movements\nC. Religion disappears in modernity\nD. Religion only causes personal change\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Simone de Beauvoir (1953) – Feminist: How does religion oppress women?

A. By encouraging education\nB. By promising rewards in the afterlife for obedience\nC. By empowering women economically\nD. By rejecting tradition\n\nCorrect Answer: B

El Saadawi (1980) – Feminist: What did she say causes women’s oppression?

A. Patriarchal interpretations of religion\nB. Evolutionary differences\nC. Lack of education\nD. The religion itself\n\nCorrect Answer: A

Woodhead (2009) – Feminist: What is “spiritual feminism”?

A. Female-only atheism\nB. Using religion for empowerment and self-expression\nC. State control of religion\nD. Rejecting all forms of religion\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Davie (2013) – Late Modern: What is meant by “believing without belonging”?

A. People stop believing altogether\nB. People still have faith but don’t attend institutions\nC. People become fundamentalists\nD. People become atheists\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Hervieu-Léger (2000) – Postmodernist: What is “spiritual shopping”?

A. Religion controls consumerism\nB. Individuals pick and mix religious beliefs\nC. Faith becomes state-enforced\nD. People reject all belief systems\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Lyon (2000) – Postmodernist: What does “Jesus in Disneyland” mean?

A. Religion becomes a consumer product or spectacle\nB. Religion disappears entirely\nC. Religion is purely political\nD. Religion is banned in the media\n\nCorrect Answer: A

Stark & Bainbridge (1985) – Rational Choice/Market Theorists: What does religious market theory suggest?

A. Decline is inevitable\nB. Monopolies increase faith\nC. Religion only grows in poor nations\nD. Religious competition increases participation\n\nCorrect Answer: D

Weber (1905) – Social Action Theorist: How did Calvinism lead to capitalism?

A. It focused on charity\nB. It opposed all work\nC. Work ethic and predestination encouraged economic success\nD. It promoted wealth redistribution\n\nCorrect Answer: C

Bruce (2003) – Functionalist/Practical Theorist: What social movement did he link to religion and change?

A. Industrial Revolution\nB. French Revolution\nC. The Civil Rights Movement in the USA\nD. Bolshevik Revolution\n\nCorrect Answer: C

Huntington (1996) – Globalisation Theorist: What is the “clash of civilisations”?

A. Cultural diversity in harmony\nB. Scientific progress uniting nations\nC. Religious differences causing global conflict\nD. Economic competition\n\nCorrect Answer: C

Wilson (1966) – Secularisation Theorist: What evidence did he use for secularisation?

A. Growth of pilgrimages\nB. Increasing religious festivals\nC. Declining church attendance in the UK\nD. Rising number of clergy\n\nCorrect Answer: C

Bruce (2011) – Secularisation Theorist: Why has religion declined according to him?

A. Economic inequality\nB. Rationalisation and a technological worldview\nC. Lack of education\nD. Overpopulation\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Berger (1969) – Phenomenologist: How does religious pluralism cause decline?

A. Religious unity increases\nB. People stop debating faith\nC. More options strengthen belief\nD. Competing truths weaken faith certainty\n\nCorrect Answer: D

Giddens (1999) – Late Modernist: Why does fundamentalism emerge?

A. Due to loss of technology\nB. Government control\nC. Over-education\nD. As a reaction to globalisation and modernity\n\nCorrect Answer: D

Castells (2004) – Late Modernist: What are the two responses to globalisation?

A. Individualism and collectivism\nB. Resistance identity and project identity\nC. Faith and science\nD. Socialism and capitalism\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Modood (1997) – Cultural Sociologist: How does religion help ethnic minorities?

A. Promotes secularisation\nB. Encourages assimilation\nC. Reduces family bonds\nD. Maintains cultural identity and community ties\n\nCorrect Answer: D

Johal (1998) – Cultural Sociologist: What is a “hybrid identity”?

A. Political radicalisation\nB. Total rejection of heritage\nC. Mixing religious traditions with Western culture\nD. Isolation from society\n\nCorrect Answer: C

Miller & Hoffman (1995) – Feminist/Religious Sociologists: Why are women more religious?

A. Lack of intelligence\nB. Economic power\nC. Risk aversion and socialisation into nurturing roles\nD. Less education\n\nCorrect Answer: C

Heelas (1996) – Postmodernist: Why do New Age Movements attract women?

A. They exclude women\nB. Emphasis on self-expression and personal growth\nC. Promote strict hierarchy\nD. Focus on political activism\n\nCorrect Answer: B

Voas & Crockett (2005) – Empirical/Statistical Sociologists: Why are older people more religious?

A. Peer pressure\nB. Economic status\nC. Rebellion\nD. Socialisation and awareness of mortality\n\nCorrect Answer: D