Stark and Bainbridge on Religion

Stark and Bainbridge:

• Suggested that secularisation was a European phenomenon and that religious belief was strong in the rest of the world.

• Religion is universal as people need religion to fulfil their basic needs.

• Proposed a religious market theory based upon the needs of humans.

• According to Stark and Bainbridge, religion continued to be important in people's lives.

• Constant need for religious belief in people's lives due to the functions it fulfils.

• Humans look to receive rewards and minimise the costs to them personally.

Religious Compensation:

• Religion compensates individuals when they are unable to fulfil their needs.

• Meets supernatural needs to explain what is inexplicable in life.

• Promises rewards for those that are virtuous, even when society fails to reward people in this way.

Religious Market Theory:

• Religion operates in a similar way to the economic markets.

• As older religions and beliefs fade, new forms of belief arise, continually evolving to meet individual needs.

• Religious organisations compete with one another in a crowded global marketplace leading to improvements in the services that religion can offer.

• Competition brings more choice and innovation.

• Secularisation in Europe is a result of dominant one-religion states.

• The USA and other areas of the world have more choice in beliefs, thus can provide for different needs.

Evaluating Religious Market Theory:

• Greater diversity in a global era is evidenced by other sociologists, e.g. Berger.

• Higher levels of attendance in the USA, but still a long-term decline over time.

• Some European nations have high levels of church attendance, despite having one dominant religion.

• Alternative forms of belief meet the needs of individuals rather than religious diversity.

Compensation for deprivation:

• Glock and Stark (1969) and Stark and Bambridge (1985) – women  participate in religion because of:

  • Organismic deprivation – more likely to suffer from ill physical and mental health problems and thus seek healing through religion

  • Ethical deprivation – Women tend to be more morally conservative and, thus, attracted to sects

  • Social deprivation – more likely to be poor and seek compensation in religion