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Challenges to secularisation theory - Coggle Diagram
Challenges to secularisation theory
Existential Security Theory
Norris & Inglehart
The reason for variations in religiosity between societies is the different degrees of existential security.
Poor societies
Where people face life-threatening risks have high levels of insecurity and thus high levels of religiosity.
Rich societies
Where people have a high standard of living and are less at risk, have a greater sense of security thus lower levels of religiosity.
The demand for religion is not constant, but varies from low to high income groups
Global population growth undermines the trend towards secularisation. While rich countries are becoming more secular, the majority of the world is becoming more religious.
Europe vs. America
Europe
Trend is towards increasing secularisation
These societies are among the most equal and secure in the world, with well developed welfare states.
This reduces poverty and protects those at the bottom from insecurity
America
It is the most unequal of the rich societies, with inadequate welfare safety-net and individualistic values.
This creates high levels of poverty and insecurity, which creates a greater need for religion.
Although it is still less religious than the poor ones.
State Welfare & Religiosity
Gill & Lundegaarde
The more a country spends on welfare, the lower level of religious participation.
In the past religion used to provide welfare for the poor, and it still does so in poorer countries.
They don't think religion will disappear completely because although welfare provision meets the need for security, it does not answer the questions about the meaning of life.
Religious Market Theory
Stark & Bainbridge
Secularisation theory is Eurocentric - focuses on the decline of religion in Europe and fails to explain continuing vitality in America and elsewhere.
People are naturally religious and religion meets human needs.
It is human nature to seek rewards and avoid costs.
Compensators
Religion acts as a compensator
When real rewards are scarce or unobtainable, religion compensates by promising supernatural ones.
Religion goes through a cycle of revival and renewal.
Competition between religions leads to improvements in the quality of the religious 'goods' on offer.
America vs. Europe
The demand for religion increases when there are different sorts to choose from
Where there is religious monopoly, religion declines
America
Religion thrives due to no monogamy
The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion
This encourages growth of a healthy religious market which grows or declines according to consumer demand.
Europe
Most countries have been dominated by an official state church
Competition has been held back by the lack of choice
Example:
Church of England
The level of religion is influenced by the supply and not the demand.
Supply-led Religion
Hadden & Shupe
Growth of 'televangelism' in America shows religion is supply-led.
Finke
The lifting of restrictions on Asian immigration into America in the 60s allows Asian religions to set up in the US.
This became another option that proved popular with consumers of the religious market.
Postmodenrism
Globalisation, the media and religion
This refers to the growing interconnectedness of societies, which has led to greatly increased movements of ideas and beliefs across national boundaries.
Religious ideas have become 'disembedded' - the media lift them out of physical churches and move them to a different place and time.
Televangelism has disembedded religion and relocated it on the internet, allowing believers to express their faith without physically attending church.
Lyon
Traditional religion is giving away to a variety of new religious forms that demonstrate its continuing vigour.
Religious consumerism
While people may not belong to religious organisations, they have not abandoned religion. Instead they have become 'religious consumers', making conscious choices about which elements of religion they find useful.
Many new religious movements are now springing up that the religious consumer can 'sample' and from which they can construct their own personal belief system.
Helland
Religion online
A religious organisation uses the internet to address member and potential converts
Online religion
A form of communication that allows individuals to create non-hierarchical relationships and a sense of community where they can visit virtual worship.
New Age
It rejects the idea of obligation and obedience to external authority found in traditional religions.
It emphasises the idea of life as a journey of discovery, personal development etc.
Re-enchantment
The growth of unconventional beliefs, practices and spirituality.
Weakness
Problem of scale: This would have to be on a much larger scale if it is to fill up the gap left by the decline of traditional religions.
Socialisation of the next generation: For a belief system to survive, it must be passed down to the next generation.
Weak commitment
Structural weakness
Late Modernity
Spiritual shopping
Herview-Leger
There has been a dramatic decline in institutional religion in Europe.
Cultural Amnesia
We have largely lost the religion that used to be handed down from generation to generation, because few parents now teach their children about religion.
The trend towards greater social equality has undermined the traditional power of the Church. As a result, young people no longer have a fixed religious identity imposed on them through socialisation.
Individual consumerism has replaced collective tradition. Religion is now individualised - we now develop our own beliefs that give meaning to our lives.
Religion has thus become a personal spiritual journey in which we choose the elements we want to explore and the groups we wish to join.
Two new religious types are emerging:
Pilgrims:
They follow an individual path in a search for self-discovery.
Converts:
They join religious groups that offer a strong sense of belonging.
Believing without belonging
Religion is not declining but taking a different, more privatised form.
People are increasingly reluctant to belong to organisations. But despite this, people still hold religious beliefs.
Davie
We are seeing a major change in religion, away from obligation and towards consumption or choice.
In the past, churches like the Church of England could 'oblige people to go to church, to believe certain things and to behave in certain ways.'
Example:
In England and France, infant baptism was once seen as an obligatory rite of passage, but now only a minority of babies are baptised.
Vicarious religion
Religion is practised by an active minority on behalf of the great majority, who thus experience religion at second hand.
In Europe, the major national churches are seen as public utilities. They are there for everyone to use whenever they need to.
Example
Baptisms
Weddings & Funerals
Major National Occasions: public mourning over the death of Princess Diana
Most people may not normally go to church of pray, but they remain attached to the church as an institution that provides ritual and support.