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religion as a conservative force and a force for social change - Coggle…
religion as a conservative force and a force for social change
social change
neomarxism and fundamentalism
Gramsci - dual character of religion - counter hegemony - some clergy may act as intellectuals who support WC organisations such as trade unions
challenges hegemony and the idea that the existing system is good and fair for everyone
Maduro - religion can be a revolutionary force that brings about change - uses liberation theology as an example
movement within the Catholic church in Latin America - strong commitment to the poor and opposition to military dictatorships
major change for a Catholic church that had been extremely conservative
continue to defend democracy and human rights despite the fact that Catholicism in Latin America has become more conservative since the 1970s
civil rights movement
weber - religion can also be caused by influential religious leaders who have challenged legal rational authority - charismatic leaders
weber
Calvinism and protestant work ethic
Calvinism - form of ascetic Protestantism with strong discipline - increase in Calvinism in the 17th century brought about social change through normative conditions
predestination - God has already chosen who will be 'saved' from birth, but there is no way of knowing - lead to an involvement in 'intense worldly activity' - hard work and material success - religious virtues and potential signs of being chosen
emphasised hard work, trade, profit, punctuality, avoidance of idleness, time wasting etc.
social change --> capitalism - pursuit of wealth and making money, reinvestment in business - good capitalist behaviour and religious morality
conservative force
- aims to maintain traditional beliefs and customs and maintaining the status quo
marxism
marx
‘Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world… the soul of the soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people’
religion eases pain and oppression in three ways:
Eventual escape from suffering and oppression in this life with promises of an ecstatic future in life after death
Religion offers hope of supernatural intervention to solve problems on earth
Religion provide a justification and explanation of inequality
Halevy
methodist religion played a key role in preventing a WC revolution in the 19th century. Most other european nations experiences some attempt to bring about social change in this period, but not Britain
WC dissatisfaction in Britain was instead expressed by deserting the Church of England for methodism - distracted from their class grievances and encouraged to see enlightenment in spirituality
This inhibited social change
Leach
critical of C of E as it recruits from UC base (80%) bishops privately educated) - lost contact - maintain unequal power (social control)
Hook
the vatican’s stance on contraception causing problems in less developed countries - south america - conservative
criticisms
fails to consider secularisation
failed to explain the existence of religion where it does not
appear to contribute to the oppression of a particular class
religious movements that have brought about radical social
change and helped remove ruling elites
Neo-marxists have recognised the way in which religion is
sometimes used as the only means to oppose the ruling class.
Interactionism
Religion is used by followers to create meanings and interpretations of the world to understand the meanings of sacred symbols
Berger
--> 'religion provides a 'universe of meaning' - set of beliefs and values to make sense of the world
Provides a
theodicy
- religious framework that enables people to make sense of seemingly inexplicable things
Berger
sees religion as a
sacred canopy
stretching over religion - provides a shield that protects from uncertainties
Interpretivists
argue that religion contributes to the maintenence of social stability
Religion as a compensator
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Stark and Bainbridge
Religion meets the needs of individuals when their sense of social order is disputed and helps to provide meaning
It promises life after death and future rewards
Therefore religion will never disappear as it is contributing to the stability of social life and is a conservative force
functionalism
Analyses religion through meeting the functional prerequisites of society
Religion is seen as maintaining cultural traditions and establishing basic rules of social life
durkheim - sacred: inspire feelings of awe, profane: no special significance
The totem is sacred because it is symbolically representative of the group itself. For Durkheim, when a clan member worships their totemic animal, they are in reality worshipping society. The totem inspires feelings of awe in the clans members precisely because it represents the power of the group on which the individual is ‘utterly dependent’
Malinowski
Religion reinforces social norms and values - social solidarity
saw religion as providing answers to the ‘unanswerable’ questions and events to give security in the face of uncertainty.
Parsons
Emphasises the role to provide the core values of society to regulate people's behaviour and restricts deviance and social change
Allowing people to ‘make sense’ of events which may threaten social stability
‘Mechanism of judgement’
criticisms
causing social change
growing secularisation
multifaith and multi cultural society
assumption that worship is a collective act
Feminism
Religious institutions are patriarchal and serve the interests of men
Religious beliefs reflect patriarchal ideology, which in turn justifies, legitimises and reproduces male dominance:
1) Subordinate roles of women in scriptures/texts/organisations
2) Marginalisation of women, exclusion from or restricted access to buildings
3) Patriarchal doctrines with traditional gender roles
4) Religious laws and customs