secularization & de secular

Question 1

name the 3 socilogists for seculairzartion debate

Answer 1

Wilson
Jose Casanova
Bruce

Question 2

what does willson say about seculization

Answer 2

Secularisation is the process— whereby religious thinking+ practices+ institutions— lose social significance

Question 3

what does jose cassanova say about secularization happening at 2 levels

Answer 3

Seculization happens at two level

Question 4

mention the classical theories of seculization

Answer 4

Maj of sociologists take a secular view of the world—-claim that religion is a social construct+ therefore changes overtime from place to place

-Most of founding key figures of early sociology— predicted that as societies developed
1 religion would either decline (Durkheim?
2 or disappear altogether ( Marx As a result of communism)

Question 5

define the seculization thesis

Answer 5

Is the hypothesis or theory— which claims decline an importance of religion is occurring

Question 6

mentiion the sociologists supporting seculization thesis

Answer 6

bruce
weber
wilson
comte

Question 7

what are the 4 changes bruce merntions that has led to secularization of societies

Answer 7

Societies have secularised because of these changes

1 structural differentiation
Sd— in modern societies has led to the separation of social institution such as church+fam + edu as they became more specialised in their role

-The churches became less central to social life
-Role of church narrowed, focusing on providing a belief system for individual

2 social differentiation
-As process of urbanisation began different social classes emerged+ became more distinct+ separate
-People did not feel that they belonged to one social world unlike in feudal times

3 societal ation
-When close knitted communities lose power to largest cities+ towns
-Changes in societies coincided coincided with a shift words individualism-greater emphasis on individual
-It reflected the fact that people felt less need for collective experiences+ institutions such as churches— the processes which were one linked to socialisation

4 schisms
-bruce saw the final reason for securisation- as schisms or splits that occurred in established religion
An increase in new forms of religion made established religions beliefs, weaker

-bruce also argues that secularisation is an irreversible process once the society becomes secular it cannot be religious again

Question 8

what does Weber say about seculazrization

Answer 8

Modernity+ religion cannot coexist
-As modernisation occurs more and more societies will become secular
Societies will undergo rationalisation - -people will act more in terms of rational pursuit of goals and less in terms of emotions and traditions
-People will no longer believe that prayer was a way to achieve these aims— instead turned to science for their understanding of world

Question 9

what does wilson say about secularization

Answer 9

Religion has lost its significance at an individual+ personal+ institutional-and society level
-Securisation is about the fact that religion no longer holds authority in defining morals + rules about the way people live their lives
-Is linked to the decline any community in contemporary societies+ lack of moral guidance for young people since churches no longer hold much responsibility

Question 10

what does comte say about secularization

Answer 10

Alliance with Webber+ argued that growth of science+ scientific rational thinking- -would replace religious thinking

Question 11

what are the evidences present to support secularization thesis

Answer 11

Statistical evidence
Brierly
Pew research Centre 2015
Martin
Bruce

Question 12

what is BRIERLY evid about secular thesis

Answer 12

In UK in the 1920s and 1930s— over 90% of the babies were baptised
By 2001 the number was down to 45%
By 2009 it had reduced to just over 20%

Question 13

what is PEW research center evid for secular thesis

Answer 13

Pew research centre 2015
Three fourths of people who claimed to be unaffiliated with religion lived in Asia +the pacific
This may be because China was home to a significant proportion of global population which had been governed under communist ideologies which does not encourage or even allow religious beliefs

Question 14

what is MARTIN evid for secular thesis

Answer 14

Argued that in UK today compared with middle ages—-power+ wealth+ prestige of established church in Britain has declined dramatically

Question 15

what is BRUCE evid for secular thesis

Answer 15

Church of England has lost power
Has become more distant from British state

Question 16

define anti secular thesis

Answer 16

Theory claims that religion is still important in today’s times

Question 17

what are the sociologists suporting anti secular thesis

Answer 17

Casanova
Berger
Stark and Brainbridge
Kepel
Cuba case study
Davie

Question 18

what does cassanova say for anti secular

Answer 18

Disengagement (withdrawal of churches from wider society particularly politics + legal systems) is not happening everywhere
-Recent history shows that- while there has been some decline in religious beliefs+ practices in parts of Europe— this has not been the case in other parts of the world

-Religion is becoming stronger, not weaker
-Public relations are becoming more important in many countries as a global force

-Well there is some evidence to suggest that the state expresses a desire to be secular—-this is often accompanied by a public discourse which places religion at the heart of social+ political debate

Question 19

what do stark and brainbridge say about anti secular thesis

Answer 19

-Securisation thesis—-assumes that at some point in past religion was sig to most ppl — a view not supported by sufficient empirical evidence

-This golden age of religion— difficult to measure-bec reliable or valid records about beliefs+ practices did not exist in the past

-ppl may have participated in church going— simply to confirm to social expectations of time rather than out of faith

-In the first ever census in 1951 in England+ Wales-only 40% of people attend at church
This challenge is the idea that there was ever a golden age of religion in countries like UK

-In modern times-they see a continuous regrowth of new forms of religion— disproving the secularization thesis

Question 20

what does Berger say about anti secular

Answer 20

Most theories of securisation are Eurocentric— based on European societies
-Western sociologist assume that their ideas about secularization can be applied to places where religion may hold much more significance even today

Question 21

what does kepel say about anti secular

Answer 21

There has been a significant growth in some traditional forms of religion such as Hinduism
-This resurgence of religion is due to a number of factors

1 concerns over loss of spirituality
2 need for religion as a source of comfort
3 more immigration (immigrant population tends to be more religious than non-immigrant

-The increase in new forms of religion suggests a revival of religious beliefs—-process resacralization —ppl reaffirming their beliefs in the sacred

Question 22

what does Cubas case study say about Anti secular

Answer 22

In Cuba enforced atheism+ socialist ideas are in decline—-which has resulted in Christian denominations flourishing
-National holidays such as good Fridays+ Christmas have been reinstalled
+ churchgoers no longer face discrimination

-In particular evangelical Christianity has been popular among migrants who find community through church
-Under socialism— young people in particular became more likely to be interested in buying material objects+ having sex outside marriage

-Evangelicals are content with the revival of religion which they believe will establish the morals of society

Question 23

what does Davie say about anti secular

Answer 23

Religion has become highly privatised
People develop their own beliefs + relationship with God+ seen religious institution as being less important
-Be believing without belonging

£ religion is seen as a choice open to all individuals—-rather than an obligation imposed by society—-which is why people hold villages beliefs in private w/o feeling the need to demonstrate them in public

-Moreover there are a wide range of new forms of privatised religion x-which are much harder to measure as they take place in private sphere of home eg online

-Religion as an institution may have decreased in importance in contemporary societies
-However role of religion in providing solace+ spirituality still remains significant

Question 24

mwention the evidences supporting anti secular thesis

Answer 24

In UK, there has been an increase in attendance
-pew research Centre 2017
-New Christian rights in USA

Question 25

what is the evidence from UK for anti secular

Answer 25

In UK, there has been an increase in attendance at new denominations eg Pentecostal churches -Growth in new and non-Christian forms of religion

Question 26

what is the evid from PEW research center about anti secular

Answer 26

PEW research Centre 2017 -More than 20% of countries have an official state religion—w maj of these countries being Muslim states -A further 20% of countries having a preferred or favourable religion -A small minority of 53% of countries have no official or preferred religion -10 countries or 5% are hostile to religion -this proves imp of religion in modern societies

Question 27

what is the evid about new christian rights in USA regarding anti secular

Answer 27

The new Christian right in USA— exemplifies the role of religion in social institutions such as law + politics -It consists of conservative+ fundamentalist Christians— who believe that the moral decline in American society should be opposed+ aspects of Bible should be taken literally 

Question 28

give a brief concluson about the seculization vs anti secularization-

Answer 28

-Data collected to measure anti-/circulation - are complex+vary btw + w/n geographical areas -In the world value survey 98% of public and Indonesia said that religion was important -However most of the long-term evidence in UK and USA seemed to support the circulation theory -It is also true that recent years has seen a growth in smaller+ newer religious orgs Davie accepts -sexualisation is a multi dimensional concept there are number of parts of the process and these frequently operate independently of each other

Question 29

what else exists and conflicts the seculization thesis

Answer 29

-while secularization thesis suggests a progressive decline in religion -There are many parts of the world where religion appears to be thriving+ reviving

Question 30

define the term fundamentalism

Answer 30

The term fundamentalism has been used to describe the nature of religion today— particularly where it is undergoing an enthusiastic revival in strongly held beliefs

Question 31

acc to bruce, fundamentalism is?

Answer 31

The term fundamentalism was first used in 1920s when conservative evangelical protestants published a series of pamphlets in which they called for a return to—-the fundamentals of the faith -these protestants were antimodernist- -that they objectified to the way their religion was becoming diluted in modern world

Question 32

what did almond et al define fundamentalism as?

Answer 32

Define fundamentalism as a “discernible pattern of religious militance by which self styled “true believers” attempt to arrest the erosion of religious identity+ fortify the borders of religious community+ create viable alternatives to secular institutions and behaviours”

Question 33

how can we explain an increase in fundamenalism explain globalization asa factor

Answer 33

Fundamentalism itself is not new -However there has been a recent increase in the number of fundamentalist movements+ a number of explanations for growth of these groups- —-which are in many ways a response to the forces of globalisation and social change GLOBALIZATION -The process whereby world is becoming increasingly interconnected-has been happening over a long time -However over the past 40 years globalisation has rapidly increased—-as a result of technological+ communicative advances -Effect of recent globalisation included spread of western values (tolerance to same sex rs + sex outside marriage + equality between genders) + increased migration -These changes have been interpreted in different societies and different social groups in a number of ways

Question 34

what are the 4 factors that lead to these changes that occur due to effects of gobalization thus fundamentalism

Answer 34

-cultural defence -Cultural transmission -Religious disengagement -Marginality

Question 35

define culturual defense

Answer 35

-bruce regarded 1 role of religion today-as allowing people to protect+ maintain their cultural or ethnic identity -They generally do this-as they perceive their ideas+ practices+ beliefs to be under threat as a result of —-rapid social changes+ spread of liberal values -An assertion of traditional or fundamentalist values— is a rejection of liberal values -Cultural defence can also be a response to discrimination eg Islamophobia *ppl might respond to such discrimination through strengthening of their religious beliefs-as a way of seeking comfort from a world that is otherwise hostile

Question 36

define cultural transmission

Answer 36

Another feature of global contemporary society-for greater migration as Bruce points out— religion place as an important social function— in helping grps settle + create networks in new locations -esp true when moving into an area as a religious or ethnic minority -It may be the case that people who are less religious in their previous location— became more religious in the new context as means of coping with all of the changes

Question 37

define religious disengagemnt

Answer 37

Religious disengagement w/n the state can actually lead to a resurgence and religion including fundamentalist religion -It is the idea that relates to the argument that today at religion has not become more privatised— rather it remains firmly part of public+ political discourse

Question 38

define marginality

Answer 38

Individuals who find themselves at edge of society eg/— those who experience discrimination+ racism+ material deprivation— may well be attracted to security+ strong sense of identity that fundamentalist groups provide -Individuals who feel left behind by forces of globalisation-are affected adversity by rapid social changes

Question 39

what does bruce say about fundamentalism as a reaction to modernization

Question 40

what does Almond et al say about fundamentalism as a response to seculization + modernization