Beliefs in Society
A-Level Sociology
REVISION
, Theorist Checklist in Beliefs
Topic One: Theories of Religion
Functionalist: Totenism: symbolism in religion
Durkheim
Collective conscious: shared values and moral beliefs to be reinforced in society
Functionalist: Psychological function: when there is uncertainly and danger, people engage in religious
Malinowski rituals
occurs during
Life Crisis: it provides explanations for events that are hard to explain which
life crises.
Functionalist: Value and meaning: provides guidelines for human actions
Parsons
Functionalist: Civil Religion: is a belief system that doesn't rely on
the belief on God - 'multi-faith system
Bellah like America'.
Marxism: believes that religion distorts people's perception of reality to serve the upper class
Marx
Marx also sees religion as the product of alienation
Marxism: Describes religion as a 'spiritual gin' - that intoxicants the masses and confuse them with
Lenin religious beliefs.
Feminist: Some young British women choose to wear the hijab - sign of liberation.
Gillant - Ray
and feminism with deep reference to
Feminist: Argues that early religion often valued women
Armstrong 'female goddess' and 'mother nature'
Topic Two: Social change
of Protestantism.
Weber The rise of Calvinism in Europe. Calvinism is a form
capitalism'. This was
Weber saw Calvinism as producing values which generated a 'spirt to
seen through 4 values:
Vocation of God calling god to prayer
Divine transcendence
Asceticism simple life
Vocation to God
He compares 2 examples of religious
Bruce Relationship between religion and social protest.
and the New Christian Right
movement in America: Civil Rights Movement
Taking the moral high ground
Channelling opposition through circumstances
Acting as an honest broker - plan for negotiations and respect either party
Mobilising public opinion - use of campaigning,
of hope' - our dreams of a better life that
Bloch Religion is an expression of the principle
of world.
contains images of utopia. Religion creates a vision
Maduro Liberation theology - Maduro believes that religion can be a revolutionary force for change
that it was part of their
Catholics defended the peasants and workers and claimed
Christian duty.
for social
Lehmann argued that the liberation theology offered
an 'option for the poor to campaign
change and join the revolutionary priests
Gramsci Believes religion can create a Counter-hegemony, where the working class develop
vision of how society should be organised.
textiles
Billing Applies Gramsci ideas in a case study between two communities: coal miners and
workers.
Coal miners were able to fight for social changes whereas textile workers accepted the
status quo. This is because coal miners had better skills/resources to challenge their
employer's hegemony.
, Topic Three: Secularisation and
Weber Rationalisation: decline of traditional belief and
more of a focus on scientific beliefthe
rational thought process. example: brotestant reform movement (disenchanted
world)
Bruce Technological worldview the growth of technology has largely replaced religion.
functions.
Parsons Structural differentiation - sees religion as having separate and specialised
religion has become disengaged from society
values and
Wilson Decline in community: - argues that pre-industrial communities share
expressive collective beliefs in religion instead of post-modern society.
no sacred canopy.
Berger Society therefore no longer has unified
belief by one religious concept
are alternative versions to
This therefore creates a 'crisis of creditability' - when there
choose between, people are likely to question all of them.
Topic 4: Religion, renewal and choice
but it is a matter
Religion/choice: From obligation to consumption: it is no longer inherited or imposed
Davie of personal choice. This is focussing on individual choice.
form as people are
Believing without belonging': Religion is taking more 'privatised®
reluctant to belong to organisations
to use if needed. For example:
Spiritual health service' : it is there for everyone
weddings, funerals, baptisms
that there is believing without belonging as both church
Religion/choice: Does not accept Davie's claim
Crockett attendance and belief In God is declining together.
imposed during socialisation -
Religion/choice: People are no longer have a fixed religious identity that
IS
of religion (spiritual shoppers). For
Leger people feel that they have a choice as consumers
find 'self-discovery.
example: Pilgrims follow religion in hope to
religion is being left and new forms
Religion/choice: Religious consumerism: He argues that traditional
Lyon of religion are growing bigger and bigger.
'electronic
Globalisation: has led to a great increase in religious belief - For example:
their faith.
real churches to online to express
churches' has moved people from
individuals are
personal development.
New Age religion: focus on life as a journey for
free to choose for themselves and this practise is called 'self-religion members and
the internet to address
Relieion/choice: Religion online: religious organisation (priests) uses
Hellend potential converts
Religious Market theory
of religious choice and
Stark and Religion is not declining but INSTEAD focus on the growth
competition.
Religion is attractive because it provides rewards (compensators). When individuals
by promising an
cannot receive rewards in their life - religion will compensate for this
afterlife
Churches operate like companies selling their ideology to the people and competition
leads to more religious movements - supply / demand concept because
religious followers'
Bruce Rejects the view that diversity and competition increases
of Europe.
statistics show that religion is in decline in most
applies to America and fails to
Norris and Reject religious market theory on the grounds that it only
explain the variations in religiousbelief between different countries.
but them having different
People follow different religions not only due to choice
'existential security'.
, Topic 5: Fundamentalism
towards social
Bruce Fundamentalism is 'belief in literal truth of sacred texts' and a hatred
change. This is confined in monotheism religions (believe in 1 god) - no room for
interpretation.
and feel
under threat by modernity
Davie Argues fundamentalism occurs because traditions are
life within modern society
the need to defend themselves. There is great uncertainty in
a 'resistance
Bauman and Argues that fundamentalism is created because of post-modernism and have
Castell personality (feel threatened instead of having a fproject identity (enease with chansel,
which undermines traditional
globalisation
Argues that fundamentalism is a reaction to
values such as 'traditional families'.
towards new ideas and
open and liberal
They hate cosmopolitanism - which means being
encourage rational thinking.
number of global conflicts.
that religion (Islamic) has been at the centre of a
Huntington
Artue sthafferences between people are a major source of conlit- 'national identity 1ess
meaningful.
sees religious differences is creating a hostile environment US vsMuslims
Them' relationship
and portray them
analysis has a negative stereotype on
Jackson Argues that Huntington's
(evaluation)_ as evil untrustworthy' and fanatical'
West does not stem from fundamentalist
argues that hostility towards the
Armstrong
(evaluation)_ 2007 found that 70% of
religious. Survey in
vast majority of the population is still highly
Nanda of globalisation.
(evaluation)
India's population is religious despite the growth
to be religious it can also be non-religious.
that fundamentalism doesn't have to the fall of
Davie
(evaluation)
Daves lavid become non religious nationalist fundamentalist group due
communism.
A-Level Sociology
REVISION
, Theorist Checklist in Beliefs
Topic One: Theories of Religion
Functionalist: Totenism: symbolism in religion
Durkheim
Collective conscious: shared values and moral beliefs to be reinforced in society
Functionalist: Psychological function: when there is uncertainly and danger, people engage in religious
Malinowski rituals
occurs during
Life Crisis: it provides explanations for events that are hard to explain which
life crises.
Functionalist: Value and meaning: provides guidelines for human actions
Parsons
Functionalist: Civil Religion: is a belief system that doesn't rely on
the belief on God - 'multi-faith system
Bellah like America'.
Marxism: believes that religion distorts people's perception of reality to serve the upper class
Marx
Marx also sees religion as the product of alienation
Marxism: Describes religion as a 'spiritual gin' - that intoxicants the masses and confuse them with
Lenin religious beliefs.
Feminist: Some young British women choose to wear the hijab - sign of liberation.
Gillant - Ray
and feminism with deep reference to
Feminist: Argues that early religion often valued women
Armstrong 'female goddess' and 'mother nature'
Topic Two: Social change
of Protestantism.
Weber The rise of Calvinism in Europe. Calvinism is a form
capitalism'. This was
Weber saw Calvinism as producing values which generated a 'spirt to
seen through 4 values:
Vocation of God calling god to prayer
Divine transcendence
Asceticism simple life
Vocation to God
He compares 2 examples of religious
Bruce Relationship between religion and social protest.
and the New Christian Right
movement in America: Civil Rights Movement
Taking the moral high ground
Channelling opposition through circumstances
Acting as an honest broker - plan for negotiations and respect either party
Mobilising public opinion - use of campaigning,
of hope' - our dreams of a better life that
Bloch Religion is an expression of the principle
of world.
contains images of utopia. Religion creates a vision
Maduro Liberation theology - Maduro believes that religion can be a revolutionary force for change
that it was part of their
Catholics defended the peasants and workers and claimed
Christian duty.
for social
Lehmann argued that the liberation theology offered
an 'option for the poor to campaign
change and join the revolutionary priests
Gramsci Believes religion can create a Counter-hegemony, where the working class develop
vision of how society should be organised.
textiles
Billing Applies Gramsci ideas in a case study between two communities: coal miners and
workers.
Coal miners were able to fight for social changes whereas textile workers accepted the
status quo. This is because coal miners had better skills/resources to challenge their
employer's hegemony.
, Topic Three: Secularisation and
Weber Rationalisation: decline of traditional belief and
more of a focus on scientific beliefthe
rational thought process. example: brotestant reform movement (disenchanted
world)
Bruce Technological worldview the growth of technology has largely replaced religion.
functions.
Parsons Structural differentiation - sees religion as having separate and specialised
religion has become disengaged from society
values and
Wilson Decline in community: - argues that pre-industrial communities share
expressive collective beliefs in religion instead of post-modern society.
no sacred canopy.
Berger Society therefore no longer has unified
belief by one religious concept
are alternative versions to
This therefore creates a 'crisis of creditability' - when there
choose between, people are likely to question all of them.
Topic 4: Religion, renewal and choice
but it is a matter
Religion/choice: From obligation to consumption: it is no longer inherited or imposed
Davie of personal choice. This is focussing on individual choice.
form as people are
Believing without belonging': Religion is taking more 'privatised®
reluctant to belong to organisations
to use if needed. For example:
Spiritual health service' : it is there for everyone
weddings, funerals, baptisms
that there is believing without belonging as both church
Religion/choice: Does not accept Davie's claim
Crockett attendance and belief In God is declining together.
imposed during socialisation -
Religion/choice: People are no longer have a fixed religious identity that
IS
of religion (spiritual shoppers). For
Leger people feel that they have a choice as consumers
find 'self-discovery.
example: Pilgrims follow religion in hope to
religion is being left and new forms
Religion/choice: Religious consumerism: He argues that traditional
Lyon of religion are growing bigger and bigger.
'electronic
Globalisation: has led to a great increase in religious belief - For example:
their faith.
real churches to online to express
churches' has moved people from
individuals are
personal development.
New Age religion: focus on life as a journey for
free to choose for themselves and this practise is called 'self-religion members and
the internet to address
Relieion/choice: Religion online: religious organisation (priests) uses
Hellend potential converts
Religious Market theory
of religious choice and
Stark and Religion is not declining but INSTEAD focus on the growth
competition.
Religion is attractive because it provides rewards (compensators). When individuals
by promising an
cannot receive rewards in their life - religion will compensate for this
afterlife
Churches operate like companies selling their ideology to the people and competition
leads to more religious movements - supply / demand concept because
religious followers'
Bruce Rejects the view that diversity and competition increases
of Europe.
statistics show that religion is in decline in most
applies to America and fails to
Norris and Reject religious market theory on the grounds that it only
explain the variations in religiousbelief between different countries.
but them having different
People follow different religions not only due to choice
'existential security'.
, Topic 5: Fundamentalism
towards social
Bruce Fundamentalism is 'belief in literal truth of sacred texts' and a hatred
change. This is confined in monotheism religions (believe in 1 god) - no room for
interpretation.
and feel
under threat by modernity
Davie Argues fundamentalism occurs because traditions are
life within modern society
the need to defend themselves. There is great uncertainty in
a 'resistance
Bauman and Argues that fundamentalism is created because of post-modernism and have
Castell personality (feel threatened instead of having a fproject identity (enease with chansel,
which undermines traditional
globalisation
Argues that fundamentalism is a reaction to
values such as 'traditional families'.
towards new ideas and
open and liberal
They hate cosmopolitanism - which means being
encourage rational thinking.
number of global conflicts.
that religion (Islamic) has been at the centre of a
Huntington
Artue sthafferences between people are a major source of conlit- 'national identity 1ess
meaningful.
sees religious differences is creating a hostile environment US vsMuslims
Them' relationship
and portray them
analysis has a negative stereotype on
Jackson Argues that Huntington's
(evaluation)_ as evil untrustworthy' and fanatical'
West does not stem from fundamentalist
argues that hostility towards the
Armstrong
(evaluation)_ 2007 found that 70% of
religious. Survey in
vast majority of the population is still highly
Nanda of globalisation.
(evaluation)
India's population is religious despite the growth
to be religious it can also be non-religious.
that fundamentalism doesn't have to the fall of
Davie
(evaluation)
Daves lavid become non religious nationalist fundamentalist group due
communism.
