4. SOCIAL GROUPS AND
RELIGIOSITY
Beliefs in society – A-level Sociology
Abstract
This topic includes how different social groups engage with religious belief. It directly covers social
class, ethnicity, age and gender
, Social class and religiosity
Traditionally speaking, it is assumed that the poorest in a society will be the most religious. This understanding is
based on the work of classical theorists such as Marx and Weber however, do current trends in the UK still relate to
these classical theories? Measuring the relationship between religion and social class is problematic, on this page we
will study the trends with church attendance and religious belief.
Religious belief
In-line with the theories of Marx and Weber, the evidence suggests that the working class are more likely to hold a
permanent religious belief. Lawes claims that ‘lifelong theists’ are predominantly from working class backgrounds –
based on occupation and low educational achievement. However, it is important to be aware that these findings
could be heavily skewed by ethnicity as the many ethnic minorities are working class and tend to be more religious
than the white majority.
Within the same study, Lawes found that ‘lifelong atheists’ (non-believers) were small in number however tended to
be more relevant to those with a middle class background or occupation.
Church attendance
Interestingly, church attendance statistics seem to conflict with trends on religious belief. Statistics suggest that
churches in more affluent, rural areas tend to have higher attendances than those in urban areas. Furthermore,
individuals who are reliant on state benefits are the least likely to attend church services.
These findings are supported by a YouGov survey in 2015 which found that 62% of regular church attenders came
from middle class backgrounds. Explaining these trends could be difficult however Voas & Watt point out that
churches that are affiliated with successful schools in suburban areas tend to have high attendance statistics. This
may be due to parents attending the church to ensure that their child gains an advantage in enrolling into the best
schools in the local area.
The relationship between social class and religious organisations
Historically there seems to be trends that suggest that middle class people are more likely to feel attached to
traditional churches whereas working class people are drawn more to new religious movements. As traditional
churches are often connected to figures of authority, such as the royal family or the government, Ahern and Davie
claim that working class people tend to resist the message of conformity and wish to have their own religious
experience that relates to their circumstances. This may explain why church attendance statistics for the working
class are much lower than the middle class.
Alternatively, middle class people tend to see church going as an opportunity to network with members of the
community and appear moral in the eyes of their neighbours. This may explain why church attendance statistics are
high but religious belief tends to be lower within middle class communities.
RELIGIOSITY
Beliefs in society – A-level Sociology
Abstract
This topic includes how different social groups engage with religious belief. It directly covers social
class, ethnicity, age and gender
, Social class and religiosity
Traditionally speaking, it is assumed that the poorest in a society will be the most religious. This understanding is
based on the work of classical theorists such as Marx and Weber however, do current trends in the UK still relate to
these classical theories? Measuring the relationship between religion and social class is problematic, on this page we
will study the trends with church attendance and religious belief.
Religious belief
In-line with the theories of Marx and Weber, the evidence suggests that the working class are more likely to hold a
permanent religious belief. Lawes claims that ‘lifelong theists’ are predominantly from working class backgrounds –
based on occupation and low educational achievement. However, it is important to be aware that these findings
could be heavily skewed by ethnicity as the many ethnic minorities are working class and tend to be more religious
than the white majority.
Within the same study, Lawes found that ‘lifelong atheists’ (non-believers) were small in number however tended to
be more relevant to those with a middle class background or occupation.
Church attendance
Interestingly, church attendance statistics seem to conflict with trends on religious belief. Statistics suggest that
churches in more affluent, rural areas tend to have higher attendances than those in urban areas. Furthermore,
individuals who are reliant on state benefits are the least likely to attend church services.
These findings are supported by a YouGov survey in 2015 which found that 62% of regular church attenders came
from middle class backgrounds. Explaining these trends could be difficult however Voas & Watt point out that
churches that are affiliated with successful schools in suburban areas tend to have high attendance statistics. This
may be due to parents attending the church to ensure that their child gains an advantage in enrolling into the best
schools in the local area.
The relationship between social class and religious organisations
Historically there seems to be trends that suggest that middle class people are more likely to feel attached to
traditional churches whereas working class people are drawn more to new religious movements. As traditional
churches are often connected to figures of authority, such as the royal family or the government, Ahern and Davie
claim that working class people tend to resist the message of conformity and wish to have their own religious
experience that relates to their circumstances. This may explain why church attendance statistics for the working
class are much lower than the middle class.
Alternatively, middle class people tend to see church going as an opportunity to network with members of the
community and appear moral in the eyes of their neighbours. This may explain why church attendance statistics are
high but religious belief tends to be lower within middle class communities.
