SOCI 201 Introduction to Sociology PDF

SOCI 201 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY - Dr. Gbenga Adejare - 1  Interrogating Religious Institution 2  Learning Focus Introduction: conceptualization of religion Structure: Elements of Religion Theories of Religion Religion as a conservativ...

SOCI 201 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY - Dr. Gbenga Adejare - 1  Interrogating Religious Institution 2  Learning Focus Introduction: conceptualization of religion Structure: Elements of Religion Theories of Religion Religion as a conservative force Religion as a radical force Disengagement thesis 3  Introduction: Conceptualization What is religion? ▪ A belief system: THEISM VS ATHEIM Sacredness vs Secularization 4  Introduction: Conceptualization (cont’d ) Religion is one of the most powerful, deeply felt and influential forces in human society. It shapes/d people’s relationship with each other, influencing family, community, economic and political life. Religious beliefs and values motivate human action and religious group organize their collective religious expressions. Religion is a cultural institution and an instrument for… satisfying varying needs consisting culturally patterned interaction with culturally postulated superhuman beings. 5  Introduction: Conceptualization (cont’d ) Emile Durkheim (1995: Original 1912) defined religion as a unified system of beliefs, rituals, and practices that define and express the nature of sacred things in relationship to the profane things of the world. Then, religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things i.e. things set apart and forbidden. From Weberian point of view, religion is any set of coherent answers to human existential dilemmas which make the world meaningful. Some definitions have attempted to synthesize the notion of what religion is with what religion does. E.g. Steve Bruce states that religion consists of belief, action and the institution which assume the existence of 6 supernatural entities with powers of action or impersonal powers or processes possessed of moral purpose  THEISM – Belief in G/god Theistic religions pivot around a belief in a scared higher power which has the power of control over human behaviour. Types Monotheism: Belief in one divine power or god E.g., Christianity or Islam Polytheistic religion: Belief in many gods E.g., Hinduism. Animism: Belief in ghosts or spirits which may be forces for good or evil. These spirits are regarded as having a huge influence on human behaviour causing illness, accident and death. 7  THEISM – Belief in G/god (cont’d) Totemism: This is associated with small scale ‘tribal’ societies, clan and cultures. Totem are like animals or plants that are believed to possess supernatural powers of some kind. Religious ritual and ceremonies are usually organized around a particular totem Plant or animal may be carved in wood or stone which is then regarded and treated as sacred. 8  ATHEISM – No G/god Atheism: This is the opposite of theism that disputes against believe in any form of supernatural influence in the affairs of humans Agnosticism: Derived from from Greek agnōstos, “unknowable” and rooted in the works of Vladmimir Lenin, advocates the doctrine that humans cannot know of the existence of anything beyond the phenomena of their experience. The term has come to be equated in popular parlance with skepticism about religious questions in general and with the rejection of traditional beliefs under the impact of modern scientific thought. 9  Structure of Religion Organized religions all over the world have been found to comprise of four structural elements, according to the position of Eddie Floyd (2003). These include Belief, ritual, emotions and organization. Beliefs – strongly held conviction by the people who are adherents to a religion that their object of worship can solve their problems. Religions of the world are based on beliefs and the recognition and creation of a sacred supernatural being. 10  Structure of Religion (cont’d) Ritual –religious acts, ceremonial practices and customs that are geared towards the worship of the sacred. Religious rituals are a way of venerating and honouring the sacred. Rituals reaffirm the total commitment of adherents and reinforces their belief in the sacredness of the object being worshiped. They constitute practical avenues where members demonstrate their strong religious belief. Normally, religious rituals require the observance of certain special types of behaviour such as prayers, offering of sacrifices, observance of feast, meditations and the wearing of clothes. 11  Structure of Religion (cont’d) Ritual – this element of Religion refers to religious acts, ceremonial practices and customs that are geared towards the worship of the sacred. Religious rituals are a way of venerating and honouring the sacred. Rituals reaffirm the total commitment of adherents and reinforces their belief in the sacredness of the object being worshiped. They constitute practical avenues where members demonstrate their strong religious belief. Normally, religious rituals require the observance of certain special types of behaviour such as prayers, offering of sacrifices, observance of feast, meditations and the wearing of clothes. 12  Structure of Religion (cont’d) Emotions – This refers to the spirit of reverence, humility, ecstasy, frenzy and even terror that is evoked in the believers as they present themselves in the presence of the sacred. The notion that one is present before the sacred evokes behavior that is considered appropriate for the occasion. When religious faithfuls engage in religious rituals and ceremonies, there is a tendency for them to become engrossed by the presence of the sacred. At such a period, individuals are emotionally attached to each other and may be persuaded to do what ever their belief system or leaders would ask them do. 13  Structure of Religion (cont’d) Organization – All Religions are characterized by some form of organization. There are trained officials; priests, imams, cardinals, etc. who occupy the religious hierarchy with full powers and authority vested in them. There are also ordinances, rules and laws that govern the day-to-day conduct of members. 14  Types of Religious Organizations There are four ideal types of religious organization: The Church – Usually monopolistic, hierarchically bureaucratic with flexible membership and complex division of labour Denominations – Denominations come into existence when churches lose their religious monopoly in a society. Membership is usually by birth. 15  Types of Religious Organizations cont’d Sects – Sects are smaller, less organized religious bodies of committed members. T They typically arise in protest to larger denomination like the Anglican Church originally did to Roman church in 1500s They may have few or no leaders and little formal structure. A charismatic leader/founder – Weber argues that all sects are originally based on personal charisma. E.g., Sun Myung Moon led the Unification Church. 16  Types of Religious Organizations cont’d Cults – They are service-based and organized around some sort of supernatural or mystical ideas rather than exclusive set of religious beliefs or doctrine that must be rigidly followed. E. g New Age. This service usually costs money Those who use the services of a cult are clients or customers rather than followers or converts. Cult tend offer service to individual. Being a member of a specially selected group is not that important. People may have relatively little involvement with any organization once they have learnt the rudiments of the beliefs around which the cult is based. 17  Functionalism and Religion Led by Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, and Talcott Parsons, functionalism takes society as its unit of analysis. It likens society to a living organism that has different but interrelated systems which functions to maintain the whole. Social fact: religion serves as a form of external constraint Tenet of functional universalism Order/Social control: most religions promote a standard of behavior in keeping with the tenets of their system of belief It promotes social solidarity 18  Functionalism and Religion Cont’d BRONISLAW MALINOWSKI Religion primarily is concerned with conditions of emotional stress that threaten social harmony It helps to promote social solidarity Religion is a tool for teaching social norms and values. 19  Functionalism and Religion Cont’d Herbert Spencer Functional differentiation Reduction of disharmony 20  Functionalism and Religion Cont’d Emile Durkheim Studied aboriginal Australians and found that religion helped to integrate the people into a moral whole through: Collective consciousness/conscience Collective effervescence Moral order Rituals Separation of the sacred from the profane Society, according to Durkheim, exists over and above us – society as a moral entity or moral reality. Social cohesion Social control 21  Functionalism and Religion Cont’d TALCOTT PARSONS Religion provides general guideline for conduct. E.g., The ten commandments Provision of consensus 22  Conflict Perspective on Religion Karl Marx (1964: Original 1848) – "[Religion] is the Opiate of the Masses." The statement provides a clear indication of the Marxist’s, and hence conflict, perspective of religion. Karl Marx theorized that religion functions as an instrument of hegemony Religion thus helps instill a false consciousness by promoting the belief that class-based hierarchy was God’s plan and thus justified Religion serves the interests of the elite/bourgeoisie by pacifying the oppressed proletariat. Marx described religion as “the sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world, and the soul of a soulless condition.” 23  Conflict Perspective on Religion cont’d Religion creates an illusion that eases the pain produced by exploitation and oppression. It does this by justifying the domination of the ruling class over the poor ones This is mostly achieved through religious texts and teachings Religion is an opium of the poor It acts as a drug to dull the pain produced by oppression It makes suffering bearable Religion gives people hope of supernatural intervention to solve problems on earth Some religions either make virtue of the suffering produced by oppression or see it as justified for punishment 24  Postmodernist Perspective on Religion Post modernist believe that religion is influenced, interpreted or shaped by postmodern philosophies. They emphasized the postmodern society is in constant the pursuit of lifestyle choices and the construction of personal identity. …through metanarratives 25  Postmodernist Perspective on Religion cont’d Spiritual shopping: belief that religion is losing its traditional power to impose religious beliefs on people. Although young people are likely to inherit a fixed religious identities, they are more likely to be ignorant of traditional religion. Individual consumerism has replaced collective tradition. New types of movements and the development of a spiritual shoppers. Profound impact of globalization 26  Feminists and Religion Many feminist sociologists regard religion as a patriarchal institution that continues perpetuating inequality between male and female Organized religions are mainly male-dominated despite the fact that women often participate more than the men in religious practices. Places of worship often segregate the sexes. Sacred text largely feature the doings of male gods or prophets and are usually written and interpreted by men. 27  Feminists and Religion cont’d Religious laws and custom may give women fewer rights than men. E.g., access to divorce, how many spouses you can marry, decision making and dress code As a result, women tend to have subordinate roles that marginalize their participation Feminists in the 1960s and 1970s became critical of Christianity and its practices Viewed Christianity as an influential cultural factor in the reproduction of gender inequality 28  Liberation Theology Liberation theology is a progressive school of thought that advocates social justice for the poor Opposes the oppression of the poor by the corrupt, ruling class in developing and underdeveloped countries It is rooted almost exclusively in the Catholic Church in Latin America 29  Liberation Theology Liberation theology is a progressive school of thought that advocates social justice for the poor Opposes the oppression of the poor by the corrupt, ruling class in developing and underdeveloped countries It is rooted almost exclusively in the Catholic Church in Latin America 30  Religion as a Force Social Change Religion has been a primary agent of change throughout history Not all Marxists share Marx's claim that religion is a conservative force supporting the ruling class interests. E.g., Engels recognized that religion in some special circumstances could bring about radical social change. Engels argues that religion could play a very active role in bringing about revolutionary social change. He focused on how early Christian sects opposed the Roman rule. 31  Religion as a Force Social Change cont’d Otto Maduro, a neo-Marxist, suggests that religion could play a progressive role in the political struggles of the oppressed classes. Maduro argues that the suffering and poverty of the oppressed may be voiced by members of the clergy. On the hand, Maduro noted that many societies the traditional churches (eg catholic church) are conservative institution and usually supportive of the ruling class. Religions can develop into political movements which seek change on earth rather than salvation in heaven. E.g., Reverend Martin Luther King and the southern Baptist church were at the forefront of the civil rights movement in the USA in the 1960s. 32  Max Weber To explain the rise of modern capitalism, Max Weber explored the ideals of Protestantism. Protestant belief in a predestined “elect” who would be saved during the second coming of Christ Membership in this elect group is demonstrated by achieving material success through hard work Religious/cultural influence spurred people to accumulate wealth, which is a key factor in the rise of capitalism 33  Disengagement Thesis – Secularization Disengagement is seen as an important component of secularization. Church was once at the center of social, economic, and political life but during the twentieth century, it has withdrawn almost completely. Religion now has minimal or no influence on human behaviour. Urban lifestyles are generally impersonal because of the shift away from agrarian/communal lifestyle – individualistic and isolated lifestyle. Greater choice of personal service which means that people are less likely to turn to local priest or church for practical or emotional support e.g. psychologist, counselor etc. The impact of science, media and cultural diversity means people’s religious belief are no longer certain or relevant. 34  Conclusion Religion is pervasive and practiced in diverse forms As a two-edged sword, it can both conserve societal ideals and serve as a tool for social transformation (change) With the advent of modernity and scientific thinking, desacralization sets in. The age of postmodernity ushers in some form of re-sacralization 35