© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 1 Richard T. Schaefer

Slide 2 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion Durkheim and the Sociological Approach to ReligionDurkheim and the Sociological Approach to Religion World Religions Sociological Perspectives on Religion Components of Religion Religious Organization Case Study: Religion in India Social Policy and Religion: Religion in the SchoolsSocial Policy and Religion: Religion in the Schools 15

Slide 3 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. █ What social purposes does religion serve? A Look Ahead █ Does religion help to hold society together or foster social change? █ What happens when religion mixes with politics? █ Does religion belong in the public schools?

Slide 4 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Durkheim and the Sociological Approach to Religion █ Religion: Unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things (Durkheim) –Collective act Profane: the ordinary and commonplace Sacred: elements beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect, and even fear

Slide 5 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. World Religions █ 89% of world’s population adheres to some religion –Christianity largest faith, Islam 2nd largest –Judaism forms historical foundation for Christianity and Islam –Hinduism embraces a number of gods and reincarnation –Buddhism developed as reaction against Hinduism; uses meditation to overcome selfish cravings

Slide 6 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 15-1: Major World Religions Source: Author, based on Britannica Online 2011; Swatos 1998.

Slide 7 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Figure 15-1: Test Your Religious Knowledge Sources: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life 2010a, 2010b.

Slide 8 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Sociological Perspectives on Religion █ Manifest functions: Open and stated functions; religion defines the spiritual world and gives meaning to the divine █ Latent functions: (unintended, covert, or hidden functions) might include providing a meeting ground for unmarried members

Slide 9 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Integrative Function of Religion █ Durkheim viewed religion as an integrative force in human society –Gives meaning and purpose to lives –Offers ultimate values and ends to hold in common –Strengthens social integration within specific faiths and denominations –In some instances, religious loyalties dysfunctional

Slide 10 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion and Social Support █ Religion’s emphasis on divine and supernatural allows us to “do something” about calamities we face –Encourages people to view personal misfortunes as relatively unimportant –Faith-based community organization taken more responsibilities in social assistance

Slide 11 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion and Social Change █ The Weberian Thesis –Protestant ethic: Followers of Protestant Reformation emphasized disciplined work ethic, this-worldly concerns, and rational orientation for life –“Spirit of capitalism” emerged as a generalized cultural trait

Slide 12 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. May be dysfunctional Religion and Social Support █ Liberation theology: Church should be used in political efforts to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other forms of injustice

Slide 13 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion and Social Control: A Conflict View █ Marx: religion impeded social change –Religion drugged masses into submission by offering consolation for harsh lives on earth –To whatever extent religion influences social behavior, it reinforces existing patterns of dominance and inequality

Slide 14 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Feminist Perspective █ Theorists stressed fundamental role women play in religious socialization –Women generally take subordinate role in religious governance –Women play vital role as volunteers, staff, and educators –In U.S., women more likely than men to be affiliated with religion

Slide 15 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 15-2: Sociological Perspectives on Religion

Slide 16 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Belief █ Religious beliefs: Statements to which members of a particular religion adhere –Fundamentalism: Rigid adherence to fundamental religious doctrines Found worldwide among most major religious groups Spirituality not as strong in industrialized nations as in developing nations

Slide 17 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Rituals █ Religious rituals: Practices required or expected of members of a faith –In recent decades, participation in religious rituals tended to hold steady or decline █ Religious experience: Feeling or perception of being in direct contact with ultimate reality or of being overcome with religious emotion

Slide 18 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Figure 15-2: Religious Participation in Selected Countries, 2006 Note: Data are for 2006, except for Canada and Mexico, which are for Source: Tom W. Smith 2009: 28, 60, 72.

Slide 19 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religious Organization █ Ecclesiae: Religious organization claiming to include most or all members of a society █ Denominations: Large, organized religion not officially linked with the state or government

Slide 20 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religious Organization █ Sects: Relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew original vision of the faith –Fundamentally at odds with society and does not seek to become established national religions –Established sect: Out-growth of a sect that remains isolated

Slide 21 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. New Religious Movements or Cults █ New Religious Movement (NRM): Small, secretive religious groups that represent either a new religion or a major innovation of an existing faith –Similar to sects –Tend to be small –Viewed as less respectable

Slide 22 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Comparing Forms of Religious Organization █ Ecclesiae, denominations, and sects best viewed as types along a continuum █ From individual perspective, religion and spirituality remarkably fluid One sign of fluidity is rapid rise of electronic church

Slide 23 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Research Today █ 15-1: Wicca: Religion or Quasi-Religion? –Do you know anyone who practices Wicca? If so, describe the person’s practices. –Do you think that Wicca should be considered a religion?

Slide 24 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 15-3: Components of Religion

Slide 25 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Table 15-4: Characteristics of Ecclesiae, Denominations, Sects, and New Religious Movements Source: Adapted from Vernon 1962; see also Chalfant et al

Slide 26 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Case Study: Religion in India █ India is large and complex; it might be considered a world of its own –400 languages, of which 18 are officially recognized by the government –Hinduism and Buddhism are major religions, but several other faiths exist

Slide 27 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Religious Tapestry of India █ Other faiths also animate India –Hinduism represents 83% –Islam (arrived in 1000 CE) represents 12% –Sikhism founded in 15 th century Pursue enlightenment through meditations Men do not cut beards or hair, wear turbans –Christianity and Jainism also present

Slide 28 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion and the State in India █ Religion influential in India’s drive to overturn British colonialism –India secular state dominated by Hindus –Tensions between Hindus and Muslims remain high in some states –Many observers see religion as moving force in Indian society

Slide 29 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion in the Schools █ Looking at the Issue –Some believe role exists for prayer and religion in schools –Others want to maintain strict separation of church and state –Controversy over teaching theories of the origin of humans and the universe Creationism: Accepting biblical account of the creation of humans and the universe

Slide 30 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion in the Schools █ Looking at the Issue –First Amendment protects religious freedom 1962: Supreme Court ruled that prayer in schools “wholly inconsistent” with amendment 1987: Supreme Court ruled states could not compel schools to teach creationism Intelligent Design (ID): Life is so complex that it could only have been created by intelligent design

Slide 31 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion in the Schools █ Applying Sociology –Supporters: there is too much separation in schools between sacred and profane –Opponents: religious majority in a community might impose viewpoints specific to its faith at expense of religious minorities

Slide 32 © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Religion in the Schools █ Initiating Policy –Public school education is a fundamentally local issue –Federal courts have taken a hard line on religion in schools –Religion-school debates show no sign of ending