Sociology: Your Compass for a New World Robert J. Brym and John Lie Wadsworth Group/Thomson Learning © 2003

Religion and Education Chapter 13

Durkheim and Religion WDurkheim Argued That the Main Function of Religion Is to Increase Social Cohesion by Providing Ritualized Opportunities for People to Experience the Collective Conscience  Critics Note That Durkheim Ignored the Ways Religion Can Incite Social Conflict and Reinforce Social Inequality

Weber and Religion I WWeber Argued That Religion Determines the Tracks Along Which History Will Be Pushed by the Force of Political and Economic Interest. WProtestantism, for Example, Invigorated Capitalist Development.

Weber and Religion II WCritics note the correlation between economic development and Protestantism is not strong. WThey also note that some Weberians offer one-sided explanations of the role of religion in economic development, which Weber warned against.

Secularization WThe Secularization Thesis Holds That Religious Institutions, Actions, and Consciousness Are on the Decline Worldwide WCritics Point Out There Has Been a Religious Revival in the United States and Elsewhere Over the Past 30 Years or So  They Also Cite Survey Evidence Showing Religion in the United States Is Not in an Advanced State of Decay

The Social Condition of Religion, U.S.A., (in Percent) Year Percent Attended religious services once a month or more (decreased about 1% every 7.1 years) Religious affiliation strong or somewhat strong (increased about 1% every 7.4 years) Source: National Opinion Research Center (1999). Belief in God or higher power (decreased about 1% every 2.5 years)

Religious Preference, U.S.A., 1998 (in Percent) Source: National Opinion Research Center (1999).

Religious Preference by Class, U.S.A., 1998 (in Percent) Religion/Denomination Percent Source: National Opinion Research Center (1999).

The Revised Secularization Thesis WThe Revised Secularization Thesis Recognizes the Religious Revival and the Resilience of Religion but Still Maintains That the Scope of Religious Authority Has Declined Over Time WThe Revisionists Say That Religion Is More and More Restricted to the Realm of the Spiritual WIt Governs Fewer Aspects of People’s Lives WIs More a Matter of Personal Choice Than It Used to Be

Frequency of Attending Religious Services  Frequency of Attending Religious Services Is Determined by WOpportunity (How Much Time People Have Available for Attending) WNeed (Whether People Are in a Social Position That Increases Their Desire for Spiritual Answers to Life’s Problems) WLearning (Whether People Were Brought up in a Religious Household)

The Rise of Schools WSecular Schools Have Substantially Replaced the Church and Religious Schools As Educational Institutions and Are Second in Importance Only to the Family As an Agent of Socialization. WThe Rise of Mass Schooling Was Stimulated by W The Protestant Reformation W The Spread of Democracy W Industrialization

Percent With 4+ Years of College, U.S.A., By Ethnicity, Race, and Gender, Percent Note: The latest year for which data on Asian-Americans are available is Source: U.S. Census Bureau (1999f: 169). Group

Credential Inflation and Professionalization WCredential Inflation Is Widespread WEver More Certificates and Diplomas Are Required to Qualify for a Given Job WCredential Inflation Is Fueled by W Increasing Technical Requirements for Many Jobs W Growing Professionalization, Which Occurs When Members of an Occupation Insist That People Earn Certain Credentials to Enter the Occupation

Average Yearly Earnings by Highest Degree Attained, U.S.A., 1997 (in $ 000s) $ 000’s Source: U.S. Census Bureau (1998c: 168). Degree

Schools and the Reproduction of Inequality WThe Educational System Often Creates Social Cohesion WIt Also Reinforces Existing Class, Racial, and Ethnic Inequalities by Means of W Unequal Funding for Schools W Testing and Tracking of Students W The Operation of the Self-fulfilling Prophecy That Poor and Minority Students Will Do Poorly

Percent of Eighth Grade U.S. Public School Students in High-ability Classes, by Ethnicity, Race, and Socioeconomic Status Percent Source: Kornblum (1997 [1988]: 542) Group

Combined Math and Science Scores, Fourth-grade and Graduating Students, 1995: U.S.A. In Comparative Perspective Score Source: U.S. Department of Education (1997; 1998). Fourth-Grade StudentsGraduating Students

Proposed Solutions to the School Crisis W The Bottom Third of American Schools Are Plagued by Very Low Standards W Proposed Solutions WLocal Initiatives WRedistributing Existing Resources and Increasing School Budgets WSubstantially Improving the Social Environment of Young, Disadvantaged Children Before and Outside School

Effects of Comprehensive Preschool on 21-year-olds (98% African American) Percent/age Source: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center (1999). Effects