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RELIGION

Sociology 101

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Religion religions is a universal found in every culture.Religion was defined by Emile Durkheim as a

“unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things”

Durkheim stressed the social impact of religion

• Interested in religious behavior within a social context

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Durkheim and the Sociological Approach to Religion

█ Sacred: Elements beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect, and even fear

█ Profane: Includes the ordinary and commonplace

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FunctionalismFunctions of ReligionManifest functions Religion defines the spiritual world and gives

meaning to the divine Religion also provides an explanation for events

that are difficult to understand1. the purpose of life, 2. why people suffer, and

3. the existence of an afterlife

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Religion - Functionalism

Those answers give people a sense of purpose

Strengthened by such beliefs, people are less likely to collapse in despair when confronted by life’s calamities

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The Integrative Function of Religion

Durkheim viewed religion as an integrative force in human society

Gives meaning and purpose to people’s lives Gives people ultimate values and ends to hold in

common Strengthens social integration within specific faiths and

denominations In some instances, religious loyalties

are dysfunctional

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Religion and Social Control: The Marxist Approach Marx was an atheist who believed that the

existence of God was an impossibility Marx recognized that religion promoted

stability within society, but it also perpetuated patterns of social inequality

According to Marx, religion serves elites, by legitimizing the status quo and diverting people’s attention from social inequities

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Marxist Approach

In his view religion often drugged the masses into submission by offering a consolation for their harsh lives on earth: the hope for salvation in an ideal after life

Marx described religion as "the opiate of the people".

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Table 13-3: Sociological Perspectives on Religion

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World Religions

Diversity in World Religions 85 percent of the world’s population adheres

to some religion Christianity is the largest faith around the

world with about 34 percent of the population.

it includes the Roman Catholic Church, the numerous Protestant denominations, and the Eastern Orthodox Church with over 1.9 billion faithful

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World Religions

█ About 85% of world’s population adheres to some religion

– Christianity largest single faith, Islam is second• Monotheistic and impose moral code

– Differences among religions exceeded by variations within faiths

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Religion

the second largest is Islam with about 19 percent, and is the fastest growing of the major religions.

Monotheistic and impose moral code

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Figure 13-4: Religions of the World

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Table 13-2: Major World Religions

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Organization of Religious Behavior An ecclesia is a religious organization

claiming to include most or all of the members of a society and is recognized as the national or official religion

Ecclesiae are conservative, in general, and do not challenge the leaders of a secular government

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Denominations

A denomination is a large, organized religion not officially linked with the state or government

A denomination tends to have an explicit set of beliefs, a defined system of authority, and a generally respected position in society

The United States has the most denominations in the world. It is a result of the immigrant heritage

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Denominations

Eighty-seven percent of the population identify themselves as Christian, and the largest Christian denominations is the Roman Catholic Church, with about 57 million members.

About 80 million people, or 60 percent of the religious population are Protestant, but they are divided into hundreds of denominations

The Southern Baptist Convention, with about 15 million members is currently the largest Protestant denomination

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Religious Organization█ Figure 15.3: Largest Religious Groups in the United States by County, 2000

Source: D. Jones at al. 2002:592.

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Sects A sect can be defined as a relatively small

religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew what it considers the original vision of the faith

Sect formation is very common in the U.S. Sects usually exhibit a higher degree of fervor

and loyalty than more established religious groups do

To sustain their membership, sects rely on active recruitment, of new members

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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 than more

established faiths

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Table 13-4: Characteristics of Ecclesiae, Denominations, Sects, and New Religious Movements

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Religious Behavior

Religious beliefs: statements to which members of a particular religion adhereFundamentalism: rigid adherence to

fundamental religious doctrinesFundamentalism found worldwide among

most major religious groups

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The Secularization of Culture

Sociologists use the term secularization of culture to refer to a culture that, once heavily influenced by religion, has lost much of its religious influence

The only sphere of influence that religion retains in advanced societies is the family

It is no longer the primary cohesive force in societies, having been replaced by nationalism and other secular and political ideologies

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Religion in the Schools

The Setting First Amendment protects religious freedom In 1987, Supreme Court ruled states could

not compel the teaching of creationism in public schools

Creationists want Bible’s version of creation of world taught as the only theory of evolution or as an alternative theory

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Religion in the Schools

Sociological Insights Supporters of school prayer and creationism

feel there is too much separation in schools between the sacred and the profane

Opponents argue a religious majority in a community might impose viewpoints specific to its faith at the expense of religious minorities

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Sociological Perspectives on Education

Education is social institution that formally socializes members of society

Number of people age 25 or over with a high school diploma increased from 41% in 1960 to more than 85% in 2004

Those with a college degree rose from 8% in 1960 to about 28% in 2004

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Sociological Perspectives on Education

█ Education is social institution that formally socializes members of society

– Number of people age 25 or over with a high school diploma increased from 41% in 1960 to more than 86% in 2006

– Those with a college degree rose from 8% in 1960 to 28% in 2006

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Functionalist View

█ Transmitting Culture– Exposing young people to existing beliefs,

norms, and values of their culture█ Promoting Social and Political Integration

– Common identity and social integration fostered by education contributes to societal stability and consensus

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Functionalist View

█ Maintaining Social Control

– Schools teach students punctuality, discipline, scheduling, responsible work habits, and how to negotiate a bureaucratic organization

█ Serving as an Agent of Change

Schools serve as a meeting ground where people can share

distinctive beliefs and traditions

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Figure 13-1: Percentage of Adults Ages 25 to 64 Who Have Completed Higher Education

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Conflict View

█ Education is instrument of elite domination

– Schools socialize students into values dictated by the powerful, stifle individualism and creativity, and promote relatively insignificant change

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Conflict View

█ The Hidden Curriculum: Standards of behavior deemed proper by society are taught subtly in schools

Credentialism: Increase in the lowest level of education needed to enter a field

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Conflict View

█ Bestowal of Status

– Schools tend to preserve social class inequalities in each new generation

– Tracking: Practice of placing students in specific curriculum groups on the basis of test scores and other criteria

– Correspondence principle: Promotes values expected of individuals in each social class; perpetuate social class divisions

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Feminist Views

█ Treatment of Women in Education

– In 20th century, sexism in:• Stereotypes in textbooks• Pressure to study traditional

women’s subjects• Unequal funding for athletics• Employment bias

– Women have made strides in continuing education

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Interactionist View

█ Labeling approach suggests that if people are treated in particular ways, they may fulfill expectations

Teacher-expectation effect: Impact of teacher expectations and their large role on

student performance

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Table 13-1: Sociological Perspectives on Education

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Bureaucratization of Schools

█ Weber noted five characteristics of bureaucracy:

– Division of labor– Hierarchy of authority– Written rules and regulations – Impersonality– Employment based on

technical qualifications

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Teachers: Employees and Instructors

█ Teachers undergo many stresses

– Between a quarter and a third of new teachers quit within their first 3 years

█ Fewer students choose teaching as career due to perceived low income– In 2007, 4.7% first-year college students

were interested in elementary education and 4.7% in high school education

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Student Subcultures

█ In colleges:– Collegiate subculture– Academic subculture– Vocational subculture– Nonconformist subculture

• Each student is exposed to competing subcultures and must determine which seems most in line with his or her feelings and interests

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Homeschooling

█ More than 2 million children are educated at home

– Good alternative for children with ADHD and LD

– Homeschooled children score higher on standardized tests

– Some theorists cite lack of social involvement as problem

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Figure 13-2: Average Salary for Teachers

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Figure 13-3: Public High School Graduates by Race and Ethnicity, 2014 (projected)