Sociology - AQA Unit Three: Beliefs in Society

Hmm perhaps aid/ gender for the 33 marker
War for the 18...or maybe something about sustainable development cos that's the 'in thing' right now?
Honestly, I have a feeling they're going to ask some ambigious questions

wow, we havent done anything on globalisation, apart from linking it with secularisation and saying religion is still around in other countries. But all these words like meera nanda and ultranationalism i have no idea. perhaps my teacher didn't think a question would come up solely on globalisation... she reckons social change will come up but who knows

Is anyone using any of these two textbooks:




Because I've been having a little look about what everyone else has said... and I feel that these text books are obviously missing something out?

I only just remembered I had the nelson thornes book, so just flicked through that and I am amazed at how many studies it doesn't include compared to the other one?! It has nothing on existential security theory/religion market theory and things?! Wtf?! Ahhh little bit of a panic

wow, we havent done anything on globalisation, apart from linking it with secularisation and saying religion is still around in other countries. But all these words like meera nanda and ultranationalism i have no idea. perhaps my teacher didn't think a question would come up solely on globalisation... she reckons social change will come up but who knows

x

Is anyone using any of these two textbooks...

I doubt globalisation will be a 33 marker due to it only being one small part of secularisation, if it does it will be no more than 18 marker. If it is a 33 marker it will be inclusive with other areas of secularisation e.g. discuss the view that globalisation and religious pluralism have causes secularisation

In fact, it's not even on the spec, it just states global context which is different -_-

I doubt globalisation will be a 33 marker due to it only being one small part of secularisation, if it does it will be no more than 18 marker. If it is a 33 marker it will be inclusive with other areas of secularisation e.g. discuss the view that globalisation and religious pluralism have causes secularisation

In fact, it's not even on the spec, it just states global context which is different -_-

x

I don't even have a textbook.

What are you using?

I will type out my essay plan for you.

Also, anyone else reading this, please criticise it...it'll be helpful.

"Assess sociological explanations of the relationship between globalisation and religion"

DEVELOPMENT
CULTURAL DEFENCE
FUNDAMENTALISM
CLASH OF CIVILISATIONS

(I remember that as DCFC (Derby County Football Club )

Economic Development

Nanda - India is becoming prosperous. BRIC country. 85% Hindu. Knowledge/scientific economy. Becoming more religious, this goes against Bell's study in Mensa that correlated high rates of education with low levels of religiosity. It also goes against Existential Security Theory. In India, there is a lean towards 'poor' Gods, as they are more suited to the needs of the people. It's becoming fashionable to be religious in India.

Cultural Defence

Bruce - Cultural defence is when religion acts to protect a culture from an external threat. Examples of this include the Catholic Church in Poland in the 80s protesting against the USSR and the Communisty Party of Poland. Another example is the military/Islamic coup de etat against the Shah of Iran in 1979. The Shah was controlled by the West (external threat) the military group created an Islamic state.

Fundamentalism

Giddens - Response to globalisation. Globalisation undermines traditional values on the family, marriage, sex etc. Things religion concerns itself with. Fundamentalism provides certainty. It is a retreat from rationality. In today's "late modern" society, there is uncertainty. Fundamentalism brings certainty. You could link this to phenomenology, which states that as religion as faith based it can't really be questioned.

Bauman - Fundamentalists detest modernity but are very happy to use it to promote their cause, televangelism in the US (Christian fundamentalism, don't get into the mistake of thinking all fundamentalism is Islamic).

Castells - Responses to Fundamentalism can be 'resistant identity' and 'project identity'. Resistant identity is a withdrawl into fundamentalism. Project identity is joining a movement such as feminism, which is forward looking.

Beckford criticises Giddens, Bauman and Castells

He says they are

Fixated on fundamentalism, ignoring other developments and how globalisation affects other groups, such as Catholics.

Giddens lumps all types of fundamentalism together, ignoring important differences between them.

Gidden's description of fundamentalism as a defensive reaction ignores that reinventing tradition is also a modern, 'reflexive' activity. I added my own evaluation on this, nothing that some New Age movements and new religious movements reinvent tradition...

Jeff Haynes argues that we should not just focus on fundamentalism as a reaction against globalisation, it is sometimes a local, political issue.

Bruce argues that there are different origins of fundamentalist groups. Whilst sharing many similar beliefs...

Western Fundamentalists

Reaction to change within society. Especially diversity and tolerance of it. The Christian Right in America is strongly against abortion, homosexuality, etc.

Non-Western Fundamentalists

Reaction to change thrust upon their society from outside. Typically when Western values are imposed.

Clash of Civilisations

Huntington:

Globalisation makes the nation-state less important as a source of identity, something which religion has taken over.

Globalisation makes contact between civilisations easier, this can induce conflict. Religious differences = 'us' vs 'them'.

Jackson criticises, saying Huntington's theory suffers from orientalism, which is a Western ideology that stereotypes Eastern people (especially Muslims) as untrustworthy and fanatical.

Casanova - Ignores divisions within civilisations, e.g - Sunni and Shi'a Muslims

Horrie and Chippendale - Misleading. Not all of Islam wants a holy war against the West.

Armstrong - Hostility to West due to their foreign policy, not fundamentalist.

Canny bit there, sorry. Hope that helps though

The CGP revision guide that has about 10 pages in it and a stack of seemingly uninformative sheets. Also found some notes here:

http://learningat.ke7.org.uk/socialsciences/soc-sci/soc/a2/a2.htm

...although I'm not sure of how useful they are.

What are you using?

Seems mad but I didn't use a textbook at all for AS Soc.

I do have the benefit of a very good teacher mind.

Could anyone simplify the Nanda stuff a bit? we've not done that before, and it's coming across a bit confusing
But i sounds important

I will type out my essay plan for you.

Also, anyone else reading this, please criticise it...it'll be helpful.

"Assess sociological explanations of the relationship between globalisation and religion"

DEVELOPMENT
CULTURAL DEFENCE
FUNDAMENTALISM
CLASH OF CIVILISATIONS

(I remember that as DCFC (Derby County Football Club )

Economic Development

Nanda - India is becoming prosperous. BRIC country. 85% Hindu. Knowledge/scientific economy. Becoming more religious, this goes against Bell's study in Mensa that correlated high rates of education with low levels of religiosity. It also goes against Existential Security Theory. In India, there is a lean towards 'poor' Gods, as they are more suited to the needs of the people. It's becoming fashionable to be religious in India.

Cultural Defence

Bruce - Cultural defence is when religion acts to protect a culture from an external threat. Examples of this include the Catholic Church in Poland in the 80s protesting against the USSR and the Communisty Party of Poland. Another example is the military/Islamic coup de etat against the Shah of Iran in 1979. The Shah was controlled by the West (external threat) the military group created an Islamic state.

Fundamentalism

Giddens - Response to globalisation. Globalisation undermines traditional values on the family, marriage, sex etc. Things religion concerns itself with. Fundamentalism provides certainty. It is a retreat from rationality. In today's "late modern" society, there is uncertainty. Fundamentalism brings certainty. You could link this to phenomenology, which states that as religion as faith based it can't really be questioned.

Bauman - Fundamentalists detest modernity but are very happy to use it to promote their cause, televangelism in the US (Christian fundamentalism, don't get into the mistake of thinking all fundamentalism is Islamic).

Castells - Responses to Fundamentalism can be 'resistant identity' and 'project identity'. Resistant identity is a withdrawl into fundamentalism. Project identity is joining a movement such as feminism, which is forward looking.

Beckford criticises Giddens, Bauman and Castells

He says they are

Fixated on fundamentalism, ignoring other developments and how globalisation affects other groups, such as Catholics.

Giddens lumps all types of fundamentalism together, ignoring important differences between them.

Gidden's description of fundamentalism as a defensive reaction ignores that reinventing tradition is also a modern, 'reflexive' activity. I added my own evaluation on this, nothing that some New Age movements and new religious movements reinvent tradition...

Jeff Haynes argues that we should not just focus on fundamentalism as a reaction against globalisation, it is sometimes a local, political issue.

Bruce argues that there are different origins of fundamentalist groups. Whilst sharing many similar beliefs...

Western Fundamentalists

Reaction to change within society. Especially diversity and tolerance of it. The Christian Right in America is strongly against abortion, homosexuality, etc.

Non-Western Fundamentalists

Reaction to change thrust upon their society from outside. Typically when Western values are imposed.

Clash of Civilisations

Huntington:

Globalisation makes the nation-state less important as a source of identity, something which religion has taken over.

Globalisation makes contact between civilisations easier, this can induce conflict. Religious differences = 'us' vs 'them'.

Jackson criticises, saying Huntington's theory suffers from orientalism, which is a Western ideology that stereotypes Eastern people (especially Muslims) as untrustworthy and fanatical.

Casanova - Ignores divisions within civilisations, e.g - Sunni and Shi'a Muslims

Horrie and Chippendale - Misleading. Not all of Islam wants a holy war against the West.

Armstrong - Hostility to West due to their foreign policy, not fundamentalist.

Canny bit there, sorry. Hope that helps though