RELIGION

1. RELIGION Sociology 101

2. 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 impactof religion • Interested in religious behavior within a social context

3. 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

4. Functionalism Functions of Religion Manifest functions • Religion defines the spiritual world and gives meaning to the divine • Religion also provides an explanation for events that are difficult to understand • the purpose of life, • why people suffer, and • the existence of an afterlife

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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".

9. Table 13-3: Sociological Perspectives on Religion

10. 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

11. 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

12. Religion • the second largest is Islam with about 19 percent, and is the fastest growing of the major religions. • Monotheistic and impose moral code

13. Figure 13-4: Religions of the World

14. Table 13-2: Major World Religions

15. Organization of Religious Behavior • An ecclesiais 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Religious Organization • Figure 15.3: Largest Religious Groups in the United States by County, 2000 Source: D. Jones at al. 2002:592.

19. 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

20. 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

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

22. Religious Behavior • Religiousbeliefs: statements to which members of a particular religion adhere • Fundamentalism: rigid adherence to fundamental religious doctrines • Fundamentalism found worldwide among most major religious groups

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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

36. Table 13-1: Sociological Perspectives on Education

37. 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

38. 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

39. 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

40. 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

41. Figure 13-2: Average Salary for Teachers

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