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RCC SOC 1 - Study Notes

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CHAPTER S15 UMMARYReligion is a social institution that involves shared beliefs, values, and practices based on the supernaturalthat unite believers into a community. The sacred is anything that people see as mysterious, awe-inspiring, extraordinary and powerful, holy, and taking place outside of the natural human world. The profane refers to everyday activities that are not related to religion or the sacred. Religion refers to a community of people who have a shared faith. Religiosity refers to the ways that people demonstrate theirreligious beliefs. Spirituality is a personal quest in feeling connected to a reality greater than ourselves. The secular means worldly rather than spiritual things.A cult is a religious group that is devoted to beliefs and practices which are outside of mainstream cultureand society. New Religious Movement (NRM) includes churches that have become established religions.They began as cults. They include Christianity, Islam, the Mormon Church, and Hare Krishnas. Religions often involve a charismatic leader whom followers see as having exceptional or superhuman powers andqualities. A sect is a religious group that has broken off from an established religion to form its own. Sectsoften emerge from a parent religion which they feel has become too secular. A denomination is a subgroup within a religion that has a common name, tradition, and identity, and is generally on good terms with the group from which it emerged. A church is a large body of people belonging to an established religious group that has strong ties to the larger society. Examples include the Roman CatholicChurch and the Protestant Church. Worldwide, modern-day religion shows some striking patterns: There is no religious group that comes close to being a global majority, the third largest group is nonbelievers, and non-Christians outnumber Christians two-to-one. Christians are 2.2 billion people, Islam is 1.4 billion, Hinduism is 887 million, Buddhism is 386 million, and Judaism is 15.8 million. Religion in the U.S is characterized by a high level of diversity and religiosity. Overall, 92 percent of Americans believe in God and 56 percent say religion is very important to their lives. American religious beliefs have been remarkably fluid. More than 40 percent of U.S. adults have changed their faith since childhood, many opting for no religion at all. Mainline protestant denominations are declining while evangelicals are increasing. Evangelicals believe that the Bible is the literal word of God. Participation in religion is also changing. Overall, 4 in 10 Americans attend religious services at least once a week, while 27 percent attend seldom or never. Mega church participation has more than doubled since 2000. Women tend to be more religious than men. Older Americans are more religious than younger ones. They are often seeking spiritual comfort as elderly friends die, lessening a sense of isolation or loneliness, and preparing for one’s own death. Overall, white Americans are more likely to have no religious affiliation. Asian Americans are the most diverse religious group in America. Overall, people with lower levels of educational attainment are generally more religious than those with higher educational levels.Secularization is the process of removing institutions such as education and government from the dominance or influence of religion. Religious service attendance has decreased in the U.S. On the other hand, many sociologists argue that secularization is greatly overstated. Some point out that fundamentalism, the belief in the literal meaning of a sacred text (such as the Christian Bible, the Muslim Qur’an, or the Jewish Torah), has increased in the United States and worldwide. Civil religion (sometimes called secular religion) is defined as when elements of nationalism and patriotism take on properties of the sacred. Secularization is also exaggerated. Examples of growing religious impact on Americans include the growth of religious radio and support for religious participation in drug counselingprograms and for Christmas displays on government property.1Sociological perspectives on religion include functionalism, which focuses on the role of religion in keeping society together. Communal worship increases social contacts and enhances a sense of acceptance and identity. Finally, religion provides a purpose and meaning to life. Religion offers numerous social services that benefit its members and others. People internalize religious rules about rightand wrong and fear damnation in the afterlife. This provides social control. Religion also provides social change. It can lead to change society or the economy. Max Weber argued that the protestant ethic, a belief that hard work, diligence, self-denial, frugality, and economic success led the take off of capitalism.Religion can be dysfunctional. Intolerance can lead to attacks on religious minorities and heighten anxietyabout death and the afterlife. Critics of functionalism point out the perspective ignores how religious are in conflict.Conflict theorists see religion as an opiate of the people detracting from fighting for a better life on earth. Marx saw religion as a form of false consciousness preventing people from protesting oppression. Religion is also a source of social disruption and violence. For instance, for thousands of years, many governments and religious leaders have condoned or perpetrated widespread violence in the name of religion, claiming that they followed “God’s will.” Religion also legitimates social inequality. Critics see conflict theory as ignoring the role it plays in creating social cohesion and cooperation. Feminists see religion as supporting patriarchy and sexism promoting male dominance and experiences. Women’s subordination is a part of Islam, Judaism, and the Christian traditions. Women are excluded from leadership positions in churches. Critics see feminism as mainly a Western movement dedicated to justice in employment and other laws. They also often overlook how religious institutions and churchgoing men encourage men to focus on fathering and have lower domestic violence rates. Symbolic interactionist theories focus on how symbols relate to religion. Religion is a system of symbols which define a community and worldview. A ritual is a formal and repeated behavior in which members engage. Religious rituals, like secular ones, strengthen one’s self-identity. Death rituals, for


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RCC SOC 1 - Study Notes

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