RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT
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Religion may contribute to development, Weber- in protestant ethic.GOD AND GLOBALISATION IN INDIAGlobalisation has brought a rapid economic growth and India became a more important player on the world political stage. Nanda’s (2008)- ‘God and globalisation’ 85% of population legitimises both rise of Hindu ’ultra- nationalism’ and prosperity of Indian middle class.
HINDUISM AND CONUSMERISMGlobalisation created huge, prosperous scientifically educated- precisely these tried to the global economy. Secularisation theory predicts these would be the first to leave the religion.
Nanda- majority of this class continue to believe in supernatural. In a survey they found that urban educated Indians are more religious than their rural illiterate counterparts. Increased interest reflected in dramatic growth of religious tourism, such as visits to shrine and temples. Nada notes it is becoming fashionable to be religious and tends to be seen so.
Middle class religiosity- attracted to what were once low status village Gods and Goddess worshipped by poor. Seen as being more responsive to people’s needs than traditional Hindu ‘Great Gods’.
Nada argues, their increasing religiosity is the result of their ambivalence about their newfound wealth. Rejects existential security theory reject that it’s a reaction to modernisation and westernisation.
Ambivalence stems from tension between renunciation of material stuff and new prosperity of the middle class.
Modern holy men and tele-gurus, preach message that desire is not bad but a manifestation of divinity that motivates people to do things. Teach middle class consumerism can be ‘spiritually balanced’ by paying for the performance of appropriate and often extravagant rituals which also serve as a way of displaying ones wealth. Modern visions of Hinduism therefore legitimate position of the middle class and allow them to adjust to globalised consumer capitalism.
HINDU ULTRA-NATIONALISMPew Global attitude survey
- 93% of Indians more than any country agreed with statement that ’our people
Are not perfect, but our culture is superior to others’
Nada- India’s success in the global market is increasingly attributed to superiority of ’Hindu values’ a view which is constantly promoted by media and politicians.
Hinduism thus becomes a ‘civil religion’ but creates a widening gulf between Hindus and non-Hindu minorities.
Hinduism- supposedly secular state is increasingly influenced by religion. Health Ministry is University in research, development and sale of cow urine (cows being sacred animals) as a cure to every ailment from Aids to TB (Nanda, 2005).
CAPITALISM IN EAST ASIA In recent decades the so called ‘East-Asian tiger economies’ such as South Korea. Taiwan have successfully industrialised and become significant players in the global economy. Some sociologists believe religion has played a similar role to one of Calvanism in 16th, 17th Century which has led to capitalism in East Asia.
Redding (1990)- spirit of capitalism in Chinese entrepreneurs as their ’post- Confucianism’ values encouraging hard work, discipline, hard work, self-discipline and self improvement which is similar to Protestant ethic.
PENTECOSTALISM IN LATIN AMERICAPeter Berger (2003) this acts as the functional equivalent to Weber’s protestant ethic. Pentecostalists embrace work ethic and lifestyle that is similar to Calvanists which demands both an ascetic (self-denying) way of life that emphasises personal discipline, hard work and abstinence from alcohol. Encourages member to prosper and be upwardly mobile . Berger concludes this has similarity with modern capitalists.
Something like this is needed to promote economic development and raise out of poverty. Berger says that natural recourses are also needed, lack of recourses in Northern Brazil means its backwards even though with Pentecostal beliefs.
PENTECOSTALISM: GLOBAL AND LOCALChristianity has globalised expending out of Europe. First into south of America and Africa.
David Lehmann (2002)- differences between 2 phases of expansion.
- Christianity accompanied colonisation imposed and suppressed other religions
- Last century or so it has spread because it gained popular following by 2000
Where 80 million Pentecostalists in Brazil alone.
Lehmann- Pentecostalism can incorporate local beliefs. Uses imagery and symbolism drawn from local cultures and existing religious beliefs.
- Pentecostalists attack such cults as the work if the devil, ministers conduct exorcism
to get rid of evil spirits
- Pentecostalists accept their existence and this validates local traditional beliefs, while
At the same time claiming to give access to greater power, that of Christian Holy
spirits.
Pentecostalism creates new local religious forms, rather than eliminating existing ones. In Africa, this led to ‘Africanisation’ of Christianity than Pentecostalism has ability to adapt to local customs and establish of local identity for itself.
Been successful in developing countries, able to appear to the poor who make up the vast majority of the population. Uses global communication media to spread its message.
RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM
FUNDAMENTALISM AND COSMOPLITICAN Anthony Giddens (1990:91:99)- Traditionalists seek to return to the basics or fundamentals of their faith
- Believe in the infallible and literal truth of scriptures
- Believe theirs is the only true word of God
- Intolerant to others and refuse dialogue, argue with reference to sacred texts
Rather than rational arguments
- Rely on clergy’s or elders to interpret sacred texts and lay down rules that
Determine their lifestyle.
Giddens- fundamentalism is a relatively new one.
Sees growth as a product and reaction to globalisation, which undermines traditional social norms. Rigid, dogmatic belief is certainly that it promotes in an uncertain world that demands rational reasons.
Retreat into faith- based answers and away from globalising world that demands rational reasons.
- Cosmpolitician embraces modernity and with its keeping with today’s globalising
World
- Tolerant to the views of others open to new ideas
- Reflexive thinking ‘constantly reflecting on and modifying beliefs in the light of new
information.
- People justify their views using rational arguments
- Lifestyle is one’s own personal choice
- Emphasises pursuit of personal meaning and self improvement
Giddens sees fundamentalism as the enemy of Cosmo politician thought and modernity.
Fundamentalism uses modern methods to express and spread their beliefs even though their against it.
Responses in modernityBauman (1992)- fundamentalism is a response to postmodernity.
Postmodernity society brings freedom, choice, uncertainty and heightened awareness of risk, undermining old certainties on how we are to live our lives.
Some embrace it and some attach themselves to fundamentalism by claims of absolute truth and certainty.
Manuel Castells (1998)- 2 responses to postmodernity
- Resistant identity ~ a defensive reaction of those who feel threatened and
Retreat to fundamentalist communities
- Project identity ~ response of those who are forward looking and engage with
Social movement such as feminism and environmentalism
CriticismsBeckford (2003)
- Distinguish too sharply between cosmopolitican and fundamentalists ignoring hybrid communities
- Ignores other important developments globalisation has on other non- fundamentalist religions such as Catholicism
- Giddens ignores differences between fundamentalists
- Giddens ignores the fact that reinventing tradition is also a modern ‘reflexive acting’.
Jeff Haynes (1998)
Not only globalisation- Islamic fundamentalists in Middle East conflicts caused by local elites in failure to keep their promise to improve standard of living.
Monotheism and fundamentalismBruce sees fundamentalism being confined to monotheistic religions.
Because monotheistic religions are based on notion that God’s will revealed through a single authoritative sacred text such as Quran.
Bible lays down specific rules for believers to follow.
Polytheistic religions have more scope for different interpretation as none has over riding for absolute truth such as Hinduism.
Two fundamentalismsFundamentalists differ as some may be triggered by change in their society and some response to changes being thrust upon society form aside.
Protestant Christian and Islamic fundamentalism
- In the West
Reaction to change taking place within society such as openness in sensitive issues
- In the Third World
Reaction to change thrust upon society. Modernisation and Western values being imposed.
Cultural defenceBruce- Religion cultural defence unite against an external force. Religion symbolises the group or societies collective identity.
20th century Poland and Iran-
Poland- external power Soviet Union
Iran- Western culture and capitalism
Poland1945-1989
Under communist rule imposed by Soviet Union. Catholic Church suppressed and it did not always challenge communist regime openly. Served as a popular rallying point of opposition- lent its active support to the free trade union movement in 1980s helped bring down communism. Church regained a public role had significant influence on Polish politics since 1900s.
IranWestern capitalists powers and civil companies had long influence on Iran including illegal overthrow of democratic government in 1950s to install a pro- western regime headed by Shah of Iran.
1960s and 1970s- Successor embarked policy of modernisation and westernisation, this was widening gap between rich and poor whilst protest was suppressed.
Islam became resistance to the Shah’s regime led by clerics such as Ayatollah Khomeini. Revolution of 1979 bought Islamic republic Clerics has state power and able to impose Islamic shariah on country.
Haynes- Iranian example of typical of Middle East, as it was led by Mullahs. In places like Saudi Arabia, religious leadership is tied to local elite who are tied to Wes.ern Imperialism. Their religious leaders are opposed by local fundamentalists who saw them as enemies of Islam,
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