RELIGOUSITY IN SOCIAL GROUPS sociology a2

RELIGOUSITY IN SOCIAL GROUPS

Important differences between social groups in their religious participation in types of belief they hold.
Lower classes normally go to world rejecting sects and higher classes normally world accepting Churches.
Age, gender and ethnic differences in religiosity.
GENDER AND RELIGOUSITY While Priesthoods of most religions are male, more women than men participate in religious activities and belief in God, sin, evil the Devil and life after death,
Miller and Hoffman (1995)- women express greater interest in religion, have stronger personal commitment to it and attend Church more.
Bruce (1996)- almost twice as many women as men are involved in sects.
REASONS FOR GENDER DIFFERENCES
SOCIALISATION OF GENDER ROLEMiller and Hoffman, women are socialised to be more passive, obedient and caring. Men who have these qualities are more likely to be religious.
Women are more likely to work part time or full-time carers, so they have more scope for organising their time to participate in religious activities and are attracted to Church for gender identity.
Greiky (1992)- taking care of other family members increase women’s religiosity because it involves responsibility for their ‘ultimate’ welfare as well as their everyday needs.
Dave (1994)- women’s closer proximity to birth and death brings them up to ‘ultimate’ questions about the meaning of the life that religion is concerned with. Fits with differences in way men and women see God.
WOMEN AND NEW AGE
Heelas and Woodhead- 80% participants were in the holistic meilu in Kendal were women. Such movements often celebrate ‘natural’ and involve cults of healing which gives women a higher status and sense of self worth.
Experiences of child-rearing make them less aggressive and goal orientated, where women wish to feel whereas men is to achieve.
Bruce- this fit’s the expressive emphasis of the New Age.
New age emphasises of being authentic rather than acting out gender roles as women are more likely than men to perceive their ascribed gender roles as restrictive.
Callum Brown (2001)- new age religions emphasise subjective experience rather than external authority and appeals to women’s wish autonomy and attract women recruits.
On the other hand women may be attracted to fundamentalism because of the certainties of traditional gender role that is prescribed for them.
　
COMPENSATION FOR DEPRIVATIONStark and Glock(1969) + Stark and Bainbridge-
People may participate in religion because of the compensators for social, organism,ic and ethical deprivation that it offers.
Forms of deprivation are more common among women and explains their higher level of sect membership:
Organismic deprivation: Stems from physical and mental health problems
Women are more likely to suffer ill health and seek healing in religion
Ethical deprivation:Women are more likely to see the world as in morally decline and are attracted to sects that share the view as they’re more morally conservative
Social deprivation:Women are more likely to be poor and attracted to sects, since these attract poorer groups.
　
RECENT TRENDSBrierley (2005)- ‘drastic’ decline in church going among women aged 30-45 with a 16.4% fall in Sunday attendance between 1990 and 2005.
Suggests may be due to pressure of home, family and work and are very intense for these women.
Likely to have a young family and Sunday working is high (1 in 3) among these women leaving little time for the Church.
Callum Brown (2001)- Since 1960s, women have begun to reject traditional subordinate gender roles which Christianity was bound with.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

ETHNICITY AND RELIGOUSITY

UK today is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society.
Although biggest religious groups are those describing themselves as Christian 72% approx.
Significant number of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs.
Most ethnic minorities from Indian subcontinent whereas Christians are white, black African or Caribbean origin.
Policy studies found that Muslim, Hindus and Black Chrisitans are more likely to see religion as important.
Among Christians, Blacks are more likely than whites to attend Pentecoastal Churches, make up 40% of population.
Modood et al (1994)- found some decline in importance of religion for all ethnic groups and fewer were observant especially amongst 2^nd generation.
REASONS FOR ETHNIC DIFFERENCESMost ethnic minorities originate from poorer countries with traditional cultures,
Both which produce higher level of religious belief and practice.
On arrival on UK, they and their kids maintain their pattern they brought with them from their country of origin.
Disregards impact of their experiences as immigrants and minorities in a new society, and this is how religion can act as new role of cultural defence and transition.
Cultural defenceBruce (2002)- Religion in such situations offer support and sense of cultural identity in an uncertain and hostile environment.
Religion among minorities can be a basis of community, solidarity, a means of preserving one’s culture and language.
A way of coping with oppression in a racist society.
Blacks made their own Churches, as the white one’s where hostile.
Cultural transitionReligion can be a way of easing transition into a new culture and providing support and sense of community for minority groups in their new environment.
Will- high level religious participation in 1^st generation in USA due to this.
Bruce- sees the same for UK immigrants, when transition is made it loses its role and declines.
Ken (1979)- show African Caribbean community in Bristol shows both cultural defence and transition.
Pentecostalism is highly adaptive (religion of the oppressed) provided immigrants with values appropriate in new world.
Pentecostalim helped African Caribbean adopt British society, playing around the ‘protestant ethic’ by helping members succeed by encouraging self reliance and thrift.
Gave people mutual support and hope of improving their situation.
Rastafarianism, represented different response for some African Caribbean by radically rejecting the wider society as racist and exploitative.

AGE AND RELIGIOUS PARTICIAPTION

There are two exceptions to the pattern that old people attend whilst young don’t:
-Under 15s- Told and made by parents to go
- Over 65s- More likely to be sick and disabled, higher death rates makes this a smaller group
REASONS FOR AGE DIFFERENCE Voas and Crockett (2005)- 2 main sorts of explanation for age difference in religious participation:
Ageing effectOlder people turn religious.
Kendal project Heelas- people become more interested in spirituality as they get older.
As we approach death, naturally inclined to spirituality become more concerned with past deeds so turn to religion.
Generational effectFrom the view that society becomes more secular, so each generation, is less religious than one before. Older people attend Church as they grew up at a time when religion was popular.
We can therefore expect continuing age in Church goers as young are less willing to attend. English Church census found 2/5^th of Churches have no one under age of 11 attending services.
Bruce- 30% Church are over 65s, and he predicts they will become a majority.
Pentecostal Churches attract younger members though.
Gill notes kids are not been religiously socialised and so aint bothered to attend amongst 2 generations there will be a small minority As women are often associated with nature and healing role may be attracted to be more than men to New Age movements.