7.1.4

Social Change & Religion

Test yourself on Social Change & Religion

Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Weber and Calvinism

Weber believed that religion could lead to social change.

Calvinism

Calvinism

  • Weber’s study, ‘The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’ is a key example of how religion can lead to social change. 
  • Weber believed that the development of Calvinism was highly influential in the creation modern capitalism. 
The sin of greed

The sin of greed

  • Before the emergence of Calvinism, Weber believed that capitalism existed in a different form to what we understand today.
  • Wealth was seen as a sign of greed and therefore possessing vast amounts of money was seen as sinful.
  • Instead Catholics would donate money to the Church as a sign to God that they were devoted believers. 
John Calvin

John Calvin

  • John Calvin (founder of Calvinism) created his own sect of the Christian religion.
  • He changed the way that wealth was viewed by his followers.
Calvinist beliefs

Calvinist beliefs

  • Predestination:
    • God decides who will enter the kingdom of heaven before birth. These people were known as ‘the elect’.
  • Divine transcendence:
    • No individual has the power to rival God or predict his wishes.
Calvinist beliefs cont.

Calvinist beliefs cont.

  • Asceticism:
    • Followers of Calvinism should deny themselves all pleasure that could distract them from their devotion to their faith.
  • Devotion to work:
    • The only way to please god was to devote themselves to their work.
    • Although, this will not change the after-life they are predestined for.
Pursuit of profit

Pursuit of profit

  • Followers became anxious about whether they were part of ‘the elect’. They had no way in confirming their place and so devoted themselves to their work as a distraction.
  • Weber believed the emergence of Calvinism reflects what we know as the ‘spirit of capitalism’ as the pursuit of profit was seen as the main priority.    

Bruce 

Bruce argued that religion leads to social change.

__Bruce__

Bruce

  • Bruce argues that religion can promote social change, depending on its actions and society's reaction to it. 
  • He uses two examples to show this: 
    • The American civil rights movement. 
    • The New Christian Right .
The civil rights movement

The civil rights movement

  • The civil rights movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s aimed to end racial segregation in America.
  • Bruce argues that the most important people in the movement were black clergymen, led by Martin Luther King, who attempted to influence change by gaining national support from all communities.
Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King

  • Martin Luther King used religion as an ideological resource, meaning that he appealed to all Christians, regardless of ethnic background, to find common ground based on their Christian values.
  • Bruce claims that the civil rights movement was successful because it was a peaceful protest; it negotiated with those who had opposing views and achieved public support.  
The New Christian Right 

The New Christian Right 

  • The New Christian Right is a fundamentalist movement that is conservative in nature and disagrees with the changes that have occurred in American society, (e.g. the Westboro Baptist Church.)
  • Although they receive mass media coverage, they tend to be heavily criticised by mainstream Americans because they oppose the liberal values and cosmopolitanism that the majority of the country share. 
Criticisms

Criticisms

  • They are also often unwilling to cooperate with other groups who share their views and instead choose to distance themselves, often criticising all who have any different views.  
  • By creating conflict, religious organisations, such as the New Christian Right, will not achieve mainstream cultural change.

Postmodernism and Religion

Postmodernists believe that religions have lost all power to influence society. However the decline in religion is a social change in itself.

Postmodernists

Postmodernists

  • Postmodernists believe that traditional religions have lost their significance in society and therefore lack the ability to encourage social stability or social change.
Monopoly of truth

Monopoly of truth

  • As traditional religions were part of the modernist era, they are seen to be meta-narratives as they attempt to claim monopoly of the truth.
  • This is impossible within the postmodern world as there is no generalised truth within our increasingly fragmented society.  
__Hervieu-Leger__ 

Hervieu-Leger 

  • Hervieu-Leger believes that religion’s reluctance to change has also led to its unpopularity in today’s postmodern world.
  • There are so many alternative world views today to compete with its teachings.
  • This has led to ’cultural amnesia’.  
__Lyon__

Lyon

  • As identities are fluid within the postmodern world, individuals are constantly constructing new identities for themselves through consumption.
  •  Lyon discusses the emergence of a religious marketplace which has developed as religious leaders have had to turn to the media in order to publicise their belief system in order to survive.
Jump to other topics
1

Theory & Methods

1.1

Sociological Theories

1.1.1Marxism1.1.2Feminism1.1.3Social Action Theories
1.2

Sociological Methods

1.2.1Types of Data1.2.2Positivism & Interpretivism1.2.3Research Design1.2.4Research Considerations1.2.5Values in Research1.2.6Modernity & Post-Modernity1.2.7Sociology as a Science1.2.8Sociology & Social Policy1.2.9End of Topic Test - Sociology Methods & Theories
1.3

Sources of Data

1.3.1Introduction1.3.2Experiments1.3.3Surveys1.3.4Longitudinal Studies1.3.5Questionnaires1.3.6Types of Questionnaires1.3.7Interviews1.3.8Observation1.3.9Case Studies1.3.10Documents1.3.11Official Statistics1.3.12End of Topic Test - Sources of Data
2

Education with Methods in Context

2.1

Role & Function of the Education System

2.1.1Introduction2.1.2Functionalist Theories2.1.3Marxist & Feminist Theories2.1.4The New Right
2.2

Educational Achievement

2.2.1Social Class: Internal Factors2.2.2Social Class: External Factors2.2.3Social Class: Attitudes to Education2.2.4Social Class: Difference in Achievement2.2.5Gender2.2.6Ethnicity
2.3

Relationships & Processes Within Schools

2.3.1Processes2.3.2Labelling2.3.3Categorisations2.3.4Student Experience2.3.5End of Topic Test -Education with Methods
2.4

Educational Policies

2.4.1Equality2.4.2Privatisation2.4.3Marketisation2.4.4Government Policies by Party2.4.5Globalisation2.4.6End of Topic Test- Educational Policies2.4.7Practice Exam Question - Social Policies
3

Option 1: Culture & Identity

3.1

Conceptions of Culture

3.1.1Culture3.1.2Mass Culture3.1.3Popular Culture3.1.4Global Culture3.1.5End of Topic Test - Culture and Identity
3.2

Identity & Socialisation

3.2.1Identities3.2.2Socialisation3.2.3Secondary Socialisation3.2.4Theories of Socialisation3.2.5End of Topic Test - Identity3.2.6Practice Exam Question - Socialisation & Equality
3.3

Social Identity

3.3.1Social Class3.3.2Upper & Middle Class3.3.3Working & Underclass3.3.4Social Class Evaluation3.3.5Gender3.3.6Changing Gender Identities3.3.7Ethnicity3.3.8Age3.3.9Disability3.3.10Nationality3.3.11End of Topic Test - Social Identity
3.4

Production, Consumption & Globalisation

3.4.1Production & Consumption3.4.2Globalisation3.4.3Evaluation3.4.4End of Topic Test - Production
4

Option 1: Families & Households

4.1

Families & Households

4.1.1Definitions4.1.2Functionalist & New Right Perspectives4.1.3Marxist & Feminist Perspectives4.1.4Postmodernist Perspective4.1.5End of Topic Test - Families & Households4.1.6Practice Exam Question - Function of Family
4.2

Changing Patterns

4.2.1Marriage4.2.2Divorce4.2.3LAT Relationships4.2.4Child-Bearing4.2.5Lone Parenthood4.2.6Diversity4.2.7The Sociology of Personal Life4.2.8Government Policies Post-WW24.2.9End of Topic Test - Changing Patterns
4.3

The Symmetrical Family

4.3.1The Symmetrical Family4.3.2Evaluation
4.4

Children & Childhood

4.4.1Childhood4.4.2Childhood in the UK4.4.3Childhood as a Social Construct4.4.4The Disappearance of Childhood4.4.5Child Abuse4.4.6Domestic Violence4.4.7End of Topic Test - Family & Childhood
4.5

Demographic Trends UK

4.5.1Introduction4.5.2Birth Rates4.5.3Death Rates4.5.4The Ageing Population4.5.5Studies on the Ageing Population4.5.6Migration4.5.7Globalisation4.5.8End of Topic Test - Demographics UK
5

Option 1: Health

5.1

Social Constructions

5.1.1The Body5.1.2Health, Illness & Disease5.1.3Disability5.1.4Models of Health & Illness5.1.5End of Topic Test - Social Constructions
5.2

Social Distribution of Healthcare

5.2.1Social Class5.2.2Gender5.2.3Ethnicity5.2.4Regional
5.3

Provision & Access to Healthcare

5.3.1The NHS5.3.2Inequalities in Provision5.3.3Sociological Explanations5.3.4Inequalities in Access5.3.5Inequalities in Access 25.3.6End of Topic Test - Distribution Health
5.4

Mental Health

5.4.1The Biomedical Approach5.4.2Social Patterns5.4.3Social Constructionist Approach
5.5

The Globalised Health Industry

5.5.1The Functionalist Approach5.5.2The Postmodernist Approach5.5.3The Globalised Health Industry5.5.4End of Topic Test - Mental Health & Globalisation
6

Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

6.1

Poverty & Wealth

6.1.1Types of Poverty6.1.2Types of Poverty 26.1.3Distribution of Wealth UK6.1.4Sociological Theories6.1.5Sociological Theories 26.1.6Distribution of Poverty UK6.1.7End of Topic Test - Poverty & Wealth
6.2

Welfare

6.2.1The Welfare State6.2.2Theoretical Approaches to Welfare
6.3

Labour Process

6.3.1Nature of Work6.3.2Technology & Control6.3.3Work & Life6.3.4The Effects of Globalisation6.3.5Globalisation & Worklessness6.3.6End of Topic Test - Welfare & Labour
7

Option 2: Beliefs in Society

7.1

Ideology, Science & Religion

7.1.1Types of Religion7.1.2Ideology & Belief Systems7.1.3Social Stability & Religion7.1.4Social Change & Religion7.1.5End of Topic Test - Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2

Religious Movements

7.2.1Religious Organisations7.2.2New Religious Movements7.2.3New Age Movements7.2.4Practice Exam Question - Growth of NRMs
7.3

Society & Religion

7.3.1Social Groups & Religion7.3.2Gender & Religion7.3.3End of Topic Test- Religious Movements & Society
7.4

Contemporary Religion

7.4.1Secularisation UK7.4.2Against Secularisation7.4.3Secularisation US7.4.4Fundamentalism7.4.5Economic Development & Religion7.4.6End of Topic - Contemporary Religion
8

Option 2: Global Development

8.1

Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality

8.1.1Development8.1.2Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2

Globalisation & Global Organisations

8.2.1Globalisation8.2.2Transnational Corporations & International Agency8.2.3Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
8.3

Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation

8.3.1Development: Aid & Trade8.3.2Development: Industrialisation & Urbanisation8.3.3Development: Environment & War
9

Option 2: The Media

9.1

Contemporary Media

9.1.1New Media9.1.2Control of the Media9.1.3Sociological Approaches: New Media9.1.4Globalisation9.1.5News Selection9.1.6Moral Panics9.1.7End of Topic Test - Contemporary Media
9.2

Media Representations

9.2.1Age9.2.2Social Class & Ethnicity9.2.3Gender9.2.4Sexuality & Disability9.2.5Practice Exam Questions - Presentation of Women
9.3

Audiences

9.3.1Media Theories9.3.2Media Theories 29.3.3Media Representations & Audiences
10

Crime & Deviance

10.1

Crime & Society

10.1.1Functionalism10.1.2Subcultural Theory10.1.3Marxism10.1.4Realism10.1.5Other Approaches10.1.6End of Topic Test - Crime & Society10.1.7Practice Exam Questions - Social Construction
10.2

Social Distribution of Crime

10.2.1Ethnicity10.2.2Gender10.2.3Globalisation & Crime10.2.4Media & Crime10.2.5Types of Crimes10.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Distribution of Crime
10.3

Prevention & Punishment

10.3.1Surveillance10.3.2Prevention10.3.3Punishment10.3.4Victimology10.3.5End of Topic Test - Prevention & Punishment

Practice questions on Social Change & Religion

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Examples of religion promoting social change (Bruce):Fill in the list
  2. 2
    Who argues that religion can promote social change, depending on its actions and society's reaction to it?Multiple choice
Answer all questions on Social Change & Religion

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium

Social Stability & Religion

End of Topic Test - Ideology, Science & Religion