New Age Movements
Sociology: AQA A Level, topic 7.2.3
New Age Movements
New Age movements are an alternative to traditional religion.
New Age movements
- New Age movements are an alternative to traditional religion.
- These movements promote self-spirituality, meaning that the individual can customise their own experience rather than be dictated to by an established hierarchy.
Examples
- Examples of popular New Age movements include:
- Yoga.
- Reiki.
- Feng Shui.
Heelas et al.
- Heelas et al. conducted research into the rise of New Age movements within the rural community of Kendal in the Lake District.
- This is known as the Kendal Project.
The Kendal Project
- Kendal was selected as church attendance was double the national average, showing that religion was still relevant in the area.
Conclusions
- Although traditional church attendance was still the dominant religious experience, they claimed that New Age movements reflected the self-interested nature of our society and therefore are more relevant to the contemporary individual.
Subjectivisation
- According to Heelas et al., this process signifies the increasing ‘subjectivisation’ of spiritual belief.
- Meaning that individuals will pick and choose elements of beliefs systems they want to adhere to.