Secularisation UK
Sociology: AQA A Level, topic 7.4.1
Explanations for Secularisation in the UK
Secularisation is the process whereby religious beliefs, practices and institutions lose their social significance. In 2015, only around 4% of the British population regularly attended a church service on a Sunday.
1. Rationalisation
- Weber argued that the Enlightenment era has led to the ‘disenchantment of the world’ as science has now become the dominant belief system.
- As a consequence, the public do not believe in the ‘sacred’ qualities of religion due to the lack of evidence to support their claims.
- This process is also known as ‘desacrilisation’.
2. Cultural defence and transition
- Bruce argues that people now use religion for secular reasons.
- Many people who affiliate themselves with religions may not actually believe in the God.
- Instead they use religion for one of two secular reasons.
Bruce: secular reasons
- Cultural defence:
- Groups turn to religion when they feel under attack or marginalised in society. Religion offers them some protection.
- Cultural transition:
- This may make an individual feel as though they belong more to their new community.
Explanations for Secularisation in the UK
Secularisation is the process whereby religious beliefs, practices and institutions lose their social significance. In 2015, only around 4% of the British population regularly attended a church service on a Sunday.
3. ‘Believing in Belonging’
- Day also believes that the UK is becoming increasingly secular in her study entitled ‘Believing in Belonging’.
- Day suggests that many people still claim to be Christian in the UK however hold no religious beliefs.
Day
- A potential reasons for affiliating to religion revolve around the longing for people to be part of British culture.
- In her research, Day claims there are three different types of ‘Christians’ that relate to her findings:
Day cont.
- Natal Christians :
- Who affiliate because they were christened and therefore state that they are a Christian.
- Ethnic Christians:
- Immigrants who want to belong to British Culture.
- Aspirational Christians:
- Those who want to seem moral and respectable, e.g. women who want to be seen as a ‘good mother’ by others.
4. Religious pluralism
- Berger argued that the vast number of religious organisations that exist also contributes to secularisation.
- In the past, countries would be dominated by one religion which enabled that ideology to maintain a grip on a particular nation.
Berger
- However, as there are now many different religions operating in the UK, Berger suggested that this has caused a ‘crisis in credibility’ for religion as no-one knows what to believe.
Test yourself on Secularisation UK
What did Day call Christians who affiliate because they were christened and therefore state that they are a Christian?