RELIGION AND SOCIAL CHANGE

There are three possible relationships between religion and social change:

1. Religion can be seen as a conservative force, hindering social change

2. Religion can be seen as producing or promoting social change

3. Religion can be seen as having no influence on social change but it is social change in
society that leads to changes in religion

Religion as a conservative force

Functionalists, Marxists and feminists all believe that religion acts as a conservative force in
society.

From a functionalist perspective, religion provides shared beliefs, norms and values, and help
individuals to cope with stresses that might disrupt social life. Thus, religion aims to preserve
the traditional and the status quo rather than promote social change. It facilitates the
continued existence of society in its present form (society remains as it is).

Karl Marx also argued that religion was a conservative force in society. Marxists see religion as
an ideological apparatus which functions to reproduce, maintain and legitimise class
inequalities in the society. From a Marxist perspective, religion functions to produce passive
and fatalistic people who, instead of trying to change the world for the better, merely dream
of a life after death where there will be no more suffering and no inequality. Religion is seen as
the opium of the people, blinding members of the working class to the true extent of their
exploitation and creating a false class consciousness.

Feminists also believe that religion is a conservative force in society. Religion is used by men to
oppress women. Men use religious beliefs to subordinate women and maintain patriarchy.
Simone de Beauvoir argued that religion gives women the false belief that they will be
compensated for their sufferings on earth by equality in heaven, making inequality bearable.

Religion as promoting social change

Weber argued that in some circumstances religion can lead to social change. He believed that
Protestant beliefs had brought about economic and social change in the form of capitalism.

Weber carried out a major comparison of the religious beliefs, practices and economic
conditions across China, India and Europe. From his comparative studies, he noted that while
similar economic conditions prevailed in China, India and Europe, capitalism only developed in
Europe. He tried to explain why capitalism emerged only in Europe.

Weber noted that capitalism developed in the late 16th and early 17th century in those parts of
Europe where a particular set of protestant beliefs known as Calvinism was dominant. He
concluded that the beliefs of the Calvinists (what Weber called the Protestant Ethic) greatly
contributed to a Spirit of Capitalism. Calvinism, therefore, provided the cultural conditions
for capitalism to develop.

Weber concentrated on two elements of Calvinist beliefs which he claimed brought about the
right cultural climate for the development of capitalism:

 Pre-destination: Calvinists believed that, before the birth of an individual, God had
already decided whether that individual would be saved or not and His decision could
not be changed. Calvinists believed that they could know the decision of God by looking
at the degree to which individuals prospered in their work. The accumulation of
personal wealth was seen as a sign of God’s favour – evidence that the person was one
of the elect or chosen few.

 The Protestant work ethic: Calvinism encouraged accumulation of wealth through

diligence and thrift. They therefore encouraged self-discipline, hard work, and the
pursuit of profit. In addition to this, the Calvinist rejected self-indulgence, gambling,
lavish spending and various forms of pleasure. This allowed the rapid accumulation of
profit and capital as they worked hard to earn more money but they spent their money
only on the basic necessities of life. The Protestant ethic was ascetic – encouraging
abstinence from life’s pleasures, an austere lifestyle and rigorous self-discipline.

Weber suggested that this protestant ethic led to a spirit of capitalism as non-Calvinists seeing
its success adopted this approach. Weber does not argue that Calvinism alone caused
capitalism. Calvinism was a major contributor to a climate of change but other pre-conditions
were important. For capitalism to develop, the following elements were required:

 a certain level of technology

 a skilled and mobile workforce

  a legal system and bureaucracy

These elements were present in China and India but the commitment to diligence and thrift
present in Calvinism was not present in Hinduism and Buddhism (India) or in Confucianism and
Taoism (China) – those religions/ philosophies stressed the spiritual rather than the material
which Calvinism emphasised.

Many sociologists now accept that religion can be a force for change. Engels argued that
groups which turned to religion as a way of coping with oppression could develop into political
movements which sought to bring about changes. Nelson also believed that, in some cases,
religion can encourage resistance and revolution rather than encouraging people to accept
their place in society. This is called liberation theology. Liberation theology is a political
philosophy which argues that the church should use its power and resources to liberate the
poor from their poverty. Some examples are:

 In the USA in the 1960s the Reverend Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian
Leadership Council played a leading role in establishing civil rights and securing
legislation intended to reduce racial discrimination.

 The Roman Catholic Church opposed the communist state in Poland, and it supported
the attempts of the free trade union Solidarity to achieve changes in Polish society. In
1989 the communist monopoly on power was broken when Solidarity was allowed to
contest and win many seats in the Polish parliament.

 In South Africa, Archbishop Tutu was a prominent opponent of apartheid.

Changes in society and religion

Many sociologists believe that changes in society lead to changes in religion:

 Talcott Parsons believed that, as society developed, religion lost some of its functions.
  Marx believed that a change in the infrastructure of the society would lead to a change
in the superstructure, including religion. Thus, Marx believed that in a communist
society, religion would disappear.

 Many sociologists believe that industrialisation has led to profound changes that have
reduced the importance of religion in society. Societies are becoming increasingly
secular.

 A number of sociologists have claimed that changes involved in the advent of

postmodernism and globalisation have produced changes in religion.

Nov. 2012 P33

6 (a) (i) Define the term marginality in relation to religion. [3]
(ii) Identify and briefly describe two religious groups that are marginalised. [6]
(b) Evaluate the usefulness of Weber’s view of the relationship between religion and social
change. [16]

Nov. 2011 P31

5 (a) (i) Define the term social control. [3]
(ii) Identify and briefly describe two ways in which religion can act as a means of social control.
[6]
(b) “Religion is a force for social change in modern industrial societies.” Evaluate this view.
[16].

Nov. 2010 P32

5 (a) (i) Define the term totemism. [3]
(ii) Identify and briefly describe two ways in which religion can strengthen the collective
conscience. [6]
(b) Evaluate the view that religion prevents social change. [16]

Nov. 2009 P31

6 (a) (i) Define the term religious sect. [3]
(ii) Identify and briefly describe two problems associated with measuring the extent of
religious belief. [6]
(b) Evaluate the view that religion acts as a conservative force in modern industrial societies.
[16]