MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 9a Religion Social Change

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This deck focuses on 9a Religion Social Change, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

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Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is Émile Durkheim's main function of religion in society?

Answer: Creates social cohesion through shared sacred rituals and norms. Durkheim viewed religion as reinforcing group solidarity by symbolizing collective values through communal practices.

Flashcard 2: What is secularization theory?

Answer: Modernization reduces religion's social authority and influence. Secularization theory argues that industrial and scientific progress diminishes religion's role in public life and institutions.

Flashcard 3: What is Max Weber's core claim in The Protestant Ethic?

Answer: Protestant values helped foster capitalist work discipline. Weber linked Protestant asceticism, particularly Calvinism, to the rational pursuit of economic success in capitalism.

Flashcard 4: What is fundamentalism in the study of religion?

Answer: Strict literalism and resistance to modern or secular change. Fundamentalism seeks to preserve traditional doctrines against perceived threats from modernity and secularism.

Flashcard 5: Which concept describes religion reinforcing traditional gender roles and patriarchy?

Answer: Religion as a mechanism of social control. Religion enforces norms by prescribing roles, thereby perpetuating patriarchal structures in many societies.

Flashcard 6: What is liberation theology in the context of religion and social change?

Answer: Religious framework emphasizing justice and liberation of the oppressed. Emerged in Latin America, linking faith to political action against poverty.

Flashcard 7: What is the sociological definition of religion as a social institution?

Answer: A system of beliefs and practices about the sacred that unites a community. Durkheim emphasized religion's role in creating collective consciousness.

Flashcard 8: Identify the concept: religion motivates political action to change laws and norms.

Answer: Religion as a catalyst for social movements. Religious values inspire reform movements challenging unjust systems.

Flashcard 9: What is a religious sect (as contrasted with a church) in sociology?

Answer: A smaller, stricter group that often forms in protest of a larger religion. High commitment groups with exclusive membership criteria.

Flashcard 10: What is a religious institution in sociology?

Answer: Organized system of beliefs and practices meeting social needs. Religious institutions provide structure for collective worship and fulfill functions like social integration and moral guidance.

Flashcard 11: What is religious fundamentalism in sociological usage?

Answer: Strict, literal adherence to sacred texts and traditional doctrine. Reaction against modernization, seeking return to unchanging religious truths.

Flashcard 12: What is Durkheim's functionalist view of religion's role in society?

Answer: Religion promotes social cohesion through shared beliefs and rituals. Sacred symbols represent collective conscience, binding society together.

Flashcard 13: What is a cult or new religious movement (NRM) in sociology?

Answer: Loosely organized group with novel or nontraditional beliefs. NRMs introduce innovative doctrines and attract followers seeking alternatives to conventional religions.

Flashcard 14: What is religiosity in sociological research?

Answer: Degree of religious belief, practice, and involvement. Religiosity quantifies the intensity of religious commitment through measurable indicators like attendance and personal devotion.

Flashcard 15: What is Weber's "Protestant ethic" thesis about capitalism?

Answer: Protestant values helped legitimize disciplined work and capital accumulation. Calvinist beliefs fostered economic rationality and wealth as divine favor.

Flashcard 16: What is religious pluralism and why does it matter for social change?

Answer: Coexistence of multiple faiths; increases intergroup contact and tolerance. Diversity challenges religious monopolies and promotes dialogue.

Flashcard 17: What is the sociological definition of religiosity?

Answer: Degree of religious belief, practice, and involvement. Measures individual commitment through beliefs, rituals, and community participation.

Flashcard 18: What is Weber's key idea about religion and social change in capitalism?

Answer: Religious values can motivate economic behavior and institutional change. Protestant ethics facilitated capitalism's development.

Flashcard 19: What is a New Religious Movement (NRM)?

Answer: A relatively new religious group outside established religious traditions. Often labeled cults; emerge during social upheaval.

Flashcard 20: What is religious fundamentalism as a response to social change?

Answer: Strict, literal adherence to doctrine, often resisting modernity. Reaction against secularization and modernization trends.

Flashcard 21: What is religious pluralism?

Answer: Coexistence of multiple religions within the same society. Increases religious diversity and competition among faiths.

Flashcard 22: What is a civil religion in sociological terms?

Answer: Shared national beliefs and rituals treated as sacred in public life. Bellah's concept of quasi-religious patriotic practices.

Flashcard 23: Which concept describes religion providing meaning during rapid social disruption?

Answer: Religion as a source of social integration and meaning-making. Religion provides stability during anomie and transition.

Flashcard 24: Identify the theory: religion is used by elites to justify stratification and limit dissent.

Answer: Conflict theory (Marx). Views religion as tool of oppression by ruling class.

Flashcard 25: What is religious pluralism?

Answer: Coexistence of multiple religions within one society. Religious pluralism reflects societal tolerance allowing diverse faiths to thrive without dominance by one group.

Flashcard 26: What is the social gospel movement (conceptually)?

Answer: Religious activism aimed at reforming social and economic ills. The social gospel applies Christian ethics to address poverty, inequality, and labor issues through reform efforts.

Flashcard 27: Identify the concept: a society becomes more diverse in beliefs, and no single faith dominates.

Answer: Religious pluralism. Multiple faiths compete without state preference.

Flashcard 28: What is liberation theology?

Answer: Religious framework emphasizing social justice and liberation of the oppressed. Originated in Latin America, linking faith to political action.

Flashcard 29: What is religious socialization?

Answer: Process of learning religious beliefs, values, and practices. Religious socialization transmits faith through family, education, and community, shaping individual worldview.

Flashcard 30: What is secularization in the study of religion and social change?

Answer: Declining social significance of religion in institutions and daily life. Process where religious authority decreases in public spheres.

Flashcard 31: What is the definition of a theodicy in sociology of religion?

Answer: A religious explanation for why suffering and evil exist. Addresses the problem of evil in religious worldviews.

Flashcard 32: What is the social gospel movement best defined as?

Answer: Religious activism applying ethics to social problems and inequality. Progressive Christianity addressing poverty, labor rights, and social reform.

Flashcard 33: What is the core claim of Durkheim's functionalist theory of religion?

Answer: Religion promotes social cohesion by reinforcing shared norms and solidarity. Sacred rituals create collective effervescence and unity.

Flashcard 34: What is religious syncretism?

Answer: Blending elements from different religions into a new system. Syncretism occurs when cultural exchanges lead to hybrid religious forms adapting to new contexts.

Flashcard 35: Which term describes religious influence shifting from institutions to private life?

Answer: Privatization of religion. Religion moves from public institutions to personal belief systems.

Flashcard 36: What is secularization in sociology of religion?

Answer: Declining social significance of religion in institutions and daily life. Process where religion loses influence over public institutions and personal behavior.

Flashcard 37: Identify the theory: religion primarily functions to maintain social order and solidarity.

Answer: Functionalism (Durkheim). Views religion as promoting social stability.

Flashcard 38: What is theodicy in sociology of religion?

Answer: Religious explanation that justifies suffering and injustice. Theodicy provides meaning to adversity by aligning it with divine purpose, thus maintaining faith amid hardship.

Flashcard 39: What is the core claim of Marx's conflict theory of religion?

Answer: Religion legitimizes inequality and reduces class conflict ("opiate" effect). Religion distracts workers from revolutionary consciousness.

Flashcard 40: What is Karl Marx's central critique of religion?

Answer: Religion legitimizes inequality and can reduce class resistance. Marx saw religion as an ideological tool that pacifies the masses by promising otherworldly rewards for earthly suffering.

Flashcard 41: What is civil religion?

Answer: Sacred beliefs and rituals tied to national identity and state. Civil religion fosters national unity by sacralizing civic symbols and values independent of specific faiths.

Flashcard 42: Which term describes religion being used to justify racial, gender, or class hierarchies?

Answer: Religious legitimation of social stratification. Divine sanction used to naturalize inequality as God's will.

Flashcard 43: What is the key distinction between the sacred and the profane in sociology?

Answer: Sacred is set apart and revered; profane is ordinary and everyday. Durkheim's fundamental distinction between religious and non-religious realms.

Flashcard 44: What is the term for religion reinforcing group solidarity via collective rituals?

Answer: Collective effervescence. Durkheim's term for intense shared emotion during religious gatherings.

Flashcard 45: What is the Protestant work ethic in Weber's analysis?

Answer: Norm valuing hard work, discipline, and frugality as moral virtues. Calvinist beliefs linking worldly success to salvation.

Flashcard 46: What is denominationalism?

Answer: Multiple accepted denominations coexist within one religion. Denominationalism allows for diversity within a faith tradition, promoting coexistence without hierarchical dominance.

Flashcard 47: What is the sacred–profane distinction (Durkheim)?

Answer: Sacred is set apart and revered; profane is ordinary daily life. Durkheim's distinction separates the transcendent, awe-inspiring realm from the mundane, forming the basis of religious experience.

Flashcard 48: Which concept best fits: religious groups oppose change to preserve existing norms?

Answer: Religion as a conservative force maintaining the status quo. Traditional beliefs resist modernization and social transformation.

Flashcard 49: What is a church (as a religious organization type)?

Answer: Large, bureaucratic religion integrated with mainstream society. Churches represent established, inclusive organizations that align with societal values and maintain broad membership.

Flashcard 50: Identify the concept: religious leaders mobilize members to protest unjust laws.

Answer: Religion as a catalyst for social change. Religion inspires collective action by framing injustice in moral terms, driving movements for reform.

Flashcard 51: What is religious conversion in sociological terms?

Answer: Adoption of a new religious identity, beliefs, and practices. Conversion involves a transformative shift, often influenced by social networks and personal crises.

Flashcard 52: What is the key difference between a church and a sect in sociology?

Answer: Church: large/integrated; sect: small/exclusive and higher tension. Churches accommodate society; sects reject worldly compromises.

Flashcard 53: What is a sect (as a religious organization type)?

Answer: Smaller, exclusive group that rejects mainstream norms. Sects emerge from dissatisfaction with larger bodies, emphasizing purity and often existing in tension with society.

Flashcard 54: What is Marx's conflict theory view of religion's social function?

Answer: Religion can legitimize inequality and reduce impetus for revolution. "Opium of the people" - dulls awareness of exploitation.

Flashcard 55: Identify the concept: a state uses religious symbolism in patriotic rituals to unify citizens.

Answer: Civil religion. Sacred symbols legitimize political authority.

Flashcard 56: Identify the concept: religious norms guide behavior through rewards and sanctions.

Answer: Religion as social control (norm enforcement). Religious systems use doctrines of heaven, hell, or karma to encourage conformity and deter deviance.

Flashcard 57: What is collective effervescence (Durkheim) in religious context?

Answer: Heightened shared emotion during rituals that bonds the group. Collective effervescence generates social energy in rituals, strengthening community ties and collective identity.

Flashcard 58: What is a religious sect (as distinct from a denomination)?

Answer: Smaller breakaway group in tension with mainstream society. Often formed through schism, maintaining stricter beliefs than parent organization.

Flashcard 59: What is civil religion in sociological terms?

Answer: Shared national beliefs and rituals that function like religion. Sacred symbols and practices that unite citizens beyond specific denominations.

Flashcard 60: What is religious syncretism?

Answer: Blending of elements from different religions into a new practice. Creates hybrid traditions through cultural contact and exchange.

Flashcard 61: What is liberation theology?

Answer: Religious framework emphasizing social justice for the oppressed. Liberation theology interprets religious teachings to advocate for the poor and challenge systemic oppression.

Flashcard 62: Which option best fits: a small breakaway group forms after claiming the main church is too worldly?

Answer: Sect. Sects form through schism, criticizing established churches for compromising core principles with secular influences.