Religion and Social Change (9A) - MCAT Psychological and Social Foundations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Civil religion. Sacred symbols legitimize political authority.

Religious pluralism. Multiple faiths compete without state preference.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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