Religion

Module 12
 Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of religion does not set out to assess
the validity of religious beliefs.
• Classical sociological theorists were interested
in religion and its effects on society.
• Religion as a social institution -
"help us understand how we

Interact
how we measure religion

• Sociologists face some challenges when

researching religion
can define religion
they are a lot of different way that we

religion is
experied as a
collectivity
does not to around
have revolve a
higher beings
how sociologist see
religion (video

the and process

system of believe

that guide human

the way
we
find meaning
in
lye

a
groups of people common share
of belof
that have to do with some
things that

beyond of ensitence

the saved believe devine

in
power

something that is beyond on what we can sence

that
Society
role
religion plays in

and time
now
they change over
Religion around the World
Percentage of Religious Groups That Live as a
Majority or Minority Religion in Their Own Country
the dominant

religion influence
other Social
Institution

-
the meaning
that generate
they

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is

moving from
a

and
majority minority

Copyright © 2019 by
Nelson Education Ltd.
 Religion and Society
a fundamental part of society
Religion was

ra important to Canadians
Religious
1970s:
was
very
•
• Four percent of Canadians identified as not
belonging to any religion.
• More than half of Canadians attended church
on a regular basis.
• Children socialized in the tenets of their faith
by parents and religious leaders. within religious
-

families were socializing children

• Presently:
• People experiment with different religious
traditions to find their personal spirituality.
committed to religion
-

People are less one

15-4
 Religiosity
• Religiosity refers to how important religion is
to people.
how do we determinewow religion is important

We can measure religiosity in various ways:

to people .

•
do you belong to particular religion

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a

◦ Belonging: religious affiliation

◦ Beliefs: belief in the divine, importance of
religion I beliefs system at what do ! do you go to Church do
looking pray ...

◦ Behaviour: personal practices, attendance

people ,
you
~

depending on which me measure you use will

give

• worldwide rise in the number of people who

declare they are not affiliated with any
religion.
 ◦ more than one-third of Canada's population,

Religious Affiliation, Canada, 2001 and 2021

-based
belong
on

religion is on

the decline

immigration
-

15-6
Belonging: Religious Affiliation
Religious Groups in Canada

Source(s):
Census of Population, 2001 and
2021 (3901), and National
Household Survey, 2011 (5178).
 The Decline of Religion

The Religious Nones (do not identify with any

religious group)
Reasons for religious non-identification
&

1. Left religion because of its stance on certain

social issues (e.g., same-sex marriage,
premarital sex, abortion)
household
grow up less religious
in

2. Grew up in irreligious household –

socialized to be a religious none
3. Have developed an intellectual disagreement
with religious belief -
believe

don't
- the belief they they have aline wh ther other
 Beliefs: Importance of Religion 60 %
for the
magory of
Canada as women

believe that
religion is
important

ex
:

depending on what

we measure we get
different outcomes on

how people afficate

with
themself
religion
Behaviour: Personal Practices, Attendance

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Some Social Factors Related to
Religiosity:
Social factors :
influence Religiosity

• Age : younger
lively
people are more not
to believe in
any religion

• Ethnic Origins/Country of Origin

• Location/Region
• Gender lively
: male are more to not believe in
religion

• Family Status
• Education
 Social Factors related to Religiosity:
Age
age influence religiosity

were not
older
asyouexperia
globa
a re
cohort that was

for Socialize much more

a
community
in a

religion religious .
is a
society
great source of

community for
older people

• Why are seniors more heavily involved?

Immigrants to Canada do not exhibit the
same age-related patterns in church
attendance as the Canadian-born the
way their were

socialized

and
community becoming
not about believe System
but
finding community
Provide important resources
as
using that community a

Social network

support facited
source of
Integration
Cons
-
Increase marginatation
signifies otherness
-

lack of
- and therefore
Integration-

Copyright © 2019 by Nelson

Education Ltd.
Social Factors related to Religiosity:
Immigration/Ethnicity
 Theoretical Insights into Religion
Functionalism
• Religion serves as a social glue that binds
people together
• Durkheim: Three Major functions of religion:
1. Social Cohesion and Belonging bring people together -

norms teaches value and

2. Social control deviate/to

: sanction those who
that
mare sure

cohesively we

3. Provides meaning and purpose

have the same
value

I learn
morality about

then
◦ Profane - the secular aspects of life we adorn a table
It takes on a different
meaning
.

◦ Sacred - those things to which we set apart, object

remind
every through

andde
a we

share when

ritualize and form emotional connections.

,

We
do it
coleutily
together .

In the collective

experience 18 where

Collective effervescence
We share the value

•
10 part of some
thing
meaning
value
Share .
 * But religion can also be dysfunctional

Theoretical Insights into Religion

• Conflict Theory
◦ Link between religion and stratification
◦ Three primary assumptions
• Religion is socially constructed and built upon
economic relationships
• Religion diminishes feelings of frustration
resulting from the forces of alienation
• Religion is used by the social, political, and
economic elite as a form of control
It the powerful .
-

does not encourages us to challenge

-value system created by the
majority
-

a
system that is ment to reward the powerful
-distract us from our
everyday inequality
-
a false consciencess .
 Theoretical Insights into Religion
• Symbolic Interactionism
◦ important source of rituals and symbols that help to define
people’s perceptions of their social world
◦ focuses on the ways in which individuals give meaning to,
and interpret, their religious experiences
◦ religion helps people define themselves
- how do indivadol interact with each other
the the object the
way which people interprent and
meaning
-

in

that .
It
generate
-how we can define ourself
.
 Theoretical Insights into Religion
• Feminist Theory
◦ religion and inequality may be linked through
gender (intersectionality of oppressions)
• virtually all of the world’s major religions are patriarchal
• in many religions women have lower status
• most monotheistic religions have an all powerful male
God
◦ women are socio-political citizens who produce
cultural knowledge and religious discourses
◦ the lived religion of women
- traditional Western feminist had an n a r row view on women
wearing a hind
as a
symbol
from the are
the
group of people we

trying to understand .
 Secularization Thesis
• Secularization thesis: religious institutions,
actions, and consciousness are on the decline
worldwide and will one day disappear
altogether.

• Revised secularization thesis: an overall

trend toward the diminishing importance of
religion is unfolding in different ways
throughout the world.
Critique of the Traditional
Secularization Theory
• The traditional secularization theory has
fallen short.
• The number of Canadians expressing no
religious affiliation is increasing…but, this
does not spell out the demise of religion in
Canada.
• We are seeing a highly polarized religious
situation in Canada (Bibby 2002).
• Religious polarization: when a population
is increasingly split between the two poles
of the unaffiliated and the religiously
 The Market Model
• To understand why secularization has not
taken its predicted course, sociologists have
proposed viewing religion as a market.
• These services are demanded by people who
desire religious activities.
• Religious denominations are similar to
product brands offering different “flavours”
of religious experience.
 SOC 221: Sociology of Migration
All about international migration to Canada:

Why do people immigrate?

How are immigration experiences different for

men and women?

Do immigrants feel like they belong in Canada?

What are the challenges faced by immigrants?

What kinds of jobs do immigrants do?

What are the experiences of international

students?

…and much more!

Jan – April Tues and Thurs 10-11:20