Assess Sociological Explanations For The Increasing Number Of Religious And Spiritual Organizations And Movements In Society Today
Assess sociological explanations for the increasing number of religious and spiritual organizations and movements in society today. (18 marks)
There are many explanations for the growth in other religious and spiritual movements in society today sociologist have offered three main explanations for this trend, marginality, relative deprivation and social change.
Sociologist Weber argued that other forms of religious and spiritual movements such as sects tend to arise as a result of marginality. This is when a person feels minor and not important. He noticed that sects tend to arise from groups that are marginal in society. This marginality makes such groups feels that they are not receiving their just economic rewards or social status that they should be and as a result are more open and likely to break away from churches such as church of England to join sects who reject society and offer a religious explanation for their suffering for example sects would explain their misfortune as a test of faith.
An example of where marginality has helped in the recruitment of members for a sect is when the black Muslims successfully recruited among disadvantaged blacks in the USA. They were so successful in this recruitment because the black poor people felt marginalised because of their low social status and economic rewards, and the black Muslims offered an explanation and justification for this.
However this explanation may not be valid as since the 1960s a sect like world rejecting movement called the Moonies have recruited largely from the middle class who many would argue would not feel marginalised and thus disprivileged because there social status and economic rewards are good.
An explanation that might offer an answer to why middle class join other religious movements and spiritual movements comes in relative deprivation. This means that it is perfectly possible for someone who is quite privileged to feel that they are deprived or disadvantaged in some way
There are many explanations for the growth in other religious and spiritual movements in society today sociologist have offered three main explanations for this trend, marginality, relative deprivation and social change.
Sociologist Weber argued that other forms of religious and spiritual movements such as sects tend to arise as a result of marginality. This is when a person feels minor and not important. He noticed that sects tend to arise from groups that are marginal in society. This marginality makes such groups feels that they are not receiving their just economic rewards or social status that they should be and as a result are more open and likely to break away from churches such as church of England to join sects who reject society and offer a religious explanation for their suffering for example sects would explain their misfortune as a test of faith.
An example of where marginality has helped in the recruitment of members for a sect is when the black Muslims successfully recruited among disadvantaged blacks in the USA. They were so successful in this recruitment because the black poor people felt marginalised because of their low social status and economic rewards, and the black Muslims offered an explanation and justification for this.
However this explanation may not be valid as since the 1960s a sect like world rejecting movement called the Moonies have recruited largely from the middle class who many would argue would not feel marginalised and thus disprivileged because there social status and economic rewards are good.
An explanation that might offer an answer to why middle class join other religious movements and spiritual movements comes in relative deprivation. This means that it is perfectly possible for someone who is quite privileged to feel that they are deprived or disadvantaged in some way