SOCIOL 3GG3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Pseudoscience, Spiritualism, Agnosticism
7 Feb 2018
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Document Summary
Belief has a long history, and is a universal concept. Some paranormal belief systems are resilient and remain, especially in pop culture. From 1976-1997, belief in spiritualism, faith healing, astrology, & reincarnation rose drastically. Limited sociological scholarship about the paranormal because: the area of study hasn"t been taken seriously it"s seen as having little impact on societal structures. Theories are imported from deviance explanations, many structural functionalist. This is surprising given the unconventionality/deviance of these beliefs, the stigma associated with professing them, & the marginalization. Transcend explanatory powers of mainstream science (ex. tumor shrunk because praying) Supernatural/paranormal beliefs usurped by enlightenment period due to rationalist, empirical, and factual explanations that changed ideas. Scientific epistemology is antithetical to the paranormal. Despite rise of science, paranormal beliefs are still popular in the west, and belief in some paranormal is the norm (ex. Belief varies by intersecting socio-demographic factors (ex. religiosity in rural areas)
