SOCA02H3 Lecture Notes - Robert Neelly Bellah, Protestant Work Ethic, Symbolic Interactionism
Document Summary
The structure of society and a person"s place in it influence his or her religious beliefs and practices: under some circumstances, religion creates societal cohesion, while under other circumstances it promotes social conflict and social change. When religion creates societal cohesion, it also reinforces social inequality: religion governs fewer aspects of most people"s lives today than in the past. However, a religious revival has taken place in various parts of the world in recent decades and many people still adhere strongly to religious beliefs and practices: diverse possibilities for religious participation compete in modern societies. People are more religious if they were brought up in a religious family, if they reside in regions where religion is highly authoritative, and when they are very young and very old. Durkheim said that when people live together, they come to share common sentiments and values. These common sentiments and values form a collective conscience that is larger than any individual"s.
