ASSES THE VIEW THAT RELIGION INHIBITS SOCIAL CHANGE

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. MANY SOCIOLGICAL THEORIES SEE RELIGION AS A CONSERVATIVE FORCE WHICH MAINTAINS THE STATUS QUO

1.2. HOWEVER- WEBER AND NEO MARXISTS- AT CERTAIN TIMES AND PLACES, RELIGION IS A RADICAL FORCE HELPING SOCIETY

2. MADURO

2.1. CATHOLIC PREISTS IN SOUTH AMERICA 60'S FOUGHT AGAINST DICTATORSHIP, POVERTY AND EXPLOITATION

2.2. THROUGH A DOCTRINE MIXING TEACHINGS OF COMMUNISM AND CATHLOCISM CALLED LIBERATION THEOLOGY, PRIESTS ENCOURAGED THE POOR TO OVERTHROW GOVERNMENTS

2.3. LIBERATION THEOLOGY SOUGHT TO PORTRAY THE PRIEST AS A REFORMING LEADER MORE THAN A PASSIVE PEACE MAKER

3. WEBER

3.1. HIS WORK FOCUSES ON HOW RELIGIOUS IDEAS CAN INFLUENCE SOCIAL CHANGE. HIS STUDY 'THE PROTESTANT ETHIC AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM', HE DESCRIBED HOW CALVINISM HELPED TO BRING ABOUT CAPITALISM

3.2. IN SOME COUNTRIES AT SOME POINT IN HISTORY THE MATERIAL CONDITIONS FOR CAPITALISM WERE PRESENT BUT NEVER ACTUALLY GOT OFF THE GROUND

3.2.1. Employee

3.3. THROUGH HIS COMPARATIVE ANALYSISOF MANY SOCIETIES HE IDENTIFIED THE KEY FACTOR THAT CAUSED THE BIRTH OF THE INDUSTRIAL AGE

3.4. PROTESTANT FAITH. CALVINISTS BELIVED THAT GOD CHOSE AN ELECT THAT WOULD LIVE A FRUGAL LIFE AND GO TO HEAVEN. CHOSE ELECT BEFORE BIRTH. LEAD TO SALVATION PANIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. MODEL BEHAVIOUR= ULTIMATE GOAL. SPENT NO MONEY OF LUXRIES AND INVESTED IT BACK INTO BUSINESSES.

4. FUNCTIONALISTS

4.1. DURKHEIM: TEACHES PEOPLE NORMS AND VALUES NEED TO STICK TO COLLECTIVE CONCIOUSNESS TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL ORDER

4.2. SAFE FROM RAPID CHANGEE.G. REVLUTION BRING ABOUT ANOMIE BREAK DOWN SOCIAL ORDER

4.3. CONSERVATIVE NATURE OF RELIGION AS POSITIVE ENCOURAGING SOCIAL HEGOMONY

4.4. NOT COMPLETELY AGAINST: SLOW IS GOOD ALLOWING IT TO PROGRESS E.G RISE IN WOMEN ALLOWED THEM TO PLAY A FULLER PART IN SOCIETY

5. MARXISTS

5.1. SEE RELIGION AS PARAMOUNT FACTOR KEEP CLASSES IN THEIR PLACE.

5.2. MARX- RELIGION IS A TOOL EMPLOYED BY THE RULLING CLASS TO PREVENT MASS REBELION THAT WOULD FREE WORKING CLASS FROM BEING WAGE SLAVES.

5.3. RADICAL SOCIAL CHANGE COULD TRANSFORMSOCIETY INTO COMMUNIST UTOPIA.

5.4. MARX- DEVICE FOR STAVING OFF THIS REVOLUTION. ELITE BENEFIT WITH SOCIETY THE WAY IT IS. CLASSLESS COMMUNISM WOULD LEAD TO ECONOMIC RESOURCES SHARED EQUALLY ELLIMINATING WEALTH AND POWER

6. FEMINISTS

6.1. RELIGION SOCIALISES WOMEN TO CONFORM TO PATRIARCHAL NORMS

6.2. RELIGIOUS TEXTS PROCLAIM MALE SUPIRIORITY PLACING WOMEN IN A SUBORDINATE POSITION. FOR EXAMPLE, KORAN 'MEN ARE IN CHARGE OF WOME' GOOD WOMEN WOULD CONFORM

6.3. DISAGREE RELIGION BRINGS SOCIAL CHANGE. WOMEN ARE OPRESSED IN MALE DOMINATED WORLD ADVOCATED BY TRAD. RELIGIONS. RELIGION LEGITIMIZES WOMENS POSITION