Sociology Chapter 12

example of civil religion in practice

- Political inaugurations and courtroom trials both require people to place their hand on a Bible while swearing to do their duty or tell the truth - The U.S. flag is the primary sacred object of our civil religion, and the pledge of allegiance has included the phrase "one nation under God" for many years now - U.S. currency bears the inscription "In God We Trust."

religion has three important functions in any society (Functionalist Perspectives)

1. Meaning and purpose 2. Social cohesion and a sense of belonging 3. Social control and support for the government

Religion vs. Science

According to Schaefer, "Science examines the natural world empirically, while religion addresses the ultimate reality that transcends the empirically known world"

Manifest Functions of Education

Examples of manifest functions in education include teaching specific subjects, such as science, mathematics, reading, history, and English. Education serves five major manifest functions in society: 1. Socialization 2. Transmission of culture 3. Social control 4. Social placement 5. Change and innovation

Latent Functions of Education

In addition to manifest functions, all social institutions, including education, have some latent functions, which, as you will recall, are the hidden, unstated, and sometimes unintended consequences of activities within an organization or institution. Education serves at least three latent functions: 1. Restricting 2. Matchmaking and production of social networks 3. Creating a generation gap

cultural capital

Pierre Bourdieu's term for people's social assets, including values, beliefs, attitudes, and competencies in language and culture

Karl Marx on Religion

Religion serve to justify the status quo and retard social change

church

a large, bureaucratically organized religious organization that tends to seek accommodation with the larger society in order to maintain some degree of control over it

denomination

a large, organized religion characterized by accommodation to society but frequently lacking in ability or intention to dominate society. dependency theory the belief

credentialism

a process of social selection in which class advantage and social status are linked to the possession of academic qualifications

cult

a religious group with practices and teachings outside the dominant cultural and religious traditions of a society

ecclesia

a religious organization that is so integrated into the dominant culture that it claims as its membership all members of a society

religion

a system of beliefs, symbols, and rituals, based on some sacred or supernatural realm, that guides human behavior, gives meaning to life, and unites believers into a community

framing religion in the media

journalists use specific types of framing to shape their discussion of the intersections of science and religion

Max Weber

religion could be a catalyst to produce social change

conflict perspective

religion tends to promote conflict between groups and societies

tracking

the assignment of students to specific curriculum groups and courses on the basis of their test scores, previous grades, or both

secularization

the process by which religious beliefs, practices, and institutions lose their significance in sectors of society and culture

civil religion

the set of beliefs, rituals, and symbols that makes sacred the values of the society and places the nation in the context of the ultimate system of meaning.. it is not tied to any one denomination or religious group

education

the social institution responsible for the systematic transmission of knowledge, skills, and cultural values within a formally organized structure

hidden curriculum

the transmission of cultural values and attitudes, such as conformity and obedience to authority, through implied demands found in rules, routines, and regulations of schools