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