Title: Religion in Western sociology Universalist discourses and particularist indicators
1Religion in Western sociologyUniversalist
discourses and particularist indicators
- Introduction do discourses and indicators apply
beyond Western nations? religion from a
sociological and empirical (large-scale survey)
perspective - Discourses secularization, religious pluralism,
supply-side theory - Indicators theory on religion as a universal
condition humaine, but indicators applying to
Western markets only key concepts from EVS/WVS,
ISSP and RAMP - Conclusions
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
2DiscoursesSecularization
- Unclear content fall church membership and
visits or orientation on worldly issues (the
immanent) or waning interest in decisive reality
above daily reality (from the divine to the
human) or declining role religion in daily lives
and society - Imprecise cause modernization heralding reason
and manifest experiences (is a belief itself)
all facets of modernization cause secularization
or just a few and why exactly - Contradicting facts popularity new movements
rising fundamentalism no linear decline
European or American exceptionalism (Americans
forget that state and pace secularization in
Europe differs)
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
3DiscoursesSecularization
- A three level perspective (Dobbelaere)
- societal functional differentiation secular
institutions take over roles of the religious
(education, health care) - subsystem functional rationality governs
subsystems, e.g., economy, politics, etc., and
even new religions (offering immediate insights
and potencies) - individual secularization-in-mind loose
communities, individualization of choices,
compartimentalization of orientations (religious
bricolage, religion à la carte, including mix
from popculture, science etc.) - Empirical search for links of levels still open
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
4DiscoursesReligious pluralism
- Religion, geo-identity, and power (a.o. Martin)
relationships national, e.g., identity and
authority - Complete pluralism relationships weak, competing
denominations (US?) - Qualified pluralism stronger relationships,
competition between (within) churches and elites
(UK, Scandinavia) - Segmented pluralism rival groups and subcultural
elites in separate regions (NL, Germany) - The stronger the power ties to institutions, the
longer the presence of churches at least at the
elite level (secularization weaker in fully
Catholic societies)
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
5DiscoursesReligious pluralism
- Diversifying religious markets (Luckmann,
Norris Inglehart, Jagodzinski) - Theory of the invisible religion emergence
religion that do not need institutional framework
AND provide meaning fits pluriform society - Problem What to NOT include as religious,
religion e.g., search for charismatic power (can
be sports team) that helps block existential
questions - Theory of rise, decline, and alternatives rise
in insecure societies in secure decline AND
search for meaning of life answers in
non-hierarchical, non-totalist, non-absolutist,
tailor-made initiatives - Religiosity is not in decline, traditional forms
are secularization theory is partly right/wrong
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
6DiscoursesSupply-side theory
- Religion as a market place (Stark, Iannaccone,
Fink) Engagement stimulated if religions
compete (opposes secularization notion that
competition undermines authority) religions aim
for market share -gt thus accommodate members -gt
higher religious activity citizenry - Problem tests with church membership proper
proxy of activity? cross-cultural validity? new
religions not always membership-based in nations
in which competition is outlawed, activity is
high (Arab world) - Problem 2 idea of free choice is disputable, but
not tested idea of stable demand, variable
supply based on disputable and tautologic notion
of universal need for religion
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
7IndicatorsOr, how to make Western religious
activity universal
- European Values Study (EVS)/World Values Survey
(WVS) - Based in search for religious values
- 1981 1990 1999/2000
- Almost all European countries in last EVS-wave
- International Social Survey Programme (ISSP)
- Changing subjects each wave/module
- Religion 1991 1998 2008
- About 40 Western and non-Western countries
- Religious and Moral Pluralism (RAMP)
- Aimed at secularization debate
- 1997-1999 data
- 11 European countries
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
8IndicatorsExploring the codebooks
- Denomination Do you (RAMP considering yourself
to) belong to a religious denomination? In ISSP
too much variation in wordings. Is first question
in EVS/WVS and only opportunity for those
adhering to non-monotheistic religions all
subsequent questions presuppose monotheism and
sometimes simply Christianity God as a singular
entity, whose word is in the Bible, to whom you
can have personal relationship - The question of forced choice (religion A or B)
and the theoretical debate on bricolage no good
indicator for the latter
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
9IndicatorsExploring the codebooks
- Church attendance EVS/WVS/RAMP How often do
you attend religious services in variable
Likert-scale formats (is not same as attending
church which presupposed community/organization
and building) ISSP again much variation in
wording across countries also taking part in
activities or organizations of a church or place
of worship other than attending services - Most presuppose activity one undergoes passively
(a service) that is offered by professional
(priest, etc.) religions that have
institutionalized ceremonies with authority
figures who serve as middlemen between God and
attendees only
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
10IndicatorsExploring the codebooks
- Religious practices EVS Do you take some
moments of prayer, meditation or contemplation or
something like that (combining all reflexive
action in one Q yet answer is yes or no) In
RAMP also Q on religious services for birth,
marriage, and death, but only on importance of
these services, not on the practice - No info on frequencies of practices today, even
when secularization and supply-side theory
typically call for such info (in general or
only at crucial life-events)
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
11IndicatorsExploring the codebooks
- Religious beliefs beliefs in doctrines God,
life after death, hell, heaven, sin, and
telepathy (and seperately re-incarnation with
explanation - and angels with no explanation).
EVS yes or no ISSP also probably yes or
no RAMP also on salvation (very Christian
wording) and concept of Jesus - More precise on the concept of God God with whom
you can have a personal relationship (builds on
Judeo-Christian idea that God takes interest in,
interacts with person) or some life force
(singular!). In ISSP very confusing choices and
one-sided question if there is a God who concerns
Himself with humans (where is the interaction?).
RAMP also God as something inside each person
instead of out there a forced choice leaving no
room for simultaneously possible concepts
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
12IndicatorsExploring the codebooks
- Importance of religion EVS/WVS societal and
individual church adequate to moral needs,
problems of family life, mans (!) spiritual
needs, social problems we face (only yes or
no) ISSP on power church in society and (only
1998) agreement with better country if religion
less influence RAMP retrospective on level of
influence on severlal life domains, but uses
wordings such should main religions be consulted
when making laws on moral issues all (except
ISSP 1998) include importance God in (daily) life
(and on making important decisions). - No real assessment of societal role of church,
needed for testing secularization theiory
possible with EVS/WVS, but this is maybe too much
to ask of surveys of individuals!
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
13IndicatorsExploring the codebooks
- Religiosity EVS/WVS Whether or nog belonging
to church, are you religious person, not a
religious person or absolute atheist (limited
choice!) and thinking of meaning of life. ISSP
self-assessment on 7-point Likert-scale
extremely (non) religious. RAMP idem, and Do
you have a spiritual lifesomething that goes
beyond merely (!!!) intellectual and emotional
life (suggestive) feel close to church (helas
filtered for belongers) ever had a religious
experience of something that exists which you
may call God (a regretful addition, making it
again monotheist and probably associated with
traditional beliefs)
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
14IndicatorsExploring the codebooks
- New religions or non-traditional experiences of
transcendence EVS e.g., feeling in touch with
something far away, with someone who died (could
also be part of traditional beliefs no sharp
distinction between old-new) Q on new religions
only in 1999 believe in supernatural forces a
Mighty Power, God, a Spirit (again no
distinction old-new believers in the
traditional God could also agree) also
possession of/believe in lucky charm, mascot,
talisman ISSP lucky charms bring luck, fortune
tellers foresee future, persons star sign affect
course of future, etc. true-untrue 4 point
Likert (no info on participation) more in RAMP
prosession of a crucifix or Saint Christopher
medal (Catholic items!) - All seem to dwell on the clairvoyant, new age
type of experiences no serious alternative
religions considered, and lacking proper old-new
distinctions
Henk Vinken KGU Tokyo Study Group Meeting
Tokyo, May 19, 2006
15Conclusions
- Majority Q Western (idea personal God choose one
religion attend services lead by middlemen,
etc.), Christian, on doctrinal issues between
Christian factions, or simply only Catholic - Lack insights non-monotheist, non-traditional
religions - Problem if these survey go beyond Western
contexts and are fielded unchanged - But also in West more polytheist, non-traditional
belief systems on the rise (due to immigration
and globalization) and thus not tapped
16Conclusions
- The reviewed surveys are
- Non-inclusive
- Othering (Masuzawa)
- Missing the key theoretical issues
- Surveys should give respondents more options,
come up with better questions, go beyond the
mystic, clairvoyant and obscure (is othering as
well), start with addressing what it means to be
religious in other cultures with floroushing
non-institutionalized, individualized religious
activities