CHAPTER<\/p>\n
13<\/p>\n
EDUCATION AND RELIGION<\/p>\n
CHAPTER OUTLINE <\/p>\n
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION<\/p>\n
Functionalist Perspective<\/p>\n
Conflict Perspective<\/p>\n
Feminist Perspective<\/p>\n
Interactionist Perspective<\/p>\n
SCHOOLS AS FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS<\/p>\n
Bureaucratization of Schools<\/p>\n
Teachers: Employees and Instructors<\/p>\n
Student Subcultures<\/p>\n
Homeschooling<\/p>\n
DURKHEIM AND THE SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO RELIGION<\/p>\n
WORLD RELIGIONS<\/p>\n
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON RELIGION<\/p>\n
The Integrative Function of Religion<\/p>\n
Religion and Social Support<\/p>\n
Religion and Social Change<\/p>\n
Religion and Social Control:
A Conflict Perspective<\/p>\n
Feminist Perspective<\/p>\n
COMPONENTS OF RELIGION<\/p>\n
Belief<\/p>\n
Ritual<\/p>\n
Experience<\/p>\n
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION<\/p>\n
Ecclesiae<\/p>\n
Denominations<\/p>\n
Sects<\/p>\n
New Religious Movements or Cults<\/p>\n
Comparing Forms of Religious Organization<\/p>\n
SOCIAL POLICY AND EDUCATION: CHARTER SCHOOLS<\/p>\n
Boxes<\/p>\n
Sociology on Campus: The Debate over Title IX<\/p>\n
Taking Sociology to Work: Diane Belcher Gray, Assistant Director of Volunteer Services, New River Community College<\/p>\n
Research Today: Wicca: Religion or Quasi-Religion?<\/p>\n
LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/p>\n
WHAT\u2019S NEW IN CHAPTER 13 <\/p>\n
Analyze education using the functionalist, conflict, feminist, and interactionist sociological perspectives.<\/p>\n
Describe the manifest and latent functions of schools, according to the functionalist view.<\/p>\n
Summarize the inhibiting effects of education, according to the conflict perspective.<\/p>\n
Describe the bureaucratization of schools and its impact on the teaching profession.<\/p>\n
Describe the sociological approach to religion.<\/p>\n
Summarize the diverse nature of world religions.<\/p>\n
Analyze the role of religion using the major sociological perspectives.<\/p>\n
Describe the components of religious behavior.<\/p>\n
Contrast the four basic forms of religious organization.<\/p>\n
Chapter-opening excerpt from The Death and Life in the Great American School System by Diane Ravitch<\/p>\n
Think About It questions about costs of college education, theoretical perspectives on education, disparities in teacher salaries, functions of religious practices<\/p>\n
Elaboration of material on hidden curriculum, with example linked to queer theory<\/p>\n
Discussion of new research on effects of tracking<\/p>\n
Figure, \u201cReligious Affiliation 2010\u20132050\u201d<\/p>\n
Research Today box, \u201cWicca: Religion or Quasi-Religion?\u201d<\/p>\n
Discussion of impact of the Internet on religion<\/p>\n
Key term treatment of charter school and quasi-religion<\/p>\n
Updated figures, “\u201d Higher Education Graduation Rates, Selected Countries,\u201d \u201cTuition and Room and Board Costs, 1963\u20132013,\u201d \u201cMapping Life Nationwide: Average Salary for Teachers,\u201d \u201cCollege Campuses by Race and Ethnicity: Then, Now, and in the Future,\u201d and \u201cMapping Life Nationwide: Charter Schools\u201d<\/p>\n
Social Policy section, \u201cCharter Schools\u201d<\/p>\n
CHAPTER SUMMARY<\/p>\n
As the primary social institution that formally socializes members of our society, education prepares citizens for the various roles demanded by other institutions, including religion. When examining education as a social institution, the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives offer distinctive views. Beyond the manifest function of transmitting knowledge, the functionalist perspective suggests that education performs the latent conservative function of transmitting the dominant culture by exposing each generation to the existing beliefs, norms, and values of that culture. Education serves the additional latent functions of promoting social and political integration, maintaining social control, and serving as an agent of change. By contrast, the conflict perspective views education as an instrument of elite domination in which a hidden curriculum subtly teaches the standards of behavior that are deemed proper by society. Schools convince subordinate groups of their inferiority, reinforce existing social class inequality, and discourage alternative and more democratic visions of society. Conflict theorists suggest that credentialism\u2014an increase in the lowest level of education needed to enter a field\u2014reinforces social inequality. As well, both conflict and functionalist theorists agree that education performs the important function of bestowing status. For conflict theorists, it is the differential way in which education bestows status that is the critical point, with mechanisms such as tracking serving to reinforce class differences. According to the correspondence principle, schools promote the values expected of individuals in each social class, thereby perpetuating social class divisions. The feminist perspective holds that the educational system of the United States has been characterized by discriminatory treatment of women. Gains in opportunity and achievement in recent decades have resulted in more women in higher education, and their comparatively strong performance has formed a new area for study. Feminist theorists are also keenly interested in the role of women\u2019s education in economic development as a global concern. The interactionist perspective purports that the labeling of children may limit their opportunities to break away from expected roles. The term teacher-expectancy effect refers to the impact a teacher\u2019s expectations about a student\u2019s performance may have on the student\u2019s actual performance.<\/p>\n
Max Weber noted five basic characteristics of bureaucracy, all of which are evident in the vast majority of schools: (1) a division of labor, where specialized experts teach particular age levels of students and specific subjects; (2) a hierarchy of authority, where each employee of a school system is responsible to a higher authority; (3) written rules and regulations, where teachers and administrators must conform to numerous rules and regulations in the performance of their duties; (4) impersonality, where bureaucratic norms may actually encourage teachers to treat all students in the same way; and (5) employment based on technical qualifications, where at least in theory, the hiring of teachers and college professors is based on professional competence and expertise. A significant countertrend to bureaucratization in the United States is education over the Internet. Research on this type of learning is just beginning, so evaluation of web education as an effective learning method remains to be settled.<\/p>\n
The status of any job reflects several factors, including the level of education required, financial compensation, and the respect given the occupation by society. Teachers are feeling pressure in all
three areas. At the same time, while students may appear to constitute a cohesive, uniform group to some, the student subculture is actually complex and diverse. Among college students, four distinctive subcultures have been noted: collegiate, academic, vocational, and nonconformist. The cultural struggles of Black students and predominantly white universities has also been studied.<\/p>\n
An increasing number of students in the United States are being educated at home. Supporters of homeschooling believe that children can do as well or better in homeschools as they would in public schools. People are motivated to choose homeschooling by many factors. Critics believe that isolation from the larger community limits socialization and poses problems with quality assurance. The difficulty of ensuring quality control and the presence of religion in the home are also controversial topics related to home schooling.<\/p>\n
\u00c9mile Durkheim was perhaps the first sociologist to recognize the critical importance of religion in human societies. In Durkheim\u2019s view, religion is a collective act and includes many forms of behavior in which people interact with others. Durkheim defined religion as a \u201cunified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.\u201d The sacred encompasses elements beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect, and even fear. By contrast, the profane includes ordinary and commonplace elements. Durkheim argued that religious faiths distinguish between certain events that transcend the ordinary and the everyday world. <\/p>\n
Tremendous diversity exists in religious beliefs and practices. Overall, about 84 percent of the world\u2019s population adheres to some form of religion. In sociological terms, religion is centrally important in most human societies. Christianity is the largest single faith in the world; Islam is second. Along with Judaism, they form the three major monotheistic religions. Hinduism is a major religion composed of multiple deities and belief in reincarnation; Buddhism was developed as a reaction to Hinduism and focuses on achieving enlightenment through meditation.<\/p>\n
Functionalists and conflict theorists evaluate religion\u2019s impact as a social institution. Functionalists view religion as providing an integrative function for society, with religion providing a form of \u201csocietal glue\u201d that offers meaning and purpose for people\u2019s lives. The integrative power of religion can be found in celebrations of life events such as weddings or funerals, or in times of crisis or confusion. Religion provides a framework for social support during stressful life events; its integrative power can also be seen in the role that religious institutions play for immigrants in the United States. Overall, religion plays a major role in social support and in helping people face calamities. Max Weber demonstrated the collective nature of religion in his pioneering work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Weber\u2019s Protestant ethic suggested an association between religious allegiance and capitalist development. Liberation theology, the use of a church in a political effort to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other forms of injustice from a secular society, shows that clergy can sometimes be at the forefront of social change.<\/p>\n
The conflict view of religion suggests that religion impedes social change by encouraging oppressed people to focus on otherworldly concerns rather than on their immediate poverty or exploitation. Karl Marx described religion as an \u201copiate\u201d that drugged the masses into submission. Marxists suggest that religious followers are lured into a \u201cfalse consciousness\u201d and that this lessens the possibility of collective political action. Feminists study the important role of women in religious socialization. Furthermore, feminist scholars bring attention to the patriarchal nature of most major world religions and the historical omission of women and women\u2019s perspectives.<\/p>\n
Certain patterns of religious behavior help define what is sacred and profane within a society. Religious beliefs are statements to which members of a particular religion adhere. For example, the account of Adam and Eve is a religious belief that many people strongly adhere to and may insist be taught in schools. Fundamentalism is an emphasis on doctrinal conformity and the literal interpretation of sacred texts. Religious rituals are practices required or expected of members of a faith. They remind adherents of their religious duties and responsibilities. Religious experience refers to the feeling or perception of being in direct contact with the ultimate reality, such as a divine being, or being overcome with religious emotion.<\/p>\n
Sociologists find it useful to distinguish among four basic forms of religious organization. An ecclesia is a religious organization that claims to include most or all of the members of a society and is recognized as the national or official religion, such as Islam is in Saudi Arabia. A denomination is a large, organized, widely accepted religious tradition that is not officially linked to the state or government. A sect can be defined as a relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew what it considers the original vision of faith. An established sect is a religious group that is the outgrowth of a sect, yet remains isolated from society. The Seventh-Day Adventists and the Amish are contemporary examples. A new religious movement (NRM) or cult is generally a small, loosely organized religious group (e.g., Heaven\u2019s Gate) that represents either a new religion or a major innovation of an existing faith. NRMs, like sects, may transform over time into other types of religious organizations. In fact, most major religions began as cults. The competitive market of religious organizations in the United States has also given rise to electronic churches and religious organizations\u2019 use of the Internet.<\/p>\n
LECTURE OUTLINE <\/p>\n
Introduction<\/p>\n
\u2022 Excerpt from The Death and Life of the Great American School System
by Diane Ravitch<\/p>\n
I. Sociological Perspectives on Education<\/p>\n
\u2022 In the past few decades, increasing proportions of people have obtained high school diplomas, college degrees, and advanced professional degrees in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Throughout the world, education has become a vast and complex social institution.<\/p>\n
A. Functionalist Perspective<\/p>\n
\u2022 The most basic manifest function of education is the transmission of knowledge. Another is conferral of status.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Latent functions include transmitting culture, promoting social and political integration, maintaining social control, and serving as agents of change.<\/p>\n
1. Transmitting Culture<\/p>\n
\u2022 Education performs a conservative function through the transmission of the dominant culture.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Schooling exposes young people to existing beliefs, norms, and values, including respect for social control and reverence of institutions.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Some governments use education to shape culture more forcefully than others. Example: South Korea<\/p>\n
2. Promoting Social and Political Integration<\/p>\n
\u2022 Diverse racial, ethnic, and religious groups are transformed into a group sharing a common identity. Example: socializing the children of immigrants into the norms, values, and beliefs of the dominant culture<\/p>\n
\u2022 The integrative function of education is particularly obvious when it involves promotion of a common language.<\/p>\n
3. Maintaining Social Control<\/p>\n
\u2022 Students learn punctuality, discipline, scheduling, and responsible work habits.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Schools direct and restrict student aspirations in a manner reflective of societal values and prejudices. Example: Males are directed into sciences and females into elementary teaching.<\/p>\n
4. Serving as an Agent of Change<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sex education classes and affirmative action in admissions illustrate the efforts of education to stimulate social change.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Formal education is associated with openness to new ideas and critical analysis, stressing the importance of qualifying statements and the need at least to question established truths and practices.<\/p>\n
B. Conflict Perspective<\/p>\n
\u2022 The conflict perspective views education as an instrument of elite domination.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Education socializes students into values dictated by the powerful and stifles creativity and individualism.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Inhibiting effects are apparent in the hidden curriculum, credentialism, and the bestowal of status.<\/p>\n
1. The Hidden Curriculum<\/p>\n
\u2022 The term hidden curriculum refers to standards of behavior that are deemed proper by society and are taught subtly in schools.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The need for control and discipline takes precedence over learning.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Children must not speak until the teacher calls on them; and they must concentrate on their own work and not work together.<\/p>\n
\u2022 In a classroom overly focused on obedience, value is placed on pleasing the teacher and remaining quiet.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Marginalization in sex and relationships education has been a consistent part of the hidden curriculum, although recent efforts have brought some change in this area.<\/p>\n
2. Credentialism<\/p>\n
\u2022 The term credentialism is used to describe the increase in the lowest level of education needed to enter a field.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Employers may use credentialism as a discriminating factor by raising degree requirements for a position.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Conflict theorists suggest credentialism reinforces social inequality.<\/p>\n
3. Bestowal of Status<\/p>\n
\u2022 Both functionalists and conflict theorists agree that schooling encourages social stratification, but conflict theorists focus on the idea that schools sort pupils according to their social class backgrounds.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Tracking refers to the practice of placing students in specific curriculum groups on the basis of test scores. Tracking can become a caste system, in which students placed into low-ability groups have little to no opportunity for promotion later on.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The correspondence principle refers to promoting values expected of individuals in each class. Example: Working-class children placed in vocational tracks<\/p>\n
C. Feminist Perspective<\/p>\n
\u2022 Oberlin College was the first institution of higher learning in the United States to admit women, in 1833.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Many female students were encouraged to serve men and become wives and mothers.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Educational discrimination is evident in university professorship and administrative positions, which are predominately held by men.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Women have made great strides in one particular area: the proportion of women who continue their schooling.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Women\u2019s comparatively strong performance in school (or men\u2019s lower performance) is also of interest to feminist theorists.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Research has demonstrated women\u2019s education is critical to economic development and good governance, along with lowered birthrates and improved agricultural productivity, in developing nations.<\/p>\n
D. Interactionist Perspective<\/p>\n
\u2022 Labeling of children has an impact on school performance.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The teacher-expectancy effect refers to a teacher\u2019s expectations of a student\u2019s performance affecting the student\u2019s actual performance.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Studies have shown that teachers will wait longer for answers from high achievers and are more likely to give them a second chance.<\/p>\n
II. Schools as Formal Organizations<\/p>\n
\u2022 Large-scale school systems are formal organizations, in the same way as factories, hospitals, and business firms. They are influenced by the market of potential students.<\/p>\n
A. Bureaucratization of Schools<\/p>\n
\u2022 The five basic characteristics of bureaucracy noted by Weber are evident in the vast majority of schools: <\/p>\n
(1) Division of labor: Specialized experts teach particular age levels of students and specific subjects.<\/p>\n
(2) Hierarchy of authority: Each employee of a school system is responsible to a higher authority.<\/p>\n
(3) Written rules and regulations: Teachers and administrators must conform to numerous rules and regulations in the performance of their duties.<\/p>\n
(4) Impersonality: Large class sizes make it difficult for teachers to give individual attention to students.<\/p>\n
(5) Employment based on technical qualifications: At least in theory, the hiring of teachers and college professors is based on professional competence and expertise.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Functionalists take a generally positive view of the bureaucratization of education. Conflict theorists argue that the trend toward more centralized education has harmful consequences for disadvantaged persons.<\/p>\n
\u2022 School choice programs and Internet-based courses counter the bureaucratization of schools.<\/p>\n
B. Teachers: Employers and Instructors<\/p>\n
\u2022 Conflicts exist among serving as an instructor, disciplinarian, and an employee.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Between a quarter and a third of new teachers quit within their first three years, and as many as half leave poor urban schools in their first five years.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The appeal of teaching for college students is dramatically lower than it was fifty
years ago.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Salary considerations may impact those contemplating teaching.<\/p>\n
C. Student Subcultures<\/p>\n
\u2022 Schools provide for the social and recreational needs of children.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Schools aid in the development of interpersonal relationships. Example: College students may meet future husbands and wives.<\/p>\n
\u2022 High school cliques may develop based on race, social class, physical attractiveness, placement in courses, athletic ability, and leadership roles.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Intense peer group pressure to conform can be particularly difficult for LGBT students.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sociologists have identified four ideal types of subcultures for college students: <\/p>\n
(1) Collegiate: focuses on having fun and socializing<\/p>\n
(2) Academic: identifies with the intellectual concerns of the faculty and values knowledge for its own sake<\/p>\n
(3) Vocational: views college as a means of obtaining degrees essential for advancement<\/p>\n
(4) Nonconformist: seeks out ideas that may or may not relate to studies<\/p>\n
\u2022 Feagin: Black students at predominantly White universities face \u201cpervasive whiteness.\u201d Black students at such institutions experience both blatant and subtle racial discrimination, which has a cumulative effect that can seriously damage students\u2019 confidence.<\/p>\n
D. Homeschooling<\/p>\n
\u2022 About 1.7 million American children are now educated at home.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Parents may choose to homeschool their children because of religious views, academic concerns, concerns about peer pressure, or fears about violence in schools. For immigrants, homeschooling may be seen as a way to ease a child\u2019s transition to a new society.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Whether or not homeschooled children have adequate opportunities for socialization is a controversial issue.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Quality control is an issue in homeschooling, as is the presence of religion.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Parents who homeschool their children are more likely to have higher incomes and educational attainments.<\/p>\n
III. Durkheim and the Sociological Approach to Religion<\/p>\n
\u2022 Durkheim recognized the importance of religion in human societies, focusing on the social impact.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Religion is a collective act, defined as a \u201cunified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 The sacred encompasses elements beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect, and fear. Example: Rituals such as prayer or fasting<\/p>\n
\u2022 The profane includes the ordinary and commonplace, which can sometimes become sacred. Example: A candelabra becomes sacred for Jews (menorah), as do incense sticks for Taoists.<\/p>\n
IV. World Religions<\/p>\n
\u2022 About 84 percent of the world\u2019s population adheres to some religion. About 15 percent of the population is nonreligious. The level of adherence changes over time and also varies by country and age group.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Christianity is the largest single faith; Islam is the second largest.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic. Islam is communalistic and often features a combination of religion and state.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Hinduism differs in that it adheres to multiple deities, though most worshippers are devoted primarily to a single deity. It is also distinguished by a belief in rebirth through reincarnation.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha, or Buddha. The goal of enlightenment is reached through meditation.<\/p>\n
\u2022 There are major variations within each of these faiths.<\/p>\n
V. Sociological Perspectives on Religion<\/p>\n
\u2022 Manifest functions of religion are open and stated explanations of events.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Latent functions are unintended, covert, or hidden.<\/p>\n
A. The Integrative Function of Religion<\/p>\n
\u2022 Durkheim viewed religion as an integrative power or \u201csocietal glue\u201d that holds society together. Example: religious rituals surrounding celebrations (i.e., weddings) or loss (i.e., funerals)<\/p>\n
\u2022 The integrative impact is evident for immigrants and variant lifestyles in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Muslims have been the most talked about immigrant religious group in recent years; but Muslims are divided into a variety of sects and express their faiths in different ways. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Islam in the U.S. can be integrative by faith, ethnicity, or both.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Religious loyalties can be dysfunctional. Example: Nazi Germany and Jews<\/p>\n
\u2022 Modern-day nations such as Lebanon (Muslims versus Christians) and Northern Ireland (Roman Catholics versus Protestants) have been torn by clashes that are in large part based on religion.<\/p>\n
B. Religion and Social Support<\/p>\n
\u2022 The idea of divine intervention allows people to face calamities as \u201cGod\u2019s will,\u201d thus having an ultimate benefit or purpose.<\/p>\n
C. Religion and Social Change<\/p>\n
1. The Weberian Thesis<\/p>\n
\u2022 Max Weber examined the connection between religious allegiance and capitalist development. His findings were presented in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Protestant ethic is an emphasis on a disciplined work ethic, this-worldly concerns (i.e., material things), and a rational orientation to life. A by-product of the Protestant ethic is to accumulate savings for future investment.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Weber stressed that the collective nature of religion has social consequences for society as a whole.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Conflict theorists stress that Weber\u2019s theory should not be used as an analysis of mature capitalism.<\/p>\n
2. Liberation Theology<\/p>\n
\u2022 Liberation theology is the use of a church in a political effort to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other forms of injustice in a secular society. Example: Roman Catholic activists in Latin America<\/p>\n
\u2022 Liberation theology suggests a moral responsibility to stand against oppression.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Critics charge that liberation theology ignores personal and spiritual needs. Some Catholics in Latin America are converting to mainstream Protestant faiths or to Mormonism.<\/p>\n
D. Religion and Social Control: A Conflict Perspective<\/p>\n
\u2022 Marx suggested that religion impeded social change by encouraging oppressed people to focus on other-worldly concerns rather than on their immediate poverty or exploitation.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Religion is an \u201copiate\u201d harmful to oppressed people. Example: White slaveowners forbade slaves in the U.S. to practice native religions, instead pushing Christianity, which encouraged obedience.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Marx believed that religion\u2019s promotion of social stability perpetuates social inequality. Example: Women are typically found in subservient positions both within religious institutions and at home.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Marxists suggest that by inducing a \u201cfalse consciousness\u201d among followers, religion lessens collective political action.<\/p>\n
E. Feminist Perspective<\/p>\n
\u2022 Religion serves to subordinate women.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Women play a fundamental role in the religious socialization of children.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Most faiths have a long tradition of exclusively male leadership. Women make up28 percent of the students enrolled in theological schools in the U.S., but account for only 21 percent of the clergy. They tend to have shorter careers and to serve outside of congregational leadership.<\/p>\n
VI. Components of Religion<\/p>\n
\u2022 All religions have certain elements in common that are expressed distinctively in each faith and across cultures.<\/p>\n
A. Belief<\/p>\n
\u2022 Religious beliefs are statements to which members of a particular religion adhere.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Fundamentalism is an emphasis on doctrinal conformity and the literal interpretation of sacred texts. Fundamentalists vary widely in behavior.<\/p>\n
\u2022 In general, spirituality is not as strong in industrialized nations as in developing ones, though the United States is an exception to this trend.<\/p>\n
B. Ritual<\/p>\n
\u2022 Religious rituals are practices required or expected of members of a faith. Example: Muslims\u2019 hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca<\/p>\n
\u2022 Rituals honor the divine power of the religion, affirm beliefs, and remind adherents of their religious duties.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Religion develops distinctive norms to structure behavior, and uses sanctions to reward or penalize behavior. Example: Bar mitzvah gifts; expulsion for violating religious norms<\/p>\n
C. Experience<\/p>\n
\u2022 Religious experience refers to the feeling or perception of being in direct contact with the ultimate reality, such as the divine being, or of being overcome with religious emotion. Example: Being \u201cborn again\u201d<\/p>\n
VII. Religious Organization<\/p>\n
\u2022 The collective nature of religion has led to many forms of religious association.<\/p>\n
A. Ecclesiae<\/p>\n
\u2022 An ecclesia is a religious organization that claims to include most or all of the members of a society and is recognized as the national or official religion.
Examples: Islam in Saudi Arabia; Buddhism in Thailand<\/p>\n
\u2022 Generally, ecclesiae are conservative and do not challenge the leaders of secular government.<\/p>\n
B. Denominations<\/p>\n
\u2022 A denomination is a large, organized religion not officially linked to the state or government.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Like an ecclesia, it tends to have an explicit set of beliefs, a defined system of authority, and a generally respected position in society. But a denomination lacks the official recognition and power held by an ecclesia.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Roman Catholicism is the largest single denomination in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Collectively, Protestants account for about 47 percent (as of 2014) of the U.S. adult population.<\/p>\n
C. Sects<\/p>\n
\u2022 A sect is a relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew what it considers the original version of the faith.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sects are fundamentally at odds with society and do not seek to become established national religions.<\/p>\n
\u2022 They require intensive commitment and demonstrations of belief by members.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sects are often short-lived.<\/p>\n
\u2022 An established sect is a religious group that is an outgrowth of a sect. Examples: Hutterites, Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, and Amish<\/p>\n
D. New Religious Movements or Cults<\/p>\n
\u2022 A new religious movement (NRM) or cult is generally a small, secretive religious group that represents either a new religion or a major innovation of an existing faith.<\/p>\n
\u2022 NRMs are similar to sects in that they tend to be small and are often viewed as less respectable than more established faiths. Example: Heaven\u2019s Gate<\/p>\n
\u2022 Like sects, NRMs may be transformed over time into other types of religious organizations. Example: The Christian Science Church began as an NRM, but today exhibits the characteristics of a denomination.<\/p>\n
E. Comparing Forms of Religious Organization<\/p>\n
\u2022 Ecclesiae, denominations, and sects are best viewed as types along a continuum rather than as mutually exclusive categories. NRMs generally lie outside the continuum because they generally define themselves in terms of a new view of life rather than in terms of existing religious faiths.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Sociologists look at religion from an organizational perspective, which tends to stress the stability of religious adherence.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Electronic churches are a newer form of religious organization facilitated by cable television and satellite transmissions. Example: Televangelists<\/p>\n
\u2022 The electronic church has expanded through the Internet, which offers sites online to augment or serve as substitutes for going to church in person. Example: GodTube<\/p>\n
\u2022 The growth in Internet usage may have contributed to the increasing number of religiously unaffiliated adults; but religious groups worldwide are also adapting to new media in interacting with others and enhancing their sense of community.<\/p>\n
VIII. (Box) Social Policy and Education: Charter Schools<\/p>\n
A. Looking at the Issue<\/p>\n
\u2022 Charter schools are experimental schools developed and managed by individuals, groups of parents, or educational management organizations. They are administered outside the official public school system and are permitted to establish their own rules, curricula, and admissions and professional standards.<\/p>\n
\u2022 By 2014, about 2.6 million children were enrolled in charter schools in 42 different states.<\/p>\n
B. Applying Sociology<\/p>\n
\u2022 Functionalists argue charter schools serve a diverse student body.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Conflict theorists argue that because most charter schools are not unionized, they do not represent teachers\u2019 interests well.<\/p>\n
\u2022 There has not yet been much research on the long-term impact of charter versus noncharter schools; and the diversity in purpose, funding, organization, and curriculum makes generalizing very difficult.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Some studies suggest charter schools outperform noncharter schools; others show they do worse.<\/p>\n
C. Initiating Policy<\/p>\n
\u2022 In the United States, school policy is created largely at the community level.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Charter schools have taken their strongest hold in urban areas.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Options other than charter schools are often available, such as homeschooling and school vouchers.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The jury is still out on the effectiveness of charter schools, especially given the diversity of learning environments they provide.<\/p>\n
KEY TERMS<\/p>\n
Charter school An experimental school that is developed and managed by individuals, groups of parents, or educational management organizations.<\/p>\n
Correspondence principle The tendency of schools to promote the values expected of individuals in each social class and to perpetuate social class divisions from one generation to the next.<\/p>\n
Creationism A literal interpretation of the Bible regarding the creation of humanity and the universe, used to argue that evolution should not be presented as established scientific fact.<\/p>\n
Credentialism An increase in the lowest level of education needed to enter a field.<\/p>\n
Denomination A large, organized religion that is not officially linked to the state or government.<\/p>\n
Ecclesia A religious organization that claims to include most or all members of a society and is recognized as the national or official religion.<\/p>\n
Education A formal process of learning in which some people consciously teach, while others adopt the social role of learner.<\/p>\n
Established sect A religious group that is the outgrowth of a sect, yet remains isolated from society.<\/p>\n
Fundamentalism An emphasis on doctrinal conformity and the literal interpretation of sacred texts.<\/p>\n
Hidden curriculum Standards of behavior that are deemed proper by society and are taught subtly in schools.<\/p>\n
Liberation theology Use of a church, primarily Roman Catholic, in a political effort to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other forms of injustice from a secular society.<\/p>\n
New religious movement (NRM) or cult A small, secretive religious group that represents either a new religion or a major innovation of an existing faith.<\/p>\n
Profane The ordinary and commonplace elements of life, as distinguished from the sacred.<\/p>\n
Protestant ethic Max Weber’s term for the disciplined work ethic, this-worldly concerns, and rational orientation to life emphasized by John Calvin and his followers.<\/p>\n
Quasi-religion A scholarly category that includes organizations that may see themselves as religious but may be seen by others as “sort of religious.”<\/p>\n
Religion A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.<\/p>\n
Religious belief A statement to which members of a particular religion adhere.<\/p>\n
Religious experience The feeling or perception of being in direct contact with the ultimate reality, such as a divine being, or of being overcome with religious emotion.<\/p>\n
Religious ritual A practice required or expected of members of a faith.<\/p>\n
Sacred Elements beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect, and even fear.<\/p>\n
Sect A relatively small religious group that has broken away from some other religious organization to renew what it considers the original vision of the faith.<\/p>\n
Secularization The process through which religion’s influence on other social institutions diminishes.<\/p>\n
Teacher-expectancy effect The impact that a teacher’s expectations about a student’s performance may have on the student’s actual achievements.<\/p>\n
Tracking The practice of placing students in specific curriculum groups on the basis of their test scores and other criteria..<\/p>\n
ESSAY QUESTIONS<\/p>\n
Identify and describe the manifest and latent functions of education.<\/p>\n
In what ways do schools serve to transmit culture?<\/p>\n
How do schools promote social and political integration?<\/p>\n
How do schools maintain social control and facilitate social change?<\/p>\n
How do conflict theorists view the hidden curriculum?<\/p>\n
How do conflict theorists view credentialism?<\/p>\n
How are schools able to preserve social class and how does tracking relate to social class?<\/p>\n
How does the correspondence principle relate to social class?<\/p>\n
Discuss how the status of women in education is changing and how it has remained the same.<\/p>\n
Describe the findings of research on the teacher-expectancy effect.<\/p>\n
Using Max Weber\u2019s five basic characteristics of bureaucracy, explain how schools are bureaucratic.<\/p>\n
What is Title IX, and why was it implemented?<\/p>\n
What are some of the difficulties that contemporary teachers face?<\/p>\n
How do functionalists and conflict theorists view the bureaucratization of schools?<\/p>\n
Describe findings on subcultures among college students.<\/p>\n
What are some of the insights sociologists can bring to the debate over allowing religious expression in schools?<\/p>\n
Clarify the distinction that \u00c9mile Durkheim made between the sacred and the profane.<\/p>\n
What is meant by the integrative function of religion?<\/p>\n
What is meant by the social support function of religion?<\/p>\n
How did Karl Marx and Max Weber view the relationship between religion and the economic side of life?<\/p>\n
What has been the primary nature of critiques of Max Weber\u2019s Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism?<\/p>\n
What is liberation theology and how does it relate to conflict theory?<\/p>\n
What is meant by the social control function of religion?<\/p>\n
Contrast the views of religion taken by \u00c9mile Durkheim and Karl Marx.<\/p>\n
In what ways do both \u00c9mile Durkheim and Karl Marx emphasize the importance of the secular, societal results of religion?<\/p>\n
Identify and briefly describe the three major components of religious behavior presented in the textbook.<\/p>\n
What are some of the different forms that religious rituals can take?<\/p>\n
Explain the different types of religious organizations.<\/p>\n
How do denominations, ecclesiae, and sects differ?<\/p>\n
Distinguish between cults\u2014or new religious movements\u2014and sects.<\/p>\n
Describe Hinduism and Buddhism and indicate how they differ from one another.<\/p>\n
Explain the current issues related to charter schools in the United States.<\/p>\n
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS<\/p>\n
Describe how using the Internet could strengthen or weaken the integrative function of education within a society. What elements of socialization may be missing?<\/p>\n
Discuss whether the conservative or social change aspects of the latent functions of education are more powerful overall.<\/p>\n
Describe the various extremes students may take in trying to please a college professor in terms of experiencing the teacher-expectancy effect.<\/p>\n
Discuss why the norms of religion will likely make a war on terrorism difficult for anyone to win. Do you think agnostic government leaders could clarify the disputed issues better than fundamentalist religious leaders? Why or why not?<\/p>\n
Describe how using the Internet could strengthen or weaken the integrative power of religion within a society. What elements of religious socialization may be missing?<\/p>\n
IM \u2013 13 | 3<\/p>\n
Copyright \u00a9 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.<\/p>\n
IM \u2013 13 | 1<\/p>\n
Copyright \u00a9 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved.
No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.<\/p>\n
219<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CHAPTER 13 EDUCATION AND RELIGION CHAPTER OUTLINE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION Functionalist Perspective Conflict Perspective Feminist Perspective Interactionist Perspective SCHOOLS AS FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS Bureaucratization of Schools Teachers: Employees and Instructors Student Subcultures Homeschooling DURKHEIM AND THE SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO RELIGION WORLD RELIGIONS SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON RELIGION The Integrative Function of Religion Religion and Social Support […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-80456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-research-paper-writing","tag-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80456\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersspot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}