GOVERNMENT & RELIGION

THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP AND SOCIAL MEANING

CONNECTIONS TO SOCIAL STRUCTURE

• HISTORICAL – • FOUNDATION OF GOVERNMENT; DIVINE RIGHT

MONARCHY

• CONTEMPORARY –• DIVISIVE FORCE IN GOVERNMENT

– RELIGIOUS UNDERTONES IN AMERICAN POLITICS

– DIVISIVE FORCES OF COMPETING RELIGIOUS GROUPS

– FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

• UNIFYING FORCE AS PART OF GOVERNMENT– EVENTS OF 9/11

20TH CENTURYGOVERNMENT MODELS

• MONARCHY– LARGELY DISAPPEARS AFTER WORLD WAR I

(DEPENDS ON RELIGION FOR LEGITIMACY)• DEMOCRACY

– GROUNDED IN CIVIL SOCIETY (VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION)

• COMMUNISM– ECONOMICALLY BASED SOCIAL SYSTEM

• FASCISM– IDEOLOGICALLY BASED SOCIAL SYSTEM

SOURCES OF RELIGION’S POWER

• THE “LEAP OF FAITH”• ANSWERS QUESTIONS SCIENCE CANNOT ANSWER

• DIVISION OF SOCIETY• THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE

– CONSOLIDATION OF COMPETING GROUPS

• UNIFICATION OF SOCIETY• COMMON PURPOSE AND CAUSE• MAINTENANCE OF GROUPS –

– NOBLE AND IGNOBLE PURPOSES

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

• FUNCTIONALISM: ENCOMPASSES AND REGULATES COMPLEX VARIABLES –

• QUESTIONS ABOUT ULTIMATE MEANING OF LIFE

• EMOTIONAL COMFORT• SOCIAL SOLIDARITY / NORMS• SOCIAL CONTROL AND ADAPTATION• SUPPORT FOR OR OPPOSITION TO

GOVERNMENT• INSTIGATOR OF SOCIAL CHANGE

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

• CONFLICT THEORY

• DIVERSIONARY POWER

– DISTRACTION FROM REALITY OF SOCIAL LIFE

» ECONOMIC, GENDER AND RACIAL INEQUALITY» ENCHANCES UNNECESSARY SOCIAL

STRATIFICATION

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

• SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

• POWER IS THROUGH THE SHARED SYMBOLS THAT ARE INTRINSIC PARTS OF ALL RELIGIONS

• CONNECTIONS THROUGH BOTH MATERIAL AND NON-MATERIAL CULTURE

• MORE POWERFUL THAN EITHER FUNCTIONAL OR CONFLICT BASED INTERPRETATIONS CONCEDE IT TO BE

RELIGIONS WITH GREATEST IMPACT ON WESTERN SOCIAL

STRUCTURE

1. JUDAISM

2. CHRISTIANITY

3. ISLAM

4. BUDDHISM

5. HINDUISM

JUDAISM

• MONOTHEISTIC– EMERGES APPROX 3,800 YEARS AGO– DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ABRAHAM

AND GOD; DESCENDS THROUGH ABRAHAM TO 12 TRIBES

– DOES NOT SEEK CONVERTS; LOOKS INWARD RATHER THAN OUTWARD;

• 13-18 MILLION WORLDWIDE

– USEFUL SCAPEGOAT FUNCTION IN WESTERN SOCIETY

CHRISTIANITY

• MONOTHEISTIC– EVOLVED FROM JUDIASM APPROX 2,000

YEARS AGO• EMBRACES JEWISH TEXTS

– RELATIONSHIP TO GOD CEMENTED THROUGH ACCEPTANCE OF SALVATION VIA MESSIAH

– SEEKS GLOBAL CONVERSION• 2.1 BILLION FOLLOWERS WORLDWIDE

ISLAM

• MONOTHEISTIC– EMERGES APPROX 570 c.e. WITH BIRTH OF

MUHAMMAD– SHARES TEXTS AND PROPHETS WITH BOTH

JEWS AND CHRISTIANS– RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, AND SALVATION,

CEMENTED THROUGH FOLLOWING TEACHINGS OF PROPHETS

• FIVE PILLARS

– SEEKS GLOBAL CONVERSION• 1.3 BILLION FOLLOWERS WORLDWIDE

HINDUISM

• POLYTHEISTIC

– OVER 3,000 DEITIES, INCLUDING JESUS AND MUHAMMAD

– PERFECTION ACHIEVED THROUGH MULTIPLE INCARNATIONS

– ULTIMATE UNITY WITH UNIVERSE– OPEN, BUT DOES NOT SEEK CONVERTS

• 870 MILLION FOLLOWERS WORLD WIDE

BUDDHISM

• SPIRITUAL RATHER THAN THEISTIC

– FOUNDATION IS FOUR TRUTHS• EXISTENCE IS SUFFERING• ORIGIN OF SUFFERING IS DESIRE• SUFFERING CEASES WHEN DESIRE CEASES• WAY TO END SUFFERING IS THROUGH

FOLLOWING THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

CULTS

• NEWLY ESTABLISHED SOCIAL GROUPS BUILT AROUND PROPHETIC TEACHINGS– EVOLVE INTO RELIGION IF

• FAITH AND TEACHING SURVIVE PROPHET• INITIAL SOCIAL STIGMA OVERCOME• EMERGES FROM SECRECY INTO OPEN

SHARED PRACTICE

EDUCATION

ESSENTIAL FOR STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE, ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND

SOCIAL BALANCE IN ADVANCED SOCIAL STRUCTURES

FORMAL PROCESSES

• SCHOOLING– FORMAL, SYSTEMATIC INSTRUCTION

• GOAL ORIENTED – DEVELOPMENT OF COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

– “EDUCATION MUST MAKE THE CHILD COVER IN A FEW YEARS THE ENORMOUS DISTANCES TRAVELED BY MANKIND IN MANY CENTURIES”

…Emile Durkheim» SHAPED BY LARGER SOCIAL FORCES» ORGANIZED TO INTEGRATE SUBPOPULATIONS

INTO SOCIAL STRUCTURE» INEQUALITIES INHERENT IN STRUCTURE» RESPONSIVE TO SOCIAL ENGINEERING

FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE

• EMPHASIS ON IDEALS– OBJECTIVE (MEASURABLE) INTENT

• ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY– STRUCTURAL AND SOCIAL

» CORPORATE AND FAMILY

• SOCIALIZATION AND SOCIAL BALANCE• HOMOGENEITY WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR

– SCREENING AND SELECTION

• SOCIAL PROBLEM RESOLUTION

CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE

• EMPHASIS ON DOMINANT / SUBORDINATE DYNAMIC– PUBLIC EDUCATION

• GROUNDED IN RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE– REPRODUCTION THEORY (GIROUX &

ALTHUSSER)• PERPETUATION OF UNEQUAL POWER STRUCTURES

– HIERARCHY AMONG “EQUALS”• WHO BENEFITS FROM A SYSTEM IN WHICH:

– “…OVER A THIRD OF THE STUDENTS NEVER GRADUATE, AND ANOTHER THIRD ARE TRAPPED INTO A SITUATION WHERE THEY DON’T HAVE THE SKILLS THAT ARE GOING TO GIVE THEM A GOOD LIFETIME OUTCOME?” (GATES 2006)

MODERN EDUCATION

• MERITOCRACY – OBJECTIVE:– CREDENTIALED SOCIETY

• FORM > FUNCTION– TRACKING

» ACADEMIC» VOCATIONAL

• CURRICULUM BASIS– NATIONAL OR DECENTRALIZED MODEL?

• PERSONAL OPPORTUNITY vs. STRUCTURAL NEED

PROBLEMS IN EDUCATION

• FUNDING– ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION LESS PER

STUDENT FUNDING TODAY THAN IN 1955• SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN STRUCTURAL

NEEDS

• CHANGING ECONOMIC STRUCTURES– EVOLUTION FROM MATERIAL PRODUCT

TO INTELLECTUAL PRODUCT AND RELATED SERVICE