Etsnic Minorities or Key Names:
WHO IS MOST RELIGIOUS? Etsnic Majorities Modood, Johal, Davie, Weber, Durkheim, ryce
Important Statistics:
-In 2007 only 6% of Britiss population want to csurcs. 1/6 was Afro-Caribbean which is 3x their proporton in the populaton.
-The amount of people claiming to be Christan decreased from 72% to 54%.
-Modood (1997) – found only 11% of wsite members of tse Csurcs of England saw religion as very important in their lives, compared to 71% of Caribbean members of new rotestant churches, and 43% of Hindus and
74% of Muslims. Minority ethnic groups were all more likely to atend places of worship.
ETHNIC MINORITIES appear to be most religious because… ETHNIC MAJORITIES appear to be most/as religious because…
Reason Explanation Reason Explanation
Social Due to religious pluralism religion has changed to new religious movements; therefore, ethnic minorites Secularisation Modood – overall a decline in the importance of religion for each ethnic
Deprivatio are more likely to join. group. Fewer 2nd generaton minorites claimed that religion was important
n Weber – joining religious organisatons helps cope with marginalisaton. in their lives.
Marginality Johal – believes that in countries such as GB religious pluralism is stll a long way of. eople gain power 2nd and 3rd generaton ethnic minorites lose their religiosity as they
and Status from being religious and choose the culture they want. become accustomed and familiar with the country. Therefore donst feel the
Frustration Social deprivaton and marginality, as well as status frustraton, may account for higher levels of religiosity need to use religion as a cultural defence and for support.
within ethnic minorites. eople may turn to religion as a secure and solid source of identty, status and ostmodernists argue people can go spiritual shopping picking and
community, which they fnd lacking in mainstream society. choosing their beliefs freely. Ethnic majorites may not be less religious, just
show their religion in diferent ways.
Davie – Maintaining a commitment to religion can act as a basis for community solidarity in a new For example, mant toung Muslims fout the ‘no alcohol’ rule. This is
Offer environment. because they have been socialised into the wider culture and their ethnic
Solidarity Durkheim – shared values and community identty which is a need when in an unfamiliar new country. identty is not so important to them.
and Johal supports this with the examples of ‘Brasians’. Younger Britsh Asians created a new identtt bt taking In a secular society people may pin point how people dress diferently and
Support elements of their parents’ religion. put this down to their religion however they may not be religious it could
Ethnic minorites may be subject to racism and therefore turn to religion as a means of support. However, be just down to their culture.
some minoritess refusal to assimilate into the wider culture can be seen as threatening to host country,
thus fuelling racism. Private Ethnic majorites donst feel the need to defend their culture so they donst
Collectve worship gives them a point of contact with fellow immigrants, consolidatng the community. display their need for religion.
Pryce – entecostalism is a highly adaptve religion of the oppressed which provides migrants with values Ethnic minorites may only appear to be due to marginality rather than
appropriate to their new world in which they fnd themselves in. entecostalism helped African belief. This highlights the problem of how can we measure religiosity as
Caribbeanss adapt to Britsh society by playing a protestant ethic role by helping members succeed by minorites appear to be more religious but ethnic majorites may have a
encouraging self-reliance and thrif. Religion played a role in giving mutual support and hope of improving greater belief but due to lifestyles and other reasons they their religiosity
their situaton. may not be as obvious to us as they may practce their religion in private.
However, Rastafarianism represented a diferent response for some African Caribbeanss, as they radically
reject wider society as racist and exploitatve. Religious The overwhelming majority of the populaton identfy themselves as
Pluralism Christan.
Johal – Some Britsh Asians believed that religion was important in response to racism in Britsh society. Ethnic majorites are no less religious; it is just taken for granted. There is
Cultural Cultural defence rather than religiosity. stll a strong Christan infuence for example, the laws are Christan based.
Defence Immigrants conscientously practce practse their faiths as a way of reinforcing their cultural identty. The church of England is stll regarded as the main religious organisaton.
and Davie – believes that aspects of ethnic identty such dress, art & music are reinforced through religion and
Identity thus allow the maintenance of traditon. For example, for Islamss mosques are community centres as well
as places of worship and provide a means for social life as well as protectng and promotng cultural values
and traditons. Therefore, more people are religious in order to promote and maintain their religion.
Ethnocentricity – shown that Britsh people may be more religious in other countries. The Generaton
Efect.
WHO IS MOST RELIGIOUS? Etsnic Majorities Modood, Johal, Davie, Weber, Durkheim, ryce
Important Statistics:
-In 2007 only 6% of Britiss population want to csurcs. 1/6 was Afro-Caribbean which is 3x their proporton in the populaton.
-The amount of people claiming to be Christan decreased from 72% to 54%.
-Modood (1997) – found only 11% of wsite members of tse Csurcs of England saw religion as very important in their lives, compared to 71% of Caribbean members of new rotestant churches, and 43% of Hindus and
74% of Muslims. Minority ethnic groups were all more likely to atend places of worship.
ETHNIC MINORITIES appear to be most religious because… ETHNIC MAJORITIES appear to be most/as religious because…
Reason Explanation Reason Explanation
Social Due to religious pluralism religion has changed to new religious movements; therefore, ethnic minorites Secularisation Modood – overall a decline in the importance of religion for each ethnic
Deprivatio are more likely to join. group. Fewer 2nd generaton minorites claimed that religion was important
n Weber – joining religious organisatons helps cope with marginalisaton. in their lives.
Marginality Johal – believes that in countries such as GB religious pluralism is stll a long way of. eople gain power 2nd and 3rd generaton ethnic minorites lose their religiosity as they
and Status from being religious and choose the culture they want. become accustomed and familiar with the country. Therefore donst feel the
Frustration Social deprivaton and marginality, as well as status frustraton, may account for higher levels of religiosity need to use religion as a cultural defence and for support.
within ethnic minorites. eople may turn to religion as a secure and solid source of identty, status and ostmodernists argue people can go spiritual shopping picking and
community, which they fnd lacking in mainstream society. choosing their beliefs freely. Ethnic majorites may not be less religious, just
show their religion in diferent ways.
Davie – Maintaining a commitment to religion can act as a basis for community solidarity in a new For example, mant toung Muslims fout the ‘no alcohol’ rule. This is
Offer environment. because they have been socialised into the wider culture and their ethnic
Solidarity Durkheim – shared values and community identty which is a need when in an unfamiliar new country. identty is not so important to them.
and Johal supports this with the examples of ‘Brasians’. Younger Britsh Asians created a new identtt bt taking In a secular society people may pin point how people dress diferently and
Support elements of their parents’ religion. put this down to their religion however they may not be religious it could
Ethnic minorites may be subject to racism and therefore turn to religion as a means of support. However, be just down to their culture.
some minoritess refusal to assimilate into the wider culture can be seen as threatening to host country,
thus fuelling racism. Private Ethnic majorites donst feel the need to defend their culture so they donst
Collectve worship gives them a point of contact with fellow immigrants, consolidatng the community. display their need for religion.
Pryce – entecostalism is a highly adaptve religion of the oppressed which provides migrants with values Ethnic minorites may only appear to be due to marginality rather than
appropriate to their new world in which they fnd themselves in. entecostalism helped African belief. This highlights the problem of how can we measure religiosity as
Caribbeanss adapt to Britsh society by playing a protestant ethic role by helping members succeed by minorites appear to be more religious but ethnic majorites may have a
encouraging self-reliance and thrif. Religion played a role in giving mutual support and hope of improving greater belief but due to lifestyles and other reasons they their religiosity
their situaton. may not be as obvious to us as they may practce their religion in private.
However, Rastafarianism represented a diferent response for some African Caribbeanss, as they radically
reject wider society as racist and exploitatve. Religious The overwhelming majority of the populaton identfy themselves as
Pluralism Christan.
Johal – Some Britsh Asians believed that religion was important in response to racism in Britsh society. Ethnic majorites are no less religious; it is just taken for granted. There is
Cultural Cultural defence rather than religiosity. stll a strong Christan infuence for example, the laws are Christan based.
Defence Immigrants conscientously practce practse their faiths as a way of reinforcing their cultural identty. The church of England is stll regarded as the main religious organisaton.
and Davie – believes that aspects of ethnic identty such dress, art & music are reinforced through religion and
Identity thus allow the maintenance of traditon. For example, for Islamss mosques are community centres as well
as places of worship and provide a means for social life as well as protectng and promotng cultural values
and traditons. Therefore, more people are religious in order to promote and maintain their religion.
Ethnocentricity – shown that Britsh people may be more religious in other countries. The Generaton
Efect.
