...Assess the view that, for minority ethnic groups, the practice of religion and membership of religious groups in mainly a form of cultural defence. (33 marks) A question on religion is very hard to answer as religion and how religious ethnic groups are is difficult to measure. For example, when investigating as to whether someone is religious or not we may use a questionnaire that involves questions like, "How often does someone visit a sacred place?” This question can be criticised because a child may go to church every week but only because their parents make them, this doesn't mean that they are religious. Equally a person may not be able to attend for practical reasons but they would still consider themselves religious. Religiosity is not like height, where we have set measurements. It is subjective and not easily operationalised. Ethnicity describes ancestry, heritage, religion, nationality and language. Ethnic groups are sub groups that share cultural characteristics and individuals can decide as to whether they like those characteristics and want to join their group or not. An ethnic minority groups is one which is different from the majority population and whose cultural identity and beliefs differ from the main set of religious practices. Cultural defence is where religion serves to unite communities against external threats. In these situations religion is significant, the reason for this is that religion symbolises groups of collective identity defending communities...
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...Gandhi Gandhi led Indian nationalists through pain and sacrifice to achieve emancipation from the British Empire that suffocated them of their right to live freely. The British Raj began in 1858, and ended in 1947. Gandhi’s passive resistance movement was successful because of his intentions to speak through the morals of God, the gruesome nature of the way that nationalists were treated, and the actual truth of the situation. Gandhi’s passive resistance movement was successful because he applied the philosophy of his ideologies to his movement. This gave his position more power because more people were able to relate to his idea of truth. He says, “My religion is based on truth and nonviolence. Truth is my God. Nonviolence is the means...
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...Although the larger dynasties of Europe had learned of the vast material wealth of Asia through the travels of Marco Polo and other European explorers as early as the 14th century, it wasn’t until the 1600s that the first legitimate European trading companies set up shop in the east to bring Asiatic commodities to the European continent at a large scale. The first of said companies, the British East India Company, created under Elizabeth I of England, would bring not only great wealth, but also eventual colonization to the people of the India. The British East India Company arrived in the Indian subcontinent with purely economic goals. The merchants in the company adapted to Indian culture extremely well, quickly making friends with the monarchs of different Indian states, adopting and practicing Indian religions, marrying Indian women, and learning the vernacular languages of the continent so that they could seamlessly blend into the already thriving market. As English influence in the Indian economy grew, so did their political influence. Many monarchs of Indian nation-states saw alliance with British traders as advantageous both to political stability and economics and welcomed the foreigners with open arms, some even offering them a percentage of tax income and conforming to English social regulations. Although the adaptation to Indian culture was fiscally advantageous to the...
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...Europeans in British Colonial America Christopher J. Reed HIS 379 Pamela Huckins October 22, 2012 Religious Interactions between Africans, Amerindians and Europeans in British Colonial America Christianity played an important role in each of the British Colonies, and religious practice was strictly enforced. All colonists that were of adult age had to attend religious services and pay the taxes that paid the ministers. People who attempted to practice a non-Christian belief were often times persecuted. In Europe there was a split in the Protestant Anglican Church and it branched into the traditional Anglicans and the reforming Protestants. These differences continued and led to the colonization of America. “Puritans journeyed to New England for more than reformation of the Church of England, but religious purity was certainably a matter of considerable importance in establishing a city” (Benjamin p. 66). Puritans came to the new world and established themselves as the dominant denomination in the colonies. This gave birth to new movements in the Colonies, such as the Quakers, Methodists and Baptists. It was this religious freedom that allowed Europeans to come to the new world to practice their form of Christianity. Despite the attempts to rule the colonies based firmly on religious grounds, in the beginning there were irregular practices because of the lack of settlers. The lack of women in the colonies and the shortage of clergymen made religion very irregular...
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...separated from them or even dying, and them doing things they don’t want to. British Governor Charles Lawrence and the Nova Scotia Council decided to deport all the Acadians on July 28 1755 by the Acadians signing an Oath of Allegiance. Around 3,100 Acadians were deported and around 1,600 died by drowning or diseases. So if you ever had an option to sign the Oath of Allegiance you should not and I will tell you why right now. First of all, if you signed the oath, then the British would have separated you from your families and that wouldn’t be nice because you have lived with your family for your whole life and without your family, you will have no idea on what you are doing. Secondly, if you have signed the oath, then you would have to practice another religion because the British wanted more people like them so they would want you to practice their religion, for instance, someone Catholic is practicing Christianity which will be hard and plus the if you deny...
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...Unit 3 Sociology; Beliefs in Society Different theories of Ideology, Science and Religion An Ideology is a closed set of beliefs that reject other views. A Belief is a framework of ideas through which an individual makes sense of the world. They are generally connected to a religion and based on faith with no evidence needed. Science is based on evidence, factual, objective and regarded as the truth. Religion is based on faith, not truth. It is a fixed view of how the world is and claims to be the truth. Theories of ideology Marxists believe that the ideas that people hold are formed by their position in society, and ideology is seen as the ideas of particular social groups reflecting their interests. The Marxist view is associated with the view that there is a Dominant Ideology (the set of ideas and beliefs of the most powerful groups in society – ruling class). Althusser suggested the dominant ideology was spread through a series of Ideological State Apparatuses (agencies [media, religion, education etc] that spread the dominant ideology and justify the power of the dominant social class). Gramsci developed the concept Hegemony (dominance in society of the ruling class’s set of ideas over others, and acceptance of and consent to them by the rest of society). Pluralism is a view that sees power in society spread among a wide variety of interest groups and individuals, with no single one having a monopoly on power. A Pluralist Ideology is the set of ideas reflecting...
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...THE CHURCH, EUTHANASIA and ASSISTED SUICIDE Euthanasia also known as “mercy killing” and assisted suicide are worldwide controversial issues. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word euthanasia comes from Greek, meaning easy death (eu: easy, thanatos: death). Euthanasia means to end the life of a person who is terminally ill or suffering from severe pain, in a deliberate way. At the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) webpage, in the section Ethics guides, under the title of Forms of Euthanasia, Religions and Death? (2009), different types of euthanasia are described, such as indirect, active, passive, voluntary, involuntary and non voluntary. On the other hand, assisted suicide is usually performed with the help of a health professional; that is why; it is usually called Physician Assisted Suicide (or PAS). The main controversy is over the different opinions on whether it is the sick patient’s decision or if it is a legal, ethical or religious issue to be considered by a third party. In order to practice assisted suicide in a country where it is legal, many factors should be present, such as the moral and religious beliefs of the patient and the physician or the patient’s family and the physician, as well as the legislation of the country where it is going to be carried out. At present, in countries where euthanasia is not legalized yet, it is very difficult to obtain legal permission to practice it. As regards the ethical...
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...My Son the Fanatic My Son the Fanatic is written by Hanif Kureishi and was published for the first time in 1994. It is a short story based on philosophical viewpoints of life and how valuable it is to tolerate and compromise with each other. The short story is also being contemporary because it’s concerning conflicts and difficulties with religious aspects, which are the main – and most complicated – conflicts existing on this planet. Basically it’s related to the issues of religion and intolerance, that we are to judge and face every day. My Son the Fanatic is about the relationship between a father and his son, which is slowly being shattered due to the son’s change of behavior. The father Parvez grew up in Pakistan but now loves England and is adapted to the Western culture – and that’s what he wants his son Ali to be as well. Ali, however, turns radically from being a smart and clever student, who he formerly has been. During the short story Parvez gently tries to figure out “what is wrong” with Ali. The story is set in London – the family lives here and the father works as a taxi-driver in London as well. The main characters in the story are Ali, Parvez and Bettina. We don’t get to hear about his wife; it seems that Bettina has replaced her and is a sort of escape gate away from his wife. During the story Ali is changing behavior and personality – suddenly he has lost all respect for his father. Since both of them are having a lack of acceptance and Parvez isn’t even...
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...is the awareness of a common identity amongst the citizens of a country. It means that though we belong to different castes, religions and regions and speak different languages we recognize the fact that we are all one. This kind of integration is very important in the building of a strong and prosperous nation. India is a country with innumerable diversities, an entity composed of many communities, races classes, languages and subcultures. In any such nation, there are many obstacles to the achievement of national integration. In India the following hindrances are obstructing the growth of national feeling, casteism, communalism, linguistic fanaticism, social disparity, economic inequalities and immorality, regionalism etc. 1. Casteism: Caste is an imported part of our social fabric. This was developed in the past on the basis of division of labour in the society. But now casteism has segregated the society. Unity and integrity has become a dream in a caste ridden society. The feeling of socially neglected scheduled castes under the suppression of upper caste ruined the sense of we feeling and unity. It becomes a problem for national integration. 2. Communalism: Religions antagonism has posed a i serious challenge to national integration in India. India is a multi- religious land. Political manipulation has projected one religion against the other which resulted in communal riot, bloodbath, mutual, distrust and disintegration of the country. Large scale...
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...however, would look to monitor the trade system and implement acts and regulations to control trade. The Navigation act made it so that all goods brought from Asia, Africa, and America to England had to be carried in British ships. When the British would eventually conquer islands in the West Indies they would replace tobacco production with sugar. They would later revise the Navigation act to ensure that goods were carried in a British Ship, with a British captain, as well as a British crew. Eventually Parliament would enact the Plantation Duty Act which would require merchants to pay a duty on anything shipped between the colonies. This would extremely benefit the monarchies back home and help the British monitor any violators of these rules. These regulations and acts did not sit well however with the colonists at the time. Eventually over time this allowed for many of the rich prosperous land owners to be the only ones growing more and more successful in the trade industry. The relationship’s that the colonists had with the Native Americans also affected the trade system. Some of the colonies relied heavily on trade with the tribes in the area for furs, food, and also to keep tensions at ease. With the expansion of the colonies all along the Atlantic coast the British were able to develop a synchronized and effective...
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...ecological and religious. Thull community is involves around 6000 Muslims and is located in the Hindu-Kush Mountains. The community is located 40 kilometers along the river valley. The road leading to the community is very poor. The community does farming of crops through irrigation and also keeps livestock that graze at the foot of the mountain where there smooth meadows. As per their tradition men were responsible for farming while the women worked on the crops. They practiced transhumance pastoral farming. Religion Initially the Thull community did not have a high crime rate as they settled their differences without any killings. Currently blood feuding is very common and as a police man informs that an average of two persons are killed per month in rivalry. Most organized crimes originate from a past of social and cultural changes which include introduction of Islamic religion and ideologies. Almost everything in the Thull community is controlled by their religion. Honor is very important in their community. Despite...
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...the same faith as me. For example, same sex marriage is legal in some states in the United States. Religion wise, I totally against same sex marriage because it is forbidden in Islam and been regarded as a sinful act. From the perspective of humanity, same sex marriage would make no sense because the couples cannot reproduce an heir. Besides that, there are also different opinions on abortion. Muslims regard abortion as wrong and forbidden but many accept it may be permitted in certain cases. From my understanding, abortion on the ground of financial reason or not be able to take care of the baby when the baby growing up is a great sin in Islam. In my opinion, the mother should be allowed to abort her baby if it’s because of poverty. The reason is if the mother cannot provide the baby with food and shelter than there is no point of keeping the child. Every child deserves the basic needs to grow up. The reason I mention this is because I don’t view all issues from Islamic perspectives. Some of the things you just need to be logical and reasonable. My ideology would base on liberalism and use of Islam as an official religion and as an element of unity and amity towards people of all races, color and religion because Islam promotes racial equality. I consider myself a Liberal Muslim. However, with Malaysia been a multi-racial country and the people are free to practice different religion; it is not suitable to...
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...essentially Hindu his entire life, but there he did allow the Muslim faith to alter his Hindu beliefs throughout his childhood and when he became older. Hindu faith believed that violence was a crime and a sin to practice, and within the Islamic belief it is okay to use violence in order to seek truths or spread their beliefs. Gandhi couldn’t have practiced peace if he inherently practiced the Islamic religion. The imprint of Islam and the Muslims on Gandhi started at a very early age. The Muslims remained in Gujarat for centuries as traders and throughout Gandhi’s childhood he saw them as those individuals who originated and progressed to other places past the seas. “My whole soul rebels against the idea that Hinduism and Islam represent two antagonistic cultures and doctrines.” said Gandhi. Muslims appear from the beginning to have represented a challenge and adventure to him. Muslims were acknowledged as guests in the Gandhi home....
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...Australia is home to increase religious diversity and religious variety. Its current religious landscape is shaped through the dramatic effect of immigration, the movements to and from religions or denominations, the exploration of new religious movements and the acknowledgement of no religion. These many reasons have created an increase and decrease of many religious traditions, as well as ethnic and cultural diversity in Australia. Post war immigration is directly linked to the emergence of Australia’s new wave of migration. This helped greatly in reshaping Australia’s religious connections with many religions and denominations in terms of ethnic diversity. Many religions existed elsewhere in the world but only appeared in Australia as migration and refugee patterns changed. When Indigenous Australians were counted in Census forms in 1960, a vast majority were Christian whilst some still had a desire to integrate Aboriginal spirituality and customs into Christian expression. Migrants whom entered after World War 1 were simply those who chose to assimilate and not change the British-European culture. This was because the ‘White Australia Policy’ was in place and it was racially prejudice, religiously intolerant and only accepted whites. However, by World War 2 Australia had to ‘Populate or Perish’, thus they were desperate to increase population for national security reasons and economic growth. This ultimately led to a huge population increase, as Australia accepted over 3...
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...Beliefs in society: • Different theories of ideology, science and religion, including both Christian and non-Christian religious traditions. • The relationship between religious beliefs and social change and stability. • Religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice. • The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices. • The significance of religion and religiosity in the contemporary world, including the nature and extent of secularisation in a global context. 1. Religion serves to restore faith and the set basic guidelines for living that people should adhere to; an example of this is the Ten Commandments. 2. It can help to restore faith and a sense of individuality. 3. Maintains a sense of unity and creates hope with the promise of heaven. Explaining belief systems: Belief systems: are broadly defined as the framework of ideas through which an individual makes sense of the world. Ideology: originally a Marxist idea meaning a set of beliefs that serve the interests of a dominant group by justifying their privileged positions. The term usually implies that the beliefs are false or only partially true. Theories of ideology Ideology can be defined in a variety of ways - As a set of political beliefs - As the ideas and beliefs of a particular...
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