Secularization Thesis and How the Study of Religion and Popular Culture Affects it
Despite it being unclear, scholarly and religious leaders are surprised with the resurgence of faith as they believe that modernization would lead to secularization. In this case, secularization thesis is the idea that traditional religions would lose its authority of social life as the society progresses. As one of the contentious debates in the sociology of religion, the slow but steady death of faith among people is believed to be caused by the new age of spirituality, the growth of Islam, emergence of secular beliefs and cults, as well as religious conflicts among ethnicities. Social bonds are being broken and people are becoming more individualized as modernity and urbanization continue to grow. However, critics argue that Christianity is instead increasing thereby defying the popular secularization thesis. People are looking for ways they could cope with oppression and the difficulties of everyday life. Instead of people approach religion as they did in the past when faced with challenging situations, they seek other secular ways such as therapy or yoga to reduce or eliminate negative emotions. As a result, religion may appear to cases as a point of reference in the public. The attachment and previous devotion are no longer deep as it used to be before.
The study of religion and popular culture opposes the argument of secularization thesis. Instead, the study gives deeper knowledge and understandings of different faiths. The world is still highly religious and not likely to deny their faiths due to increasing education and advancement of technology. Technology enables religion to be widespread across geographical boundaries while education gives a better understanding. In fact, education creates an interest in people to learn more and respect different faiths. However, the quest for learning about divinity might create doubts about religious practices particularly when people want proof of their faith. As a result, some people might be deeply invoked into religious studies and have wrong misinterpretations of their faith. In turn, they may deviate from the faiths. On the other hand, critics may argue that the internet allows for religious critiques to oppose and dissent faiths. Just as how technology gives convenience and reaches many people is the same way negative ideologies would be spread across the internet. At the same time, scholarly analysis of religious texts is believed to cause more damage to the reputation. New religious movements find it easier to spread false beliefs to people through the internet. Critical opinions of studying religion and popular cultures may expose certain vulnerabilities that may be misinterpreted thereby bringing confusion to believers. Nonetheless, modernity and urbanization enhance religion by making it easier for people to comprehend and spreading the faith to different regions. Religions have closer affiliations through advanced communications. New religious movements are also increasing and some Muslim countries are modernizing without secularizing. Their strict beliefs are becoming friendlier and accommodating but without losing their faith and practice. At the same time, Hinduism is progressively incorporating some modern traits but has not reduced the number of believers across the globe.
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Popular Culture and Religion with Cultural Hegemony
Currently, the boundary between popular culture and religion is slim and permeable with the possibilities of there being a mixture of principles. What remains inevitable is how religion interacts with popular culture. In many ways than one, popular culture is used by religion. At the same time, popular culture could be influenced by religion and for others, it could be a faith-based belief. For instance, the demonstration of how America is sacred is evident by McDonalds and Disney. Despite there being a link between such cultures and religion, there are people who will recognize them as their religion. In the end, cultural hegemony arises due to the authoritative and domineering rule of the popular culture. Despite peaceful means being used to exercise its authority to the masses, the type of power is authoritative and dominant. In other words, people are forced to believe an ideology through religion or through a popular culture. The dominant ideology reflects the interests of the ruling class or institutions such as churches and courts.
In this regard, if popular culture is used in religion, people would be unconsciously forced to believe in that particular faith or belief. For instance, Christmas is for Christians but dominates the society to be believed by everyone. The popular cultural belief of happiness and Santa clause has been engraved in everyone’s view to be perceived as a religion. Santa clause is not in the Bible but has been adopted by the society in the public’s celebration of Christmas. In this regard, cultural hegemony is displayed by the dominance of Santa Clause and Christmas in the society. The popular culture of Santa Clause giving out presents during Christmas has been reinvented in Christianity and recognized as a general practice. At the same time, the practice has dominated over other religions and across society to even be recognized as a public holiday in almost every country in the world. Without realizing its impact on the public, cultural hegemony highlights itself as popular culture that is recognized as a religion. Therefore, it has been constructed through an interplay between culture and religion.
On the other hand, popular culture and religion eliminate previous strictness of faiths to accommodate the changing behaviors of society . For instance, the widespread embrace of fashion has allowed people to wear any type of clothing while attending to places of worship. This popular culture that has influenced religion to eliminate strict doctrines in religion with respect to dressing defies cultural hegemony as it reflects the ideas and desires of majority in the society. This means that popular culture and religion does not always stem from ruling authorities thereby denying the construction of cultural hegemony. Socialization increases the rate at which cultural hegemony is adopted by society . People’s exposure to cultural narratives not only reflect the beliefs of the ruling authority but also expresses the needs of the majority in the society. Therefore, cultural hegemony is resisted with respect to popular culture positively influencing undesirable doctrines of religion.
The Role of Religion in Constructing Popular Culture
Religion and culture are inseparable in many aspects with many societies choosing to place their faith at the center of their beliefs and practices. For instance, the Greek’s beliefs in gods influenced their way of everyday life and interactions with one another. Religion and popular culture are more like the same than it is different. In its simplest understanding, when people in a particular culture strongly believe in a particular faith, the impact on their way of life would be significant. With time, their culture adapts behaviors and ideologies embraced from a certain religion. For instance, almost all of the Muslim countries are affected by Islam. In other words, Islam has shaped how they behave and conduct themselves in a society. In fact, religion and its influence in the region’s popular culture further demonstrating the substantial effect of faith on the Muslim’s ways of life. After all, religion combines different norms, values, attitudes, faiths, traditions, and customs. While it may difficult to distinguish between the two aspects, they are different with religion having a greater impact on culture. In a similar manner, culture relates to the customs. Therefore, as culture changes, so does religion and the opposite is true.
Additionally, religion influences identity at both individual and social levels. However, depending on whether the influence is positive or negative, the value may break the identity of a person. For instance, if a particular religion emphasizes family values but divorce occurs, the identity of the involved persons would be negatively affected. Since beliefs are an acceptance to following certain philosophies, changes in behavior will, in turn, alter or modify the identity of a person. Christianity would want believers to act in compassion and generosity just as Christ did. Therefore, the impact in the Christians’ ways of life would be significantly determined by the requirements of the faith. The identity of individuals would also affect how a society behaves and acts to particular situations or in their everyday life. Collective beliefs from masses or the public amounts to cultural beliefs in a society.
In the advent of secularization, religion is more aligned with popular culture now that it did before. Nonetheless, religion is still gaining popularity among people as individuals continuously grow deeper in faith. More people are becoming religious hereby altering their ways of life. Given that religion significantly touches and highlights almost every area of individuals, the culture of people is also likely to change. While others may argue that religion is part of the culture , the significant impact it has on the latter is immense and evidently clear. While people strive to live by what their faith dictates, they are likely to change their culture. For instance, Islam requires their female believers to decently cover themselves including their hair. As a result, Muslim women have adopted the religious belief as part of their culture. Similar to Arabs, women from other ethnicities that are not affiliated with Islam will adapt the dressing code as part of their new cultures.
