SOCIOLOGY

Sociology

Sociology

In what ways does the multiple modernities thesis undermines the secularisation thesis?

The hypothesis of a progressive secularization is as unsatisfactory as the antithesis of a return of religion. A more appropriate perspective for the development of religion and Christianity, the concept of multiple modernity.

There is hardly any area of ??public interest, the news is so contradictory as to the field of religion. On the one hand control messages over a decreasing number of memberships and visitors to the churches as well as the abandonment of the central truths of Christianity, the public media. From the economic life of the policy , but also from science seem the last vestiges of religious orientations and bonds disappear. On the other hand, we are, increasingly confusing messages and phenomena that will fit into the familiar pattern of declining social relevance of religion, not really. Almost everywhere in the world has become smaller, there seems to be "in matters of religion" to develop differently than in Western Europe . Especially in the United States go here obviously at a different pace, in a country of which we are really used to having its trends are inevitably our trends with a lag. (Said 2009: 56-63)

Unexpectedly, suddenly climbs an increasing number of publicly conducted conflicts over religion, from the crucifix controversy over ten years up to the debate over representative mosque building in Cologne and elsewhere. These are not only conflicts that can be used for the thesis of a return of religion in the contemporary society in the claim. The John Paul II launched World Youth Day and its success appears from a previously unknown type of juvenile event and mass religiosity testify to serve for just charismatic acting popes as catalysts. It concludes that even for the thesis a return of religion are sufficient evidence to find, giving this up in the everyday experience into adegree of plausibility. (Sommerville 2009: 249-53)

The multiple-modernities approach is developed in confrontation with alternative theories and by answering open questions. First, the basic problems of defining different types of modernity will be explained. In contrast to the idea of multiple patterns of modernity, neo-modernization theory claims there is a growing similarity between mo- dernizing societies. This is based on the model of the fixed interdependencies of modern institutions. Furthermore, it is supposed that culture follows structure. That is why the effects of culture on patterns of modernity must be scrutini- zed in detail. World-systems approaches deny the existence of multiple modernities. Comparative research on Identifies forms of capitalism: a so-called Rhineland-type of capitalism: Which cuts across civilizational units. The question Arises as to Whether variation develops as independent of or as dependent on cultural sources. These theoretical in- sights are used to clarify tacit assumptions within the debate on the entry of Turkey into the EU. Finally, open ques- tions Requiring further research are enumerated  (Taylor 2010: 59-63)

The critics of the secularization thesis win today at various levels to the ground. First, it makes the assumption that the secularization of society have to scientifically identify a process that ...