TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE?
DURKHEIM’S SUICIDE AS A MODEL FOR ANALYSING NEW RELIGIONS
Eileen BARKER
London School of Economics – and Inform, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
There were doubtless others before Durkheim who said too much or two little could have disastrous consequences, but it was his Suicide that first offered a systematic understanding of the role of social structures in affecting the lives of individuals. In doing so, he laid particular stress upon the importance of the ‘happy medium’. His argument was that too much or too little regulation or integration in a society led, respectively, to fatalistic, anomic, altruistic or egoistic suicide. But although the powerfulness of the U-curve is blatantly obvious in many ways, it is surprising how frequently people and organizations, in trying to escape one extreme risk finding themselves at another. New religious movements are particularly prone to such a risk in the exercise of their enthusiasms, but, it can be argued, reactions to the movements can also be of an extreme nature with extreme consequences. This paper examines some of the dynamics of extremisms found in new religions and in the relations between the movements and sections of the wider society, focusing in particular on some of the ways in which laws and/or law enforcement may perform regulatory and/or integrative functions.
STRONGHOLDS OF SOLIDARITY
Maria SERAFIMOVA,
South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
ABSTRACT
It presents no problem for a well-established, stable social world to go from the past, through the present and towards the future. However, what if the crises are consecutive and never ending? A necessity of security and support, a need of firm grounds for the worldly and social universe of the people, appears in that case. Religion could help to legitimate the purposes and actions of the society, to strengthen the determination of the people. In fact, it symbolizes a kind of social solidarity and a collective sentiment. The whole of the religious answers constitutes the sacred universe of traditional societies, but it could be included in the creation of a modern sacred in a condition, that "sacred" does not mean only "religious". Essential part of this presentation is dedicated from sociological surveys through qualitative methods, rather than quantitative ones.
THE ELEMENTARY FORMS OF NEW RELIGIOUS LIFE AND THE LAW. “SECTS”, “CULTS” AND THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MORAL PANICS
Dr. Massimo INTROVIGNE
CESNUR
Managing Director of CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions,
in Torino, Italy
ABSTRACT
From Islamic threats to the evil of cults, religious minorities today are more often perceived as a social problem than as a social resource. In the 1970s the new concept of "moral panic" was developed in order to explain how some social problems become overconstructed and generate exaggerate fears. Moral panics were defined as socially constructed social problems characterized by a reaction, both in media representation and in political forums, out of proportion to the actual threat. Moral panics have at their beginnings objective conditions and real dangers. They, however, develop when phenomena are presented as new (while they have existed for decades or centuries, perhaps under other forms and names), statistics are grossly exaggerated, and drastic legal measures are invoked on the basis of folk statistics. “Sects” and “cults” have often been studied as quintessential targets of moral panics. It is certainly true that some new religious movements have been and consistently are guilty of a number of criminal activities. The real problem, however, is prevalence, not existence. Moral panics start with a basis in reality, but escalate through exaggeration and folk statistics when comments appropriate for one or more particular incidents are generalized. The paper discusses how the overconstruction of the alleged social problems of “cults” and “sects” in the 1990s, although based on some very real criminal cases and incidents, generated moral panics and proposals for draconian legislation throughout Europe, although after September 11, 2001 moral panics were somewhat redirected to Islamic fundamentalism and a more balanced assessments of the dangers created by the “elementary forms of new religious life” prevailed in most European countries.
DURKHEIMIEN APPROACHES TO ‘IMPLICIT’ AND ‘QUASI’ RELIGIOSITY – SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR AN ANALYSIS OF WORLD-AFFIRMING NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS
Stephen HUNT
University of the West of England, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
In recent years a growing field of sociological interest has focused upon the area of so-called ‘implicit’ (implied though not expressed) and ‘quasi’ (seemingly but not necessary ‘authentic’) forms of religiosity. This specialist area has opened up key debates long observable in the Sociology of Religion, not least of all how religion should be defined and what range of social phenomena should be encompassed by the term ‘religiosity’.
The emerging concern with ‘implicit’ or ‘quasi’ religion has also led to the exploration of a number of sociological perspectives that offer useful definitions and descriptions of these more ‘hidden’ forms of religiosity, alongside providing accounts of their apparent proliferation in contemporary Western societies. While phenomenological and post-modernist approaches have both been utilized in throwing light on the nature of ‘implicit’ and ‘quasi’ religions, a variety of Durkheimien perspectives have also been adopted.
This paper commences with an overview of such Durkheimien perspectives in their application and potential application to a wide range of ‘implicit’ or ‘quasi’ religions. The paper will pay special attention to the way in which the work of Emile Durkheim has been and can be potentially adapted to Roy Wallis’s typology of World-Affirming New Religious Movements which perhaps most obviously dovetail with the category of ‘implicit’ and ‘quasi’ religions. The paper will also engage with the debate as to whether such religions, and indeed World-Affirming New Religious Movements, mark a level of increased secularity in post-industrial societies.
HUMAN RIGHTS, RELIGION, VALUES AND POWER IN THE PERIOD OF RELATIVISM
Michaela MORAVČÍKOVÁ,
Institute for State-Church Relations
ABSTRACT
In December 2007, on the eve of the adoption of the Lisbon Agreement, the European Parliament approved the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. This circumstance as well as the reactions of various political fractions, lines of thoughts, and individuals can make us ponder more deeply on the development in the field of norms as a basis of the rule of law. Democracy and relativisation of values – however dynamically and parallelly they seem to develop at present – actually eliminate each other. In the contemporary Europe, we are witnesses of displacing the religion from the public area, of eliminating the importance of religious traditions, of neutralizing the basic values coming out from religion, and thus the fragmentation of the society. In connection with the advancing efforts for extending the list of fundamental human rights, the significance of the natural law has become more and more reduced. The social solidarity has been gradually fading away, which is related to the advancing processes of rationality, relativism, moral nihilism, subjectivism, utilitarism and constructivism. Although for a while, the idea of human rights and their global promoting could seem to substitute gradually the integrating function of religion in Europe, at present, already the mere definition of human rights and the limitation of their catalogue are rather a subject of discussions and disputes than a real modern consensus of common values. What insinuated trends in this sphere can we perceive and assume? What has taken the role of the integrating element of liberal-democratic (Western) societies?
NEW RELIGIONS AS ONE OF THE POSTMODERNISM´S FACTORS
Lucia GRECHKO,
Institute for State-Church Relations
ABSTRACT
The end of the religion, feared by some and welcome by others, never came. There is a new social trend towards religious, mystic and mysterious things. However, decline is obvious in many ways in the traditional religions and churches in Europe. New religiousness is going through an unexpected renaissance in many different shapes and in many places. The religious scene, which has always been independent from the traditional sphere, is growing alongside the traditional churches and religious societies.
The idea of the declining power of religion as a specific factor in developed societies comes from two important and opposing theories of social change – from the theory of modernization by E. Durkheim, M. Weber a T. Persons, and from the theory of conflict by K. Marx and F. Engels. The influence of these theories has not been limited just to the scientific community, but the idea of the religious circulation among intellectuals has gradually infiltrated into the public conscience too.
The reality of the modern world shows that science and ideology don’t necessarily require replacement and redefinition of religious faith. People that outgrew their fear and economic insecurity invest more in their free time and are more inclined to have faith. If their basic material needs are fulfilled, they are more interested in the problems of justice, look for the meaning of life, and turn their attention to the values with religion as an important part of them. Inglehart’s revision of the two later theories has brought a new view at the meaning of religion in nowadays world. Inglehart belongs to culturalists and connects the macro-level of examination with a micro-approach, which focuses on individual value orientations of mass public. It refuses the institutionalists’ thesis that political culture is just a reflection of the institutions in the society. It admits that sometimes institutions have influence on political culture but only reciprocally. The culturalistic approach attaches importance to the factor of political culture in a long-term stability of democracy. „Political culture, with support of the masses, helps stabilize democracy.“ (INGLEHART, 1997) . It connects socio-structural changes, cultural changes and economical changes into a coherent scheme. According to Inglehart, modernization is not the end of the history, but it is followed by postmodernism.
The process of globalization also interferes with the sphere of values, life style and the way we perceive the world. According to Roland Robertson, globalization behaves like a paradox; it brings absolutization and relativization at the same time. Globalization means universalization of the particular (global expansion of Western culture) as well as particularisation of the universal (Western culture meets other cultures). This paradox is reflected also in the fate of religion; its form and social roles change rapidly; some forms get weaker, while others grow fast. In the globalization of religion, there is a will for discussions, ecumenism and inter/religious discussions on one side, and religious radicalism and fundamentalism is being activated on the other.
WORK DIVISION, DOMINATION AND SOLIDARITY IN FRENCH LAW FIELD: SCHOLARS, JUDGES, AND THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL SCHOOL'S PUBLIC CONTEST ORAL EXAM. A DURKHEIM-BOURDIEU READING
Fernando FONTAINHA
Political Science PhD candidate at Université de Montpellier 1, France – Member of the CEPEL laboratory (Centre d'études Politiques de l'Europe Latine), France – researcher of Capes Foundation, Ministry of Education, Brazil
ABSTRACT
The application of Émile Durkheim's work concerning law is outstanding. To investigate the French law as a method to analyze French moral was the core of one of his masterpieces: « The Division of Labour in Society ». Durkheim believed that the way labour is divided in a given society is the key to it's moral regulation.
Other French sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu, developed the concept of field, and took as crucial to understand the law field it's labour division. In his article « Strength of Law », the author will distinguish two kinds of law culture based on the lawyers internal labour division between practicals and scholars. The « civil law culture » - found in continental Europe – is deeply marked by the scholars domination; and the « common law culture » - found in England and USA – where, by the other hand, the practicals will dominate, notably the judges.
So, departing from the point where:
- the law labour division is a strong factor to determine a law culture;
- that division is established between practicals (judges, avocates...) and scholars (law professors); and;
- that division, even based on a domination, can express social and professional solidarity;
We hope to analyse a specific situation: the collaboration between judges and scholars at the French National Judicial School's public contest, specifically it's final oral exam.
The paper will be based mainly on a non-participative observation of 28 candidates oral exam presentation, made in Paris in November and December 2007. We will use the French National Judicial School's official statistics as a secondary source.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE ANOMIC SOCIAL FACTS: NEWSPAPERS’ DISCOURSE IN ROMANIA AND CANADA
Valentina MARINESCU
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, Romania
ABSTRACT
According to the existing literature, media played a significant role as part of the social control apparatus, reproducing as well as representing violent behavior and social order. This media role works at two levels: That of the content of media message and that of the practices of journalism. The research literature points primarily to two effects of media images of “violent behavior”. One is the amplification of crime and violent behavior, and the second is the creation of anxiety and fear of violence and crime. Many scholars have emphasized the role of the media in defining and shaping problematic social reality. Sociologists studying the social construction of violent behavior have suggested that journalism contributes to the emergence of social problems by dramatizing events, managing public indignation, or engineering “moral panics” about certain types of crime and deviance (Cohen, 1972; Cohen & Young, 1973). It has been also argued that journalism can serve an active and important role in the process of deviancy amplification.
In his classic study of the drug use panic amplified by media coverage, Young (1971) demonstrated this process, whereby each increase in social control was matched by a corresponding increase in deviancy. The result of the panic was that certain facets of the stereotype and fantasy were translated into and became reality. Cohen (1972) has argued that media definitions of reality should not be viewed in isolation but as influencing and being influenced by the reality-defining practices of other social agencies, such as the police, the courts, politicians, and interest groups. The effect that is attributed to the joint practices of such institutions is that of a creation of an “amplification spiral”. Within this process, what was initially defined as a problem by the different agencies was subject to increased magnification.
The general goal of the present article is to offer a critique and comparative analysis of the anomic social facts two types of media systems: 1. The Romanian general newspapers; 2. The Canadian press.
The comparative analysis intends to stress both the similarities in reporting about this type of social facts in both countries and the differences in this “reconstructions of reality”, differences that could be the result either of the articles’ contents or of the journalistic practices.
Both the qualitative and the quantitative research methods will be adopted in this research project. On the basis of „methods’ triangulation” principle and for validity reasons, two main methods of data collection will be used: quantitative content analysis and qualitative content analysis.
THE CREATION OF THE “PROXIMITY JUDGES”:A PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS OF THE FRENCH JUDICIARY REFORM (2001-2005)
Pedro Heitor BARROS GERALDO
Institutional affiliation: Polical Science PhD Candidate at Université de Montpellier 1, member of the CEPEL Laboratory (Centre d’Etudes Politiques de l’Europe Latine), France; CAPES researcher, Ministry of Education, Brazil
ABSTRACT
This paper develops an analysis of a judiciary reform implementation between 2001 and 2005. In this period, a new judiciary institution was created: the “Proximity Judges”. They have a north-American homologue: the small claim courts. The finalities of its creation were to improve the judicial responsiveness; to approach the judiciary institution to its users and to create a "citizen-judge". Some years after its implementation, we can ask ourselves if the project of modernisation produced the results as expected.
The research are based on terms of public policy and public action to understand the complexity of the society. The Durkheim’s analysis sustain a comprehension that is possible to apprehend the social phenomenon in terms of functional specialization. So, how can we learn about this public policy with this theoretical tradition to figure out the complexity of the society?
The work aims to investigate the judiciary activity in the mentioned period, that means during the judiciary reform, and to understand the implementation of a public policy in a judiciary institution. Finally, this work compares the objectives of the public policy with its local outcomes.
The Justice's Annual Reports of the French Ministry of Justice's official data and those from INSEE – the Statistic National Institute of the Economical Studies – were used like resources of empirical data to compare the judiciary activity in the period in a national and local levels. Moreover, it compares the objectives of this specific public policy, given by the legislative process of its creation, with its results. At last, it analyses the local outcomes in two jurisdictions in southern France (Montpellier and Nîmes).
The results show a rationality of implementation quite different from the expected when it was created. And also demonstrate there are other social processes of “Proximity Judges” distribution by the jurisdictions.
“СОЦИОЛОГИЯ И ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В ТРУДОВЕТЕ НА ЕМИЛ ДЮРКЕМ”
Ст. н. с. Валентина Миленкова
Институт по социология при БАН
РЕЗЮМЕ
Докладът се опира на различни трудове на Дюркем, в които той представя възпитанието и образованието като фактор за социална интеграция. Ролята на образованието е значима, защото чрез него се създава социалното цяло, а единичните желания се подчиняват на колективната воля.
Дюркем специално анализира същността на възпитанието като “насочени действия” на възрастното поколение над младото, както и различните посредници на тези въздействия: ценности и норми.
В този смисъл възпитанието, респективно образованието са базисни механизми на социализация.
МОРАЛ И ЛЕГИТИМНОСТ В ГРАЖДАНСКОТО ОБЩЕСТВО.
Докторант Ралица Ангелова
Югозападен Университет “Неофит Рилски, Благоевград
Резюме
Един нов поглед върху връзката между социологията и морала през погледа на съвременното изследване на делото на Дюркейм и неговият опит за създаване на морална социология.
1. Възкръсването на моралната социология
Моралът винаги е съставлявал важна част от социологическото изследване още от неговите британски предтечи – например Адам Смит и Дейвид Хюм или френските му основатели – най-вече делото на Конт, та чак до съвременната епоха. И това е така, защото обектите на социологията имат материален, но също така психологичен и нормативен характер, който съставлява предпочитаната област на морала. Самият Дюркейм, чието творчество почва и завършва с разсъждение върху “Науката за морала” винаги е отреждал централно място на изследването на “моралния факт”.
Но неговите последователи са изоставили в социологическият анализ измерението на морала, поради вътрешната дилема между описателното изучаване на обществените нрави и принуди от една страна, и отчитането от друга страна, на една субективна автономия, която е конститутивна за моралния факт, но предполага също така метод за познание на моралната субективност. Получило се така, че социолозите изоставят в социологическия анализ това измерение на моралната автономия, за да направят науката за нравите по малко проблематична. Тъкмо това се случва в историята на социологията, дотам че моралната социология като че ли изчезва от секциите или секторите на академичната социология. Този исторически заход на моралната социология като дисциплина не бива да бъде смесван обаче с изчезването на морала или на етиката в социологическото изследване на ХХ век.
В края на 60 те години започва възкръсването на моралната социология с появата на “социология на етиката”, самата тя произлязла от социологията на религиите, която си поставяла за цел да преразгледа моралното измерение на социалните факти.
2. Морал и легитимност. Морални факти и социални факти Легитимността е тясно свързана с фундаменталния ред на обществения живот, ред, който за да бъде функциониращ трябва да се опре на някакъв смисъл, който пряко кореспондира с нуждата на човека да дефинира своя живот в смислени рамки. Това е върховната потребност на човек да влага смисъл в социалното си действие. В модерните времена от лоното на религията се отделя категорията морал, която става самостойна сфера и се превръща в легитимираща институция - т.е. човешките действия, постъпки, начин на живот и отношения са легитимни, когато са морално оправдани. . В този смисъл моралът се определя като социална универсална категория. Защото моралът е част от обществените ценности, които оформят културата на едно общество. Една обществена институция за да бъде устойчива и трайна се нуждае от подкрепата и доверието на хората.
3. Интериоризация на нормативните модели. Моралната автономия и обществената принуда.
4. Социалното доверие и обществения капитал. Доверието като социална категория.
5. Практическите измерения на социалните норми в социалната реалност в гражданското българско съвременно общество. Спазват ли се трудово правните норми на трудовия пазар? Погазват ли се основни социални права на гражданите в съвременното българско гражданско общество.
ЕТИЧЕСКИ, СОЦИАЛНИ И ПРАВНИ РЕГУЛАЦИИ В КИБЕРПРОСТРАНСТВОТО - ПРЕЗЕНТАЦИЯ
Владимир ДУЛОВ
Югозападен Университет “Неофит Рилски, Благоевград