Admission requirements
This course is open to all students with an academic interest in the subject matter.
Description
This course gives an overview of the most important themes in the Sociology of Religion. The course falls into two parts.
The first part of the course is concerned with influential theories and theorists in the Sociology of Religion. We explore the work and legacy of Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Émile Durkheim, asking to what extent their theories have continued use and justification, given their often racist and sexist underpinnings. We also discuss the first woman sociologist of religion, Harriet Martineau, whose contributions have been largely erased from the record. Reflecting on the discipline’s inheritance, we ask how to best carry on the field in contemporary times.
The second part of the course will make use of these insights to critically discuss the profound changes that have taken place in the religious field across the world during the 20th and 21st centuries. We explore the secularization thesis, i.e. the idea that religion (necessarily) loses power, prestige, and plausibility as a result of modernization; compare different paradigms of secularization across the world; and evaluate alternatives to this master narrative by asking why some people continue to be religious. We discuss understandings of religious power, authority, and discipline in different religions and examine sociological models to understand questions of race, gender, and sexuality in religious traditions. We investigate the rise of fundamentalism as a global problem, and examine the relation between religion, politics, and violence in the modern world. The course is rounded off with a writing workshop to prepare the students for producing high-quality academic writing.
Course objectives
In this course, students will gain knowledge in the following fields:
A broad grounding in the aims and perspectives of the sociology of religion as an academic discipline
Extensive knowledge of classic and contemporary sociological theories to answer fundamental questions concerning religious individuals, religious communities, and religious fields
A critical understanding of the structure and dynamics of the late modern religious field, especially against the background of power dynamics in the post-colonial world
Students will develop insight into the following issues:
The tools to develop well-argued positions in key debates on religions in the modern world
Critical evaluations of dominant theories, as well as the ability to test various sociological theories against empirical reality
After successfully completing this course, students have developed the following skills:
Interpreting simple quantitative tables containing sociological information
Evaluating the analytical value of theoretical concepts by confronting them with empirical matter (qualitative and quantitative)
Writing a well-argued, academic paper
Working together with their peers to complete weekly quizzes
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Lecture
Assessment method
Asssessment and weighing
Weekly open-book multiple-choice tests, to be completed on Brightspace (collaboration is allowed) (40%)
Final exam: Written take-home exam (60%)
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
Students who receive an overall insufficient grade for the course may take an oral exam. The grade for this oral exam substitutes the previous grades for both the multiple choice tests and the final, i.e. it determines the course grade for 100%.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Basic reading:
Furseth, Inger, and Pål Repstad. 2023. An Introduction to the Sociology of Religion. London: Routledge.
All assigned readings will be accessible digitally throught he University Library website or other open-source sites. A full list of all materials will be made available on Brightspace before the beginning of the semester.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr
Remarks
None.