Social Class & Religiosity (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

Belief trends: stronger in the working class

• Classical theorists such as Marx and Weber have led us to assume that the poorest in society will be the most religious

  • Marx (1844) claimed that religion is the 'opium of the people', offering comfort to the working class by dulling the pain of oppression and by offering hope of salvation, but ultimately masking exploitation

  • Weber (1905) argued that religion can attract the poorest by explaining suffering as a test from God, with a reward promised in the afterlife

• Working-class beliefs

  • More likely to hold fatalistic beliefs, e.g. superstition, horoscopes, lucky charms, or belief in an all-powerful God

  • These beliefs give individuals a passive role, fitting with fatalistic working-class attitudes

• Middle-class beliefs

  • More likely to follow religions or practices emphasising personal autonomy, self-development, and control over destiny, e.g., New Age beliefs

  • This links to wider class differences, e.g., in education, where the middle class stresses achievement and independence

Lifelong religiosity

• Lawes (2009) claims that class differences in religion are linked to 'lifelong differences' in belief

  • Working class – more likely to remain religious throughout life (lifelong theists)

  • Middle class – especially university-educated, more likely to drift away from religion (lifelong atheists)

• Miller & Hoffman (1995) argue that religion appeals more to lower classes because it offers certainty and reassurance

Pentecostalism and the working class

• Pentecostal churches attract many working-class believers, especially in Latin America and among immigrant communities

• Since the 1970s, Pentecostalism has expanded rapidly worldwide, particularly among the poor and marginalised

• Pentecostalism provides moral discipline, community support, and a way to escape poverty, addiction and destructive lifestyles

Colombia

• Brusco (2012) found in Colombia:

  • Pastors pressured men to give up alcohol, gambling and prostitution, encouraging them to live more disciplined lives

  • Money saved was redirected into the household, improving family living standards

• This shows how Pentecostalism appeals to the working class by offering practical support and hope of a better life

United Kingdom

• Pentecostalism became popular among Afro-Caribbean working-class communities following migration after the Second World War

• It promotes values of self-reliance and thrift, which appeal strongly to those facing economic hardship and marginalisation

• This demonstrates that working-class groups are more likely to turn to religion as a resource for coping with disadvantage

Existential security theory

• Norris and Inglehart (2004) argue that Americans are more religious than Europeans because the US lacks a strong welfare state and universal healthcare

• Without this safety net, many Americans – especially the working class and poor – feel less secure in their survival

• Religion offers an alternative source of security and reassurance when people face uncertainty about health, employment, and the future

Church attendance: higher in the middle class

• A YouGov (2015) survey found that 62% of regular church attenders were middle-class

• Brierley (2001) argues that church attendance is declining fastest among middle-class professionals

• Ashworth & Farthington (2007) found that people reliant on state benefits were least likely to attend church

• Voas & Watt (2014):

  • Middle-class children are more likely to attend church to secure places at high-status schools (e.g. Catholic or Anglican)

  • Church attendance is higher in rural areas and the South of England, areas with larger middle-class populations

Different classes, different religious organisations

• Historical trends show that:

  • The middle class are more attached to traditional churches

    • e.g., the Church of England, Catholicism

  • The working class are more drawn to new religious movements

    • e.g., Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pentecostalists, New Age groups

• Ahern & Davis (1987) suggest working-class people may mistrust traditional churches as they are linked with authority and the establishment

  • Instead, they prefer non-conformist religions (e.g., Methodism), which are less judgemental and offer practical solutions

• Martin (1990) argues that middle-class people may see churchgoing as a way to network and build respectability

  • This helps explain why attendance is higher in middle-class groups, even when personal belief is weaker