From Religious Markets to Religious Communities: Contrasting Implications for Applied Research
The major argument of this paper is that the market model of religion (part of the sociology of religion's "new paradigm") should be balanced by an equally strong focus on the concept of community. In contrast to the individualistic utilitarian assumptions of the market model, in whic...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer
2003
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 2003, Volume: 44, Issue: 4, Pages: 325-340 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The major argument of this paper is that the market model of religion (part of the sociology of religion's "new paradigm") should be balanced by an equally strong focus on the concept of community. In contrast to the individualistic utilitarian assumptions of the market model, in which individuals' religious beliefs and behavior reflect their rational choice efforts to obtain the most personal benefits at the lowest cost, the concept of community emphasizes that individuals' interests may be expanded through emotional bonds with fellow-members and identification with the community's welfare and values. Although members benefit personally from belonging, their motivations are seen as different from those involved in market transactions, and the nature of emotional exchanges within communities makes the cost/reward distinction difficult to establish on an objective basis. Variations in the relative priority different people give to personal interests versus community obligations may be related to gender as well as to generational cohort and other historical, cultural, and subcultural variations in different social settings. The differences in the underlying implications of the concepts of market versus community are important because of their potential to influence the nature of the social world that scholars seek to understand. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3512213 |