What Most Needs the Attention of Religion Researchers in the Twenty-First Century?
Religion was central to early sociology, yet many mid-twentieth century sociologists thought studying it was a waste of time. Seven challenges for attention in the social sciences of religion are summarized: renewed attention to the metasociological foundations of research, building upon past findin...
| Published in: | Research in the social scientific study of religion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2000
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| In: |
Research in the social scientific study of religion
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| Further subjects: | B
History of religion studies
B Social sciences B Religionswissenschaften B Religion & Gesellschaft |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Religion was central to early sociology, yet many mid-twentieth century sociologists thought studying it was a waste of time. Seven challenges for attention in the social sciences of religion are summarized: renewed attention to the metasociological foundations of research, building upon past findings, caution in the use of modern technology, awareness of subtle limitations and biases woven into methodology, sociocultural values that link or separate religion and society, differentiating between spirituality and religion, and monitoring and evaluating other topics and trends. Methodological issues include confusing statistical with social significance, using secondary data, emic and etic orientations, the "ecumenical methodology" of triangulation, reification, faulty sampling of variables, and researcher biases. Needed research should address the decline of institutional ecumenism, post-denominational evangelicalism, and fundamentalists as a new minority group. Work on these and on public relations issues can return religious research and theory to the place of prominence it deserves in the social sciences. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Research in the social scientific study of religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/9789004493278_003 |