New Age Movements (OCR A-Level Sociology): Revision Notes

New Age Movements

New age movements:

📝e.g. Yoga

• A focus on self-improvement and self-spirituality
• No hierarchy as everyone customises their own experiences
• A pick and mix approach to religion, people pick and mix beliefs and practices which suit them and reject the idea that religion has a monopoly of the truth
• The self is the final authority, don't accept the authority of traditional religions

World Rejecting New Religious Movements: SECTS

• Highly critical of mainstream society and mainstream religions
• Demands high levels of commitment from members (often expect members to withdraw from mainstream society and devote much of their lives to the movement
• Have conservative beliefs e.g. relating to marriage
• Tend to be founded by a charismatic leader and tends to demand loyalty to that leader

World accommodating new religious movements: DENOMINATIONS

• Aim to provide members with ways of coping with their ordinary lives. Improving lives while conforming to society
• Popular with those unhappy with societal change
• Focus on helping individual members develop their own sense of spirituality and commitment to God
• Don't reject mainstream society, are actively involved in mainstream society e.g. through jobs they like

World affirming new religious movements: CULTS

• Aim to help individuals achieve their full potential and success in mainstream society by accessing their spiritual powers
• Highly individualistic, success is based on individual effort
• Little attempt to control the lives of members, so low commitment
• Highly inclusive membership as they want as large a membership base as possible

Reasons for the growth of new religious movements:

1. Postmodernists – It is part of a shift towards post-modern society, which comes with a loss of faith in meta-narratives
2. Marginalisation - attract individuals who don't belong to the majority and provide reasons for unfortunate situations and give access to communities with similar experiences