Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective

Sociology 476, Spring, 2002

Southern Illinois University

Dr. Darren E. Sherkat^*

^{Faner Hall 1326. 9:35-10:50.}

Goals

This course will provide students with a theoretical understanding of the social processes connecting religious and political movements---and which foster the continuity and success of these movements and conflicts between them. First, we will review general theories in the sociology of religion, social movements, and political sociology. After reviewing sociological theories we will examine at four sets of comparative social movements: (1) right wing Christian movements in the United States, Europe, and Asia; (2) left wing Christian movements in the U.S. and Latin America; (3) Interactions between the Catholic Church and governments in Latin America; and (4) Islamic political movements. .

Course Requirements

There will be one examination following the theory section (with a mix of multiple guess and short answer essay. Students will also be required to write short papers (5-7 typed, double-spaced pages) on two of the four substantive topics of the course. A directed question will be provided for each section and students must complete the paper by the due date for the assignment. Late papers on the first two topics will not be accepted. If you miss a deadline, you must pick a different substantive area. After the completion of the first two substantive areas, late papers will be docked 1 letter grade per day for students who have not handed in a previous paper. In addition, students must write a final paper (12-17 pages, typed, double spaced) discussing sociological aspects of a topic in religion and politics of your choice. Topics must be cleared with me no later than one week after spring break. Failure to meet with me by the deadline date will result in a 1 point deduction from your overall final grade average (on a 100 point scale). The examination and the two short papers are given equal weight, and will comprise 3/4ths of the grade for the course. The final paper counts for the remaining 1/4th of the grade. Late final papers will not be accepted.

Cautionary NOTE: Collaboration on the examination, or on any of the papers will be considered cheating. All borrowed ideas should be cited appropriately, and direct quotations should be clearly demarcated with quotation marks. Failure to cite and use quotation marks is plagiarism, and will be reported to the honor council. I prefer the following style of citation at the end of a sentence containing borrowed ideas: (Finke and Stark, 1989:29-30). This reference should then be indicated in a bibliography, for example:

Finke, Roger, and Rodney Stark. 1989. "How the Upstart Sects Won America: 1776-1850." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 28:27-44.

Readings and Timetable

Social Movement Theory:

McCarthy, John D. and Mayer Zald. 1977. "Resource Mobilization and Social Movements: A Partial Theory." American Journal of Sociology. 82:1212-1241. (Jan 15-17).

Stark, Rodney and William Sims Bainbridge. 1980. "Networks of Faith: Interpersonal Bonds and Recruitment to Cults and Sects." American Journal of Sociology. 85:6:1376-1395. (Jan 17-22).

Iannaccone, Laurence R. 1991. "The Consequences of Religious Market Structure: Adam Smith and the Economics of Religion. Rationality and Society. 3:2:156-177. (Jan 24).

1994. "Why Strict Churches are Strong." American Journal of Sociology. (Jan 29).

Sherkat, Darren E. 1996. "Embedding Religious Choices: Integrating Preferences and Social Constraints into Rational Choice Theories of Religious Behavior." Lawrence Young (ed.) Rational Choice Theory and Religion. Routledge Press. (Jan 31).

Snow, David, E. Burke Rochford, Steven Worden, and Robert Benford. 1986. "Frame Alignment Processes, Micromobilization, and Movement Participation." American Sociological Review. 51:464-481. (Feb 5).

Sherkat, Darren E. and Christopher G. Ellison. 1997. "The Cognitive Structure of a Moral Crusade: Conservative Protestantism and Opposition to Pornography." Social Forces. 75:957-982 (Feb 7).

Examination: Feb 12.

Right Wing Christian Groups in the US, Europe, & Asia.

Aho, James. The Politics of Righteousness. Univ. of Washington Press. (Feb 14-28).

Other readings TBA.

First Directed paper due March 5.

Liberal Religious Groups in the U.S. & Latin America:

Smith, Christian. 1996. Resisting Reagan: The U.S. Central America Peace Movement. Chicago. University of Chicago Press (March 7-March 28).

Other readings TBA.

Second Directed paper due March April 2.

The Church and State in Latin America.

Gill, Anthony, 1998. Rendering Unto Caesar: The Catholic Church and the State in Latin America. Chicago. (April 2-April 11).

Third Directed Paper Due April 16.

Islam and Politics:

Ayubi, Nazih. Political Islam. (April 16-April 25).

Fourth Directed Paper Due April 30.

FINAL PAPER DUE MAY 2

• Dr. Darren E. Sherkat (B.A. Tulsa, 1987; M.A. Duke, 1989; Ph.D. Duke, 1991), Associate Professor of Sociology. Faner Hall, 3422. 453-7619. SHERKAT@SIU.EDU.
• My web site address is below, and it is CASE SENSITIVE:
• http://www.siu.edu/~socio/Sherkat.htm
• Office Hours: Wednesday, 10:00-11:30am; Tuesday 11:00am-12:30pm, or by appointment.
• My research focuses on micro level theories of social movement participation. Much of my work uses substantive examples from religious movements and the connection between religious movements and other social movements. Some of my social movements research includes: the political and individual bases of religious change in the Black Church; the ideological foundations of moral crusades against pornography; ideological determinants of environmental activism, participation in protest movements of the 1960s; the consequences of participation in 1960s-era protest movements, and the mobilization of sexuality groups in the U.S. I also have a considerable research agenda in medical sociology focusing on health care costs and race disparities in health. My recent articles appear in American Sociological Review, Social Forces, Annual Review of Sociology, Journal of Aging & Health, Journal of the National Medical Association, Women & Health, Review of Religious Research, and Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.