Sociology of Religions

Code:

SOCI031

Acronym:

SREL

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Sociology

Instance: 2024/2025 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Sociology
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Sociology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
SOCI	40	SOCI - Study Plan	3	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

To provide an interdisciplinary overview of religions in the contemporary world; to frame the sociology of religions in general sociology; knowledge of the main paradigms of sociology of religion; reflection and debate about the many faces of religion in the modern world, with special focus on Europe, emphasizing the growing diversity associated with migration; new economy and Information and Communication Technologies in the context of modernity; discussing individual religiosity in the context of modernity: new spiritualities and secularisms;knowledge of the methodologies used in empirical research on religion; knowledge of the main traits of the religious landscape in Portugal.

Learning outcomes and competences

Application of theoretical knowledge and technical and methodological tools to the empirical studies in the religious field and encouraging research of religious groups in order their sociological characterization; acquisition of a sociologically grounded reflective attitude towards religious phenomena. 

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Not applicable.

Program

1. Introduction: Religions in the Modern World

2. Sociological approach to religion.

2.1. Religion in sociology and in other scientific fields

2.2. The place of the sociology of religions in general sociology

3. Theories and paradigms

3.1. Religion in classical sociology

3.2. Religion in contemporary sociology

4.. Recompositions of individual religiosity

4.2.The "nones"

4. New Age and inner self spiritualities 

5. Religion in the public space

5.1. Confessional State, Secular State and religous freedom

5.2. Migrations, ethnicity and religion

5.3. Religious market and media

6. Transformations of the religious field in Portugal

Mandatory literature

Berger Peter L.; Modernidade, pluralismo e crise de sentido. ISBN: 85-326-2949-0
Heelas Paul; Spiritualities of life. ISBN: 9781405139380
Repstad Pal 340; Religion and modernity. ISBN: 82-00-22656-5
Vilaça Helena; Da Torre de Babel às terras prometidas. ISBN: 972-36-0834-0
Vilaça, Helena e Oliveira Maria João; A religião no espaço público, Lisboa: Imprensa Nacional/Casa da Moeda, 2019
Woodhead Linda 340; Religions in the modern world. ISBN: 978-0-415-45891-7
Vilaça Helena 340; The^changing soul of Europe. ISBN: 978-1-4724-3469-2
Teixeira Alfredo 340; Identidades religiosas na Área Metropolitana de Lisboa. ISBN: 978-989-8943-37-8
Cipriani Roberto; Manual de sociologia de religião. ISBN: 9788534926539
Berger Peter; Religious America, secular Europe. ISBN: 978-0-7546-6011-8

Complementary Bibliography

Berger, Peter; The many altars of Modernity. Toward a paradigm for religion in a pluralist age., Boston: De Gruyter., 2014
Martikainen, Tuomas & Gauthier; Religion in Consumer Society: Brands, Consumers and Markets, Farnham, Ashgate, 2013
Pace Enzo; Religion as communication. ISBN: 978-1-4094-3523-5
Pace Enzo; Sociologia do Islã. ISBN: 978-85-326-3183-1
Ammerman, Nancy; Sacred Stories, Spiritual Tribes. Finding Religion in Everyday Life. , New York: Oxford University Press, 2014
Bruce, Steve.; Secularization. In Defence of an Unfashionable Theory., Oxford: Oxford Univerity Press, 2011
Davie Grace; Europe. ISBN: 978-0-232-52425-3
Casanova José; Public religions in the modern world. ISBN: 978-0-226-09535-6
Berger Peter L. 340; The^desecularization of the world. ISBN: 978-0-8028-4691-4

Teaching methods and learning activities

The classes have a theoretical and practical component (TP) and are complemented by specific bibliography and pedagogical tools available in Sigarra (slides, texts, ST outputs, developed summaries, conferences).
Still be held Tutorial Sessions (ST), consisting in the analysis of texts from key authors and religious groups websites, aiming to question and deepen the course contents. 

Software

Not applicable

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	50,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	74,00
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Trabalho de investigação	49,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Written examination and oral if necessary (required);

thematic written report (required);

The attendance has weighed the final grade, along with the work developed in the tutorial orientation sessions.

Calculation formula of final grade

The evaluation will be made by the completion of a final exam, dealing with global matters worked throughout the semester (study materials and lessons). The final exam will be weighted at 50% in the final mark. The evaluation shall be combined with a thematic report, subject to one of the programmatic points to be indicated. For the purposes of the final assessment, the work will have a weighting of 50% in the final average. The approval of the course unit has as a condition that the classification obtained in the final written exam, and oral if necessary, and in the thematic report is equal to or greater than 10 values, for each of them. Failure to comply with this condition implies the transfer of the student to the appeal period.

For assessment purposes at the time of appeal, all evaluation components in the curricular unit are considered, with the corresponding weighting in the final classification: final exam and thematic report. 

Foreign students can carry out their assessment components in English, French or Spanish.

Examinations or Special Assignments

The special period is for cases prescribed by law. Students who can not be assiduous are obliged to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course unit for the purpose of establishing their knowledge assessment procedures. These students will be evaluated through an examination and practical work. Each of these components has a weight of 50%. The dates of examination and delivery of the papers will be the same as the ones to be applied to the other students.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The students who, according to the law are not able to attend the classes must get in touch with the teacher at the beginning of the year. Those students will be evaluated by an exam and a thematic report. Each of these components has 50% weight. The exam dates as well as the reports presentation will be the same applied to all the other students. These students have the right to be evaluated during the special evaluation period. 

Classification improvement

The improvement in the final classification is performed in accordance with the Faculty Rules of Evaluation. That is, the student will make the grade improvement by performing a final exam.

Observations

In view of the new teaching circumstances, attendance will not be counted for final assessment. Consequently, the exam will have a weight of 50% and the practical work will also have the same weight of 50% (and not 35% as originally planned).

Contact with students

The e-mail is one of the Faculty's teaching tools most used by teacher along the semester to communicate with students. Students should consult it regularly because by this tool the teacher seeks to resolve issues concerning the course unit: warnings, reviews, tasks, information, educational materials, among others.

Attendance of students

Office hours for students in the course unit (day and time) will be set by the teacher according to the  semester schedule.

Pedagogic material 

Pedagogic material used in the course unit (teaching materials to support practical classes, summaries, reviews, tutorial activities, supplementary bibliography and other  necessary elements) will be available in the online platform. (Sigarra).

Teacher contacts

Helena Vilaça

Departamento de Sociologia da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto (DS-FLUP)

Via Panorâmica, s/n, 4150-564 Porto

Room B253, Box: 193 - Tower B 

E-mail: hvilaca@letras.up.pt; hvilaca19@gmail.com

• URL: http://www.isociologia.pt/