SWK1046 Faith, spirituality and community

Tim Curtis, The University of Northampton

January 2015

Extracts are taken directly from existing presentations as an illustration of the types of presentations the leading academics are making on this topic. Authors work remains their own.

RELIGION AT THE HEART OF SOCIOLOGY

Durkheim

The new secularism?

• Freud, Future of an Illusion, 1927

• The religions of humanity, too, must be classified as mass-delusions of this kind.

• Religion would thus be the universal obsessional neurosis of humanity

Emile DURKHEIM’S FINDINGS

• Some categories of people (men, Christians, the

unmarried, seniors) had higher rates of suicide

than others (women, Jews, the married, the

young and middle-aged)

Married adults half as likely as unmarried adults

to commit suicide

Jews less likely to commit suicide than Christians

• Social solidarity: Degree to which group member share beliefs

and values, and intensity and frequency of interaction

• Demonstrated variation in social solidarity in different groups:

Those weakly integrated into social groups are more likely to

commit suicide

As level of social solidarity increases, suicide rate declines

But beyond a certain point, rate begins to rise again*

DURKHEIM’S THEORY OF SUICIDE

• Three types of suicide:

1. Anomic suicide: Occurs in low social solidarity settings, where

norms governing behaviour are vaguely defined

2. Egoistic suicide: Results from lack of integration of individual

into society because of weak social ties to others

3. Altruistic suicide: Occurs in high social solidarity contexts,

where norms tightly govern behaviour [soldiers in combat]

DURKHEIM’S TYPOLOGY OF SUICIDE

KOENIG: HANDBOOK OF RELIGION AND HEALTH

Dr. Harold G. Koenig is co-director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health at Duke University Medical Center,

www3.nd.edu/~coping/assets/presentations/Koenig.ppt Accessed 19/01/15

Church Attendance and Suicide Rates

Martin WT (1984). Religiosity and United States suicide rates. J Clinical Psychology 40:1166-1169

White Males Black Males White Females Black Females

Church Attendance

Suicide R

ate

Correlation=-.85, p<.0001

0

0.1-4.9

5.0-7.4

7.5-9.9

10

5.0%

5.0%

22.7%

27.3%

40.1%

Self-Rated Religious Coping

The Most Important Factor

Large Extent or More

Moderate to Large Extent

None

Responses by 337 consecutively admitted patients to Duke Hospital (Koenig 1998)

Small to Moderate

Time to Remission by Intrinsic Religiosity

0 10 20 30 40 50

Weeks of Followup

0

20

40

60

80

100

Pro

ba

bil

ity

of

No

n-R

emis

sio

n

%

Low Religiosity

Medium Religiosity

High Religiosity

(N=87 patients with major or minor depression by Diagnostic Interview Schedule)

American Journal of Psychiatry 1998; 155:536-542

Mortality From Heart Disease and Religious Orthodoxy

(based on 10,059 civil servants and municipal employees)

Kaplan-Meier life table curves (adapted from Goldbourt et a l 1993. Cardiology 82:100-121)

Follow-up time, years

Su

rviv

al

prob

ab

ilit

y

Most Orthodox

Non-Believers

Differences remain significant after

controlling for blood pressure,

diabetes, cholesterol, smoking,

weight, and baseline heart disease

Six-Month Mortality After Open Heart Surgery

Citation: Psychosomatic Medicine 1995; 57:5-15

0

5

10

15

20

25

% D

ead

(2 of 72)

(7 of 86) (2 of 25)

(10 of 49)

(232 patients at Dartmouth Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire)

Hi Religion

Hi Soc SupportHi Religion

Lo Soc Support

Lo Religion

Hi Soc Support

Lo Religion

Lo Soc Support

Hi Religion

Hi Soc Support

Religion and Physical Health Research Summary

Handbook of Religion and Health (Oxford University Press, 2001)

• Better immune/endocrine function (5 of 5)

• Lower mortality from cancer (5 of 7)

• Lower blood pressure (14 of 23)

• Less heart disease (7 of 11)

• Less stroke (1 of 1)

• Lower cholesterol (3 of 3)

• Less cigarette smoking (23 of 25)

• More likely to exercise (3 of 5)

• Lower mortality (11 of 14) (1995-2000)

• Clergy mortality (12 of 13)

(summary of research in year 2000 or before)

Many new studies since 2000

HEALTHCARE

Prof. Wilf McSherry. Professor in Dignity of Care for Older People. Centre for Practice and Service Improvement, Staffordshire University

• 41% respondents from NHS hospitals

• All health sectors included

• 25.4% Staff nurses

• 0nly 0.3% HCA/HCSW

• 0.9% students

• All main specialities/branches of nursing represented

• Age range - < 20 years - > 60 years represented largest age groups 40 – 59 years 74% of all respondents

• Males 12% and females 88%

• 92.1% identified themselves as White and 4.3% of respondents classified themselves against National Census Criteria – 3.1% not stated

www.spiritualityandhealthcare.co.uk/shared/cms/file.asp?e=44&i=67 Accessed 19/01/15

Defining spirituality

“A quality that goes beyond religious affiliation, thatstrives for inspirations, reverence, awe, meaning andpurpose even in those who do not believe in anygood(god). The spiritual dimension tries to be inharmony with the universe, strives for answers aboutthe infinite, and comes into focus when the personfaces emotional stress, physical illness or death.”

Murray & Zentner (1989 p 259)

Murray RB & Zentner JP (1989) Nursing Concepts for HealthPromotion. Prentice Hall, London

Spirituality and nursing

Strongly

DisagreeDisagree Uncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Spirituality and quality of care

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Showing kindness

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Forgiveness

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Place of worship

Strongly

DisagreeDisagree Uncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Faith in God or Supreme being

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Finding meaning

DisagreeStrongly

DisagreeUncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Time, support and reassurance

DisagreeStrongly

Disagree

Uncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Hope

Disagree Uncertain AgreeStrongly

Disagree

Strongly

Agree

Listening and exploring

Disagree Uncertain AgreeStrongly

Disagree

Strongly

Agree

Privacy, dignity and religious...

Disagree AgreeUncertainStrongly

Disagree

Strongly

Agree

Atheists and agnostics

Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly

Agree

Type of spiritual need

The need for : No %

3 meaning and purpose 3276 81.9

love and harmonious relationships 2820 70.3

forgiveness 2604 65.1

1 a source of hope and strength 3661 95.1

trust 2885 72.1

2 expression of personal beliefs/values 3558 88.9

3 spiritual practices, expressions of concept of

God or deity

3277 81.9

creativity 1983 49.6

COMMUNITY COHESION

Co-opting religion or Faith in Public?

www3.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/viewdoc.asp?id=50768 Accessed 19/01/15

Professor Ted Cantle CBE,

Executive Chair, iCoCo

Community CohesionEmerged after 2001 riots in Northern towns

White and Asian groups found to be living in

‘parallel lives’ with no contact between them

Fear and ignorance, little mutual respect and

understanding: Far Right demonised

minorities

Differences underpinned by inequalities

Community CohesionProgramme developed to -

Promote the value of diversity

Create a sense of belonging for all

Tackle inequalities

Break down barriers by ‘promoting interaction

in neighbourhoods, schools and in

workplaces’

Community Cohesion - policy

• Works across political spectrum, apart from extremes!

• A critique of multiculturalism?

• Embraces equalities, more nuanced perhaps

• Emphasises responsibilities and commonalities – may be interpreted as ‘integration’

• Advancement of citizenship, tests, ceremonies, days, curriculum - and language

Community Cohesion – current issues

Prevent agenda

• Recent change in Government approach

• Select Committee report

• Conservative approach

Community Cohesion – current issues

The Muslim communities …… the government continues to approach Muslims as

though their religion defines them. It rarely speaks to them as tenants, parents, students or workers; it does not dwell on problems that they share with everyone else; it does not convene high profile task forces to look at how to improve their daily lives. It summons them as Muslims, talks to them as Muslims and refers to them as Muslims - as though they could not possibly be understood as anything else.

Gary Younge. The Guardian 30th March 2009

Community Cohesion – current issues

White w/c ‘connecting communities’

• Are disengaged and disaffected

• Do have real needs and grievances too

• But are not one community

• And a danger of stigmatising them

• Similarities with ‘Prevent’?

• Far Right support is not all working class….

Community Cohesion – future issues

Faith – ‘in the public square’

• Religious dress and symbols

• Institutional support – eg schools

• Privileged access

• As a contributor to governance

Community Cohesion – future issues

Faith – diaspora communities

• Mutual support now tenable

• Inherent challenge to national identity –

growth of geo-political movement

• And part of inevitable process of globalisation

and interdependence

• New forms of citizenship and identity

FORCE, FIRE AND FAITH

Public Safety

Helen Boardman, personal communication 11/12/14

How do we fit together - Force, Fire & Faith

The Office of Faith Based and Community InitiativesCommunities are involved so they can make a difference to individual

and community-wide problems.

1. Liaison point between Force, Fire and Faith2. Develop crime prevention activity in

communities 3. Develop and evaluate best practice4. Identify local and national funds5. Commission services (Kite-mark)6. Help raise standards (Quality assurance)7. Raising profile of contributions to social

action (Audit, conferences and publications)

8. Forge constructive partnerships9. Advisory council

OFBCI

How do we fit together - Force, Fire & Faith

• Round Table Discussion 1 – Improving Force, Fire and Faith Collaboration

• Purpose

• To explore ways in which we can improve the collaboration between Force, Fire and Faith organisations to reduce crime and increase community safety.

• To discuss the “volunteering products” that have been presented and to identify and discuss potential opportunities for greater collaboration.

• What to do

• Share with each other how you might relay the messages you have heard in your communities.

• Discuss how collaboration between Force, Fire and Faith could be improved so that you are more likely to act “in concert” with one another to solve community problems.

• Move on to think about the challenges facing faith communities in relation to individuals and groups engaging with Force and Fire Service. Decide which of these are the most important.

• Write your suggested improvements and your challenges on separate post-its and place them on the flip-chart sheets provided.

• Feedback to the whole room your top 3 suggested improvements and 1 major challenge that needs to be overcome

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Questions posed

• What is the purpose of life? Happiness or Love?

• How does society become different if the purpose is happiness or love?

• (How) Does ‘religion/spirituality’ affect community wellbeing?

• Can we do without religion?

• Are religious people being ‘co-opted’?

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