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Sociology
In God We Trust? Secularization Theory and Religion's Presence in the 2016 American Presidential Election
Document Type
Poster Presentation
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Subject Area
Sociology
Start Date
13-4-2018 8:30 AM
End Date
13-4-2018 10:00 AM
Sponsor
Amber Nelson (Marian University)
Description
Given the recent discussions pondering religion’s place in modern America, especially within the realm of politics, this study re-examines Secularization Theory’s capacity to describe religion’s role in modern society. Maintaining that religion’s place in society becomes increasingly marginalized due to modernization, Secularization Theory was once considered to be a cornerstone within the field of sociology. However, its predictive power has garnered increasing skepticism since religion seems to remain a prominent force in the modern world. The 2016 American Presidential Election offers a prime example of religion’s complex position in a modern nation. This study thus renews the conversation about the merits of Secularization Theory by examining the transcripts of the New Hampshire Democratic Debate, the South Carolina Republican Debate, and the Las Vegas Presidential Debate, employing qualitative content analysis to determine the ways in which religion entered into the political realm and the extent Secularization Theory accounts for religion’s presence. Analysis reveals that while some of the paradigm’s assertions make sense, on a wider scale, the theory is not applicable when describing religion’s presence in America. Hence, Secularization Theory, as it stands, is unable to account for the complexity of religion’s presence in modern America.
In God We Trust? Secularization Theory and Religion's Presence in the 2016 American Presidential Election
Indianapolis, IN
Given the recent discussions pondering religion’s place in modern America, especially within the realm of politics, this study re-examines Secularization Theory’s capacity to describe religion’s role in modern society. Maintaining that religion’s place in society becomes increasingly marginalized due to modernization, Secularization Theory was once considered to be a cornerstone within the field of sociology. However, its predictive power has garnered increasing skepticism since religion seems to remain a prominent force in the modern world. The 2016 American Presidential Election offers a prime example of religion’s complex position in a modern nation. This study thus renews the conversation about the merits of Secularization Theory by examining the transcripts of the New Hampshire Democratic Debate, the South Carolina Republican Debate, and the Las Vegas Presidential Debate, employing qualitative content analysis to determine the ways in which religion entered into the political realm and the extent Secularization Theory accounts for religion’s presence. Analysis reveals that while some of the paradigm’s assertions make sense, on a wider scale, the theory is not applicable when describing religion’s presence in America. Hence, Secularization Theory, as it stands, is unable to account for the complexity of religion’s presence in modern America.