Sociology · Year 12

Active learning ideas

Religion as a Force for Social Change and Stability

Kick off this fascinating debate by posing a simple question: Is Britain still a Christian country? This will immediately engage students with the core themes of religious change and significance.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• AQA A-Level Sociology: Paper 2, Option B - Beliefs in Society: Religion and social change

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Secularisation Data Detectives

Provide students with infographics and data tables from the British Social Attitudes survey and the UK Census concerning religious affiliation and attendance. In small groups, they must analyse the data and prepare a short presentation arguing for or against the secularisation thesis, using specific data points as evidence.

Analyse the ways in which religion can act as a conservative force.

Facilitation Tip

Provide a worksheet with prompt questions to help students structure their data analysis and interpretation.

What to look for

Students write a 'PEEL' (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) paragraph answering whether a piece of statistical evidence (e.g., a graph on church weddings) supports or refutes the secularisation thesis.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Pairs

Theorist Speed Dating

Assign each student a key sociologist (e.g., Weber, Wilson, Davie, Stark & Bainbridge). Students research their theorist's core argument and then participate in a 'speed dating' format, explaining their perspective to others and learning about alternative views in a series of timed, one-on-one conversations.

Explain Max Weber's theory linking the Protestant ethic to the emergence of capitalism.

Facilitation Tip

Give students a simple grid to fill in as they meet each new 'theorist' to ensure they capture the key ideas.

What to look for

An extended essay question in the style of an A-Level paper, such as: 'Applying material from Item A, analyse two arguments against the view that religion is declining in significance in the UK today.'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 50 min · Whole Class

Britain: A Secular Society? Debate

Hold a formal class debate on the motion: 'This House believes that Britain is a fundamentally secular society'. Assign teams to argue for and against the motion, requiring them to use sociological evidence and concepts to support their claims.

Evaluate the extent to which religion is a more significant force for social change than for social stability.

Facilitation Tip

Appoint student judges and a timekeeper to add structure and encourage peer assessment of the arguments presented.

What to look for

Provide students with a checklist of key concepts and theories. They rate their confidence (e.g., red, amber, green) in explaining each one and identify areas for revision.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Structure the topic as a debate. First, establish the 'classic' case for secularisation using thinkers like Wilson and Bruce, supported by attendance statistics. Then, systematically introduce the counter-evidence and alternative theories, such as religious pluralism, new forms of religiosity, and global perspectives. Ensure students are constantly evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each piece of evidence.

By the end of this topic, your students will be able to confidently weigh up the arguments and evidence for and against the secularisation thesis, forming a well-reasoned judgement.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Secularisation means that nobody is religious anymore.

  Secularisation refers to the declining social and public significance of religious institutions and beliefs, not the complete eradication of private faith. Many people may still hold personal beliefs, a concept explored by Grace Davie's 'believing without belonging'.

• Because church attendance is falling, religion is definitely becoming irrelevant.

  While falling church attendance is a key piece of evidence for secularisation, it is not the only measure. Sociologists also consider the growth of non-traditional spirituality, new religious movements, and the continuing influence of religion in ethnic minority communities, which complicates the picture.

• All modern countries are becoming less religious.

  Secularisation is not a uniform global process. The USA, for example, is a highly modernised society with consistently high levels of religious belief and participation, challenging the idea that modernity and secularisation are inevitably linked.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis