Religion and Globalization in Laos

According to Eurocentric sociology, modernization is supposed to make religion secular, a functional system, or a private matter. A closer analysis of the impact of contemporary globalization on religion in Laos shows that these tendencies can only be observed in certain social groups and in certain...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Boike Rehbein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2009-03-01
Series:Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/186810340902800102
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850281087441305600
author Boike Rehbein
author_facet Boike Rehbein
author_sort Boike Rehbein
collection DOAJ
description According to Eurocentric sociology, modernization is supposed to make religion secular, a functional system, or a private matter. A closer analysis of the impact of contemporary globalization on religion in Laos shows that these tendencies can only be observed in certain social groups and in certain realms of religion. Some social groups preserve or reinvent religious traditions, others construct a new identity, and some do tend towards secularism or differentiation. The paper investigates these tendencies, referring to an empirical case study. It proposes to explain them within a conceptual framework adapted to societies of the global South which focuses on the concepts of social structure, division of work, socioculture, and institution. On the basis of these concepts, the paper proposes to distinguish between different religious realms, namely, belief, performance, and knowledge. In each of these three realms, different tendencies and social distributions can be observed.
format Article
id doaj-art-89bae1ae9cc54db2b5383d6b3db7a81f
institution OA Journals
issn 1868-1034
1868-4882
language English
publishDate 2009-03-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs
spelling doaj-art-89bae1ae9cc54db2b5383d6b3db7a81f2025-08-20T01:48:29ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs1868-10341868-48822009-03-012810.1177/186810340902800102Religion and Globalization in LaosBoike Rehbein0(Freiburg, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Durban, New Delhi).According to Eurocentric sociology, modernization is supposed to make religion secular, a functional system, or a private matter. A closer analysis of the impact of contemporary globalization on religion in Laos shows that these tendencies can only be observed in certain social groups and in certain realms of religion. Some social groups preserve or reinvent religious traditions, others construct a new identity, and some do tend towards secularism or differentiation. The paper investigates these tendencies, referring to an empirical case study. It proposes to explain them within a conceptual framework adapted to societies of the global South which focuses on the concepts of social structure, division of work, socioculture, and institution. On the basis of these concepts, the paper proposes to distinguish between different religious realms, namely, belief, performance, and knowledge. In each of these three realms, different tendencies and social distributions can be observed.https://doi.org/10.1177/186810340902800102
spellingShingle Boike Rehbein
Religion and Globalization in Laos
Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs
title Religion and Globalization in Laos
title_full Religion and Globalization in Laos
title_fullStr Religion and Globalization in Laos
title_full_unstemmed Religion and Globalization in Laos
title_short Religion and Globalization in Laos
title_sort religion and globalization in laos
url https://doi.org/10.1177/186810340902800102
work_keys_str_mv AT boikerehbein religionandglobalizationinlaos