Relevance: Sociology
What is a Sects?
A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger religious group. The word sect comes from the Latin Secta, meaning an organized religious body or organization, oriented towards ‘a course of action or way of life’.
In other words, A sect is a type of religious group that is distinguished by having broken away from a larger organization. Members of sects are predominantly lower class and have usually attained membership through conversion. The power structure in a sect is informal and leaders are untrained and typically chosen by the members. In relation to other religious organizations, sects tend to be nonconformist and oppositional, although they are less so than cults.
Why it is distinguished?
The chief feature of a religious sect is that it is a voluntary association. It is a small religious group that has branched off of a larger established religion. Sects have many beliefs and practices in common with the religion But they have broken off from, but are differentiated by a number of doctrinal differences. Many Sociologists use the word sect to refer to a religious group with a high degree of tension with the surrounding society, but whose beliefs are (within the context of that society) largely traditional.
What does the sect imposes?
A sect seeks to impose a rigid pattern of ideal conduct on its members but seeks toleration rather than change from the larger society. Sects are concerned with purity of doctrine and with the depth of genuineness of religions feeling.
Characteristics of Sect:
- A sect is a relatively small religious group. It is an organized body of people developing a kind of religious consciousness and raising as a major critic to mainstream
- Sect is ideologically and operationally closed.
- Its members are usually, though by no means always, drawn from the lower classes and the poor.
- Sects often reject many of the norms and values of the wider society and replace them with beliefs and practices which sometimes appear strange to the non-believer.
- Sect institute a strict pattern of behaviour for members to follow and make strong claims on their loyalty.
How did the Concept of Sect originate?
- Max Weber argues that sects are most likely to arise within groups which are marginal in society. Members of groups outside the main stream of social life often feel they are not receiving either the prestige and/or the economic rewards they deserve.
- One solution to this problem is a sect based on what Weber calls a ‘theodicy of dispreviliged’ (a theodicy is a religious explanation and justification). Such sects contain an explanation for the disprevilige of their members and promise them a ‘sense of honour’ either in the afterlife or a in a future ‘new world’ on earth.
- According to other Sociologists, an explanation of the sects must account for the variety of social background represented in their membership. Sects are not confined to the lower strata of society. For example, the Christian Science sect has a largely middle-class membership. The concept of relative deprivation can be applied to members of all social classes.
- In objective terms the poor are deprived than the middle class. However, in subjective terms certain members of the middle class may feel more deprivation than the poor. Sects can therefore be seen as one possible response to relative deprivation.
- Sects tend to arise during a period of rapid social change. In this situation traditional norms are disrupted, social relationships tend to lack consistent and coherent meaning and the traditional ‘universe of meaning’ is undermined.