Abstract
Globalization, a social phenomenon originating from the West, has been met with different cultural reactions in non-Western societies because of its homogenizing effect. They have responded to this massive social change according to their own cultural codes which led to the emergence of alternative modernities in the face of globalization. Muslim countries are some of these societies which give reactions to globalization and try to create alternative modernities and make a global impact in turn. In this study, based on some anthropological studies, the authors give information and discuss globalization's influence on Muslim communities and identities. After such social changes, people's understanding of how to be a good and proper Muslim and piety's importance in being a good Muslim will be analyzed. The importance of piety in the social construction of Muslim identity and its relation to the visibility of religion in different parts of the Muslim World will also be discussed.
TopTheoretical Approaches To Social Change
There has been a dynamic relationship between social change and religion since the beginning of humanity. The relationship between social change and religion develops mutually, and the size of the interaction may differ in every society according to time and conditions. Since society is a whole and is evaluated as a system, changes in other parts of the system also affect the religious structure of that society. Globalization has caused changes in all parts of society on a global scale. With the acceleration of social changes in the global world, changes in religion have also increased, and these rapid changes have led religion to take new and different dimensions.
Conceptually, social change is “changes that can be observed in the society over time and affect the structure and functions of the society's organization, not temporarily, but permanently and radically, and change the course of the society's history” (Günay, 2000). Social change is the change in the social relations network that forms the structure of society and the social institutions that determine them (Bottomore, 1977).
Social change, conceptually and as a subject, is among the central subjects of sociology. In this context, many social change theories have been developed to deal with and explain social change in a theoretical framework. These theories are based on the scales of change such as large, medium, and small. These theories explain the phenomenon of change from different perspectives.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Fundamentalism: A type of a religious belief that maintains ideas in the rigorous, literal interpretation of scripture.
Acculturation: It is the change of cultures to a certain extent as a result of the interaction (cultural exchange) of two or more cultural groups.
Islam: It is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion whose central text, the Quran, is considered by followers, known as Muslims, to be the word of God.
Globalization: It is a terminology that indicates the expanding interdependence of the world’s economies, cultures, technology, and investments.
Religion: The idea in as well as worship of superhuman managing power, particularly an individual God or gods.
Assimilation: The dissolution of different groups, their cultural backgrounds, and identities within the dominant structure, by the pressure of the majority of the power holder.
Values: They are internal constructs that determine the actions, behaviors, and motivations of people.
Secularization: The procedure of transforming something from spiritual to nonreligious belongings or usage.
Modernization: The process of adjusting something to modern requirements or practices.