TY - JOUR
T1 - A British perspective on the critical sociology of religion
T2 - A response to Mary Jo Neitz
AU - Bruce, Steve
N1 - Acknowledgment
I would like to thank my colleague Andrew McKinnon and the reviewers and editors of Critical Research on Religion for their helpful comments.
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - In a recent issue of Critical Research on Religion, Mary Jo Neitz presents a four-cell Locations Matrix created by the two dimensions of the status of the religion studied, as dominant and marginal, and position of the researchers vis-à-vis that religion, as insiders or outsiders. Her subsequent arguments about the influence of researcher standpoint perhaps work in the US setting where religion remains popular. This paper points out difficulties in applying the Matrix in the UK setting where religion is unpopular and uses the patently disinterested nature of much of the research conducted by professional sociologists of religion to retrieve the possibility of objective and value-neutral research.
AB - In a recent issue of Critical Research on Religion, Mary Jo Neitz presents a four-cell Locations Matrix created by the two dimensions of the status of the religion studied, as dominant and marginal, and position of the researchers vis-à-vis that religion, as insiders or outsiders. Her subsequent arguments about the influence of researcher standpoint perhaps work in the US setting where religion remains popular. This paper points out difficulties in applying the Matrix in the UK setting where religion is unpopular and uses the patently disinterested nature of much of the research conducted by professional sociologists of religion to retrieve the possibility of objective and value-neutral research.
KW - standpoint
KW - objectivity
KW - disciplinary boundaries
U2 - 10.1177/2050303215593152
DO - 10.1177/2050303215593152
M3 - Article
VL - 3
SP - 206
EP - 2016
JO - Critical Research on Religion
JF - Critical Research on Religion
SN - 2050-3032
IS - 2
ER -