Politics and Society

A critique of Putnam's work ofen revolves around his failure to compare the findings he concluded to in comparison to oother countries. As I read Bowling Alone, I began to criticize his findings through the scope of experience studying abroad in another country. In the chapter of Bowling Alone dedicated to religion, Putnam draws connections between church attendence and civic participation. Putnam suggests that in America, when church attendence increases, civic partificpation decreases. I am suggesting that the connection between church identification and civic participation relates to the degree to which religion is a factor in discriminating against the rights that should be provided for by a republican government. In order to show that the connotations of religion matter in determining civic participation, I will draw on my experiences studying abroad in the Republic of Ireland and a week long trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland.
First, religion in the Republic of Ireland is inherently different from the United States or Northern Ireland because the population is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. In contrast Belfast, Northern Ireland has a roughly equal number of Catholic and Protestant residents. Throughout the Troubles, a sixty yesr long civil war over the rights of Catholics in Northern Ireland, churches were a unifying force for either Catholic or Protestant citizens in Northern Ireland. Much like the civil rights movements of the 1960's, these churches severed as an institution to organize citizens and create a platform on which they could fight for their cause. Today, leaders of prominent political parties strongly identify with their church when running for office and when voting on issues or creating policy. This is largely due to the degree to which religion is part of your identity. Citizens in Northern Ireland identify themeselves as Catholic or Portestant, these identifications are a strong determining factor on the way they are treated.
On the contrary, churches in the Republic of Ireland do not serve the same function as in Northern Ireland. Although churches are a cornerstone of both small villages and big cities, churches tend to offer religious instruction and social networking instead of political participation. Although there is disagreement among citizens in the Republic of Ireland, none of it steams from a difference in religion because Catholicism is an overwhelming majority. A citizen in the Repubic of Ireland does not vote on an issue because of Catholicism, nor are they discriminated against because of Catholicism. However, church attendance in the Republic of Ireland is quite high, it was in my experience that far more people went to church then my experiences in America. Additionally, civic participation by way of voting was an impressive percentage.
My response to Putnam's suggestion that civic participation and church attendence enjoy a casual relationship is that they enjoy a coorelation rather then a causation. In Northern Ireland, church attendence causes civic participation because politics inherently steams from religion. In the Republic of Ireland, church attendence causes religious teachings and social networks but not politics because a cleavage exists between politics and religion. In conclusion, religious participation can lead to civic participation when religion and civics are bound by policy.