Abstract:
The place that the religious institutions had within the traditional society was taken over by science and
with the progress of the society. Along with this progre ss, the emergence of secularization within the so
be observed.
Secularization was easily identifiable in the urban context and it was also considered as a by
urbanization. It was easily observed that the societal structure of the urb an environment leads to secul
the urban context.
However in the present urban context, an increase in the number of people drawn towards religious prac
be observed. And according to the researcher, this transformation of religiosit y in the urban environm
due to the nature of the urban societal structure.
Hence the urban environment which once, theoretically was a cause of secularization has now become
making the man more religious instead.
This happens due to the unavoidable social conditions that happen in the urban environment such as
individualism, organic solidarity, class division and so on. As a consequence of these social condition
be several negative psychological impacts and ultimately it will lead to the negative psychological stat
This condition of
“fear” will lead the urban man towards religion searching for salvation. Therefore religion will alwa
important place in the society. According to many theorists of sociology, secularization is an inevitable social condition that com
progress of the society. With the emergence of scientific thought during the renaissance, the slow religion
had begun. People started to believe in science which was rational to them in comparison to reli was
rather superficial.
This is clearly explained through the theory, “law of three stages” by Auguste Comte. In that he explai
society has progressed from theological stage to metaphysical stage and then from metaphysical stage
stage, when the society let go of the religious beliefs and gave its place to intellect.
The urban man was considered as pragmatic and profane. Hence he is identified as a secular man
transformation was clearly seen in the urban environment. Therefore it can be considered that secular
byproduct of urbanization. The accuracy of this statement is unquestioned because the urban enviro place
where intellect is given a more significant place when compared to the rural environment where beliefs
and religious beliefs are given that place.
According to the researcher, in the present context, it is observed that the above stated
Keywords: Secularization, Urbanization, Rise of Religiosity, Psychosocial Factors, Sri Lankan
Context
But it won’t rema in the same. Because as everything in the society, religion will also be subjected to
and it will undergo many changes because of that. This transformation of religion can be clearly seen i
context because it is considered to be the pinnacle of modernization.
This paper is focused on the theoretical argument of the secularization hypothesis and how it did no
reality as expected. It further focused on the psychosocial factors that were created with the moderniza
became the causes of the fall of the secularization hypothesis and how modernization has affected the
the Sri Lankan urban context.
