Part II | Outline
Category G | Extrinsic Benefits
Topic 36 | Bundle of associated social goods
Social scientists have observed that a “bundled commodity” of closely associated rights and liberties, which includes the right to religious freedom, correlate with a bundle of social goods. These include security, gender equality, innovation, education, health, and the development and persistence of democracy.
Key ideas
- Sociologists have described religious freedom as part of a “bundled commodity” of fundamental rights, including rights to freedom of speech/expression, press, and assembly, as well as economic, civil, and political liberties. Because of the close association between these rights and liberties, the restriction or upholding of one has been shown to affect others.
- Studies show that the presence of this bundled commodity correlates with a bundle of benefits, or “social goods,” that contribute to the well-being of people in society.
Key caution. While these correlations are striking, researchers have noted that “correlation does not imply causation, and further scholarship is needed to show the paths through which these phenomena are related.”
Civil and political liberties. The right to religious freedom is associated with other civil and political and rights and liberties, which protect individuals from government infringement and ensure their ability to participate in society. Social goods associated with these rights include the following:
- toleration;
- security, even in diversity;
- longevity and spread of democratic principles and practices;
- lower levels of corruption; and
- support for nondiscrimination norms.
Social and economic liberties. The right to religious freedom is also associated with social and economic rights and liberties, which allow people to access the resources and services they need to live with dignity. This creates a cycle that enhances civil and political right as well. Associated social goods include the following:
- education and access to information;
- civil/voluntary organizations;
- innovation;
- entrepreneurship;
- property rights;
- higher income levels;
- higher levels of human development;
- pillars of global competitiveness; and
- indicators of human flourishing (well-being, life satisfaction, etc.).
Women and girls. Unchecked religious forces have at times repressed women, contributing to a historically complex relationship between religious freedom and women’s rights. Even so, the “view of religious freedom and women’s rights being in eternal and inevitable conflict is a simplistic one.” Religious freedom and is associated rights/liberties correlate with social goods that benefit women and girls, including the following:
- increased educational opportunities;
- enhanced economic status;
- advancement of women’s rights; and
- space to advocate for gender equality and against harmful practices such as honor killings, female genital mutilitation, and others.