[1.0] Functionalist theories of religion Flashcards
Name three social institutions.
Religion, family, economy, education system, prison system.
What is society’s most basic need?
The need for social order and solidarity, so that it’s members can co-operate.
Who developed the distinction between the sacred and the profane?
Durkheim (1915)
What are ‘sacred’ objects?
Items that are set apart from everyday items, they inspire feelings of awe and wonder.
What are ‘profane’ objects?
Items which are normal and have no special significance.
What does the Arunta clan do?
They come together periodically to worship a totem, the clan’s emblem.
What do the totemic rituals of the Arunta do?
The rituals reinforce the group’s solidarity and sense of belonging.
When members of the Arunta worship their totem, what are they unknowingly worshipping?
Society.
What is the collective conscience?
Shared norms, values and beliefs in society which make co-operation possible.
What reinforces the collective conscience?
Regular, shared rituals.
What other function does Durkheim say religion has?
A cognitive function.
Durkheim sees religion as the creator of our intellectual capacities, giving us categories which allow us to think and reason. What are examples of these categories?
Time, space, substance and cause.
How does Worsley (1965) criticise Durkheim’s idea of the sacred and the profane?
He says there is no sharp distinction between them.
What is the problem with Durkheim’s theory in terms of diverse societies?
In big, diverse societies there is no single moral code, so the collective conscience’s existence is doubtable.
How does Mestrovic (1997) criticise Durkheim’s collective conscience?
He states that post-modernisation has fragmented the collective conscience so Durkheim’s theory is not applicable to modern society.
What function does Malinowski (1954) suggest religion performs?
A psychological function.
Give an example of a psychological function of religion.
Helping the believer to cope with stress.
What are the two situations in which religion performs a psychological function?
Where the outcome is important but uncontrollable, and at times of life crises.
What functions does Parsons (1967) identify religion performs?
The creation and legitimation of society’s central values and it is the primary source of meaning.
How does religion legitimate norms and values?
By sacralising them, in the USA Protestantism has sacralised the values of individualism, meritocracy and self-discipline.
How does religion provide a source of meaning?
By answering ultimate questions such as why the good suffer and why some die young.
Who developed the concept of civil religion?
Bellah (1970)
What is civil religion?
A belief system that attaches sacred qualities to society itself.
Which country has a civil religion?
America.
How is the American civil religion expressed?
Pledging allegiance to the flag and singing the national anthem.
What are functional alternatives?
Non-religious beliefs that perform similar functions to religion.
Evaluate functionalist theories of religion in three points.
- Fails to consider religion’s oppression of the poor and women.
- Fails to recognise that religion can cause conflict.
- Civil religion is not really a religion as it does not involve belief in the supernatural.
