1.1 Functionalist Perspective on Religion

Question 1

Sacred and Profane and who?

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 1

1. Durkheim
2. Sacred – Things that are set apart, are surrounded by prohibitions and taboos and create feelings of awe
3. Profane – Things that are mundane and ordinary

The powerful feelings evoked by the sacred imply that it represents something of great power – Society

• Religion is the collective practice of marking off and maintaining distance between the sacred and Profane = done through rituals e.g going church on Sunday
• For Durkehim anything can be sacred as society determines it to be. == no object is inherently sacred = not only holy places also tree can be regarded as sacred.

Question 2

Totemism and Who?
-‘BIG IDEA’

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 2

1. Durkheim
2. Clan members worship a sacred symbol ie an animal to reinforce groups solidarity and sense of belonging by an inspiring sense of awe.

Did a study of the Arunta aboriginal tribes in Australia. He found that religion has social functions for its members

• Durkheims idea is that by worshipping the totem, clan members are actually worshipping society, thus individuals r reminded that society is more important than the individual.

Question 3

What is a collective conscience and Who?

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 3

1. Durkheim
2. Taking part in rituals reaffirms our commitment to shared ideas, goals and aims and allows us to work as a group, society couldn’t survive without it.
3. Attending rituals allows us to bond with others and strengthens social solidarity

Question 4

Cognitive Functions

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 4

1. Durkheim
2. Durkheim sees religion as a sign of our intellectual/ cognitive capacities.
   Religion is the origin of concepts and categories we need for reasoning, understanding the world and communicating.
   Durkheim argues that religion provides basic categories such as time, space and causation e.g. beginning of time/.

Question 5

Durkheim - Criticisms?

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 5

1. he only studied small number of Aboriginal groups (untypical)- misleading to generalise about Aborigines, let alone religion as a whole based upon this.
2. Most agree with promotion of social solidarity, but disagree that it is worship of society
3. Theory cannot be applied to the postmodern world due to an increase in diversity and flow of religious beliefs, no longer a shared value system that people need to be integrated into.

Question 6

Malinowski

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 6

Religion performs psychological functions in order to promote social solidarity in times where the outcome is uncontrollable and uncertain

–> Trobriand Islands in Western pacific used religion during dangerous fishing trips by giving people a sense of control to ease tensions giving the confidence to complete tasks. He sees the ritual serving as a ‘God of the gaps’

–> Also helps people at times of life crisis ie in funerals religious rituals are used to reinforce solidarity among survivors by allowing them to understand and deal with death ie concept of the afterlife eases unease of death. and it helps with uncertain and uncontrollable events.

Question 7

Malinowski - Criticism

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 7

1) exaggerates the importance of religious rituals in helping people to cope with situation of stress and uncertainty
2) A particular function or effect that religion sometimes has, has been mistaken for a feature of religion in general

Question 8

Parsons

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 8

• Saw the main function of religion as being the maintenance of social order.
• Religion promotes value consensus: many legal systems are based on religious morals for
example. The Ten Commandments
• Like Malinowski Parsons saw religious beliefs and rituals as helping maintain social order in
times of social change (such as death) and to help individuals make sense of unpredictable
events.
• Religion can also help people make sense of contradictory events.
Religion is the primary source of meaning by providing meanings to “ultimate” questions. in difficult times allowing social stability to maintain

Question 9

Explain what is meant by civil religion

—-The Neo-Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 9

Bellah- Religion unifies society. Attaches sacred qualities to society despite various belief systems ie “American Way of Life” Loyalty to a nation that unites members of various religious beliefs through shared values, rituals, symbols and beliefs ie pledge of allegiance to the flag or “ One nation under God”

the daily ‘pledging allegiance to the flag of America that children do in schools

Question 10

Criticisms

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 10

• Religion does not always promote harmony: it can promote conflict: there may be conflicts within
religion, or between religions for example.Religion can cause conflict and divide people ie 9/11 attacks has lead to a rise in xenophobia against muslims by labelling all of them as terrorists.

• Ignores the role religion can play in promoting social change

• Secularisation means that religion performs fewer functions today: functionalism may be less
relevant.

Question 11

Benefits / Strengths

—-The Functionalist Perspective on Religion—-

Answer 11

Religion also creates and legitimates central values by making values sacred promoting consensus society and social stability ie The Ten Commandments
Religion is the primary source of meaning by providing meanings to “ultimate” questions. in difficult times allowing social stability to maintain