beliefs in society Flashcards
functionalist view on the role of religion
names of sociologists
durkheim berger bellah malinowski parsons
durkhiem
functionalism
interested in the distinction between the sacred and the profane
sacred- things that inspire feelings of awe, fear and wonder
profane- things that have no special significance - ordinary and mundane
done a study on arunta tribe- totemism - worshiping a sacred object - totem pole - acts as a social glue = value consensus and promotes social solidarity. all members of society are binded together through their shared worship.
evaluation:
durkheim and berger fail to acknowledge that religion can create more conflict than consensus. an example of this is shown of christianity which has created conflict between protestants and catholics.
berger
addition to durkheim
functionalist
creates value consensus
religion is a sacred canopy, which everyone in society is welcome to come and join- the more people under the canopy, the more cohesive society becomes
bellah
functionalist
americanism
all religions coincide in america due to not favouring one religion as they use terms such as god bless america and one nation under god.
people can put religious differences aside to show commitment to their country - creating a social solidarity for the love of their country
evaluation:
not all religions are part of the civil religion e.g. muslims when trump was in power he openly promoted islamophobia - when you dont like muslims
malinowski
functionalist
trobriand islanders
religion has a psychological function- helps individuals deal with anxious and stressful situations
unpredictable events can cause instability and disruption in society - so religion helps to stabilise society
evaluation:
due to secularisation, religion is losing its role of helping people to cope with stressful situations. even religious funerals are now less popular - 80% decline
parsons
functionalist
religion sacralises the laws of society. people do not break laws such as murdering people as religion reinforces that this is a bad thing to do through the ten commandments of thou shall not kill. it is illegal and immoral in society so people may face backlash from society and legal punishments so creates an incentive not to commit it
evaluation:
religion no longer has the impact of sacralising laws as the majority of people are not religious.
feminism and religion
2 sides
radical feminist view- always and will always be patriarchal
liberal feminist view- less patriarchal and is starting to be gender equal
armstrong
feminist
women do not reach the highest job roles in religious organisations
for example catholicism forbids women from become priests
they can work their way up but eventually they hit a glass ceiling and feminists refer to this as the stained glass window.
evaluation:
some religions are becoming less patriarchal. in the church of england the first female bishop was appointed to libby lane in 2015 which is the highest position a women has ever reached in the church
aldridge
feminist
religious texts are patriarchal - bible, prayers, hymns
for example in religious texts they are refer to male gods, prophets saints and heros, whereas women are depicted to be bad as eve was the one who tempted adam.
evaluation:
however, religion is becoming less patriarchal as women are no longer told to obey their husbands in the wedding ceremony, and texts are now being changed to gender neutral language to promote equality.
burchill
feminist
islamic laws and customs are patriarchal
women have to wear burquas and hijabs to cover up and not be seen by anyone who isnt their husband and in some cases women are forced into genitalia mutation where their clits are removed so that only the man can enjoy the sex which is patriarchal.
evaluation:
watson found that women actually use religion as a way to gain freedom and respect, the hijabs and buruquas allows women to enter public places without losing their cultural identity, and it prevents them recieving lecherous stares from men based upon what they look like.
nawal el sadaawi
feminist
religion is patriarchal
men have reinterpreted religious beliefs and manipualted them to benefit themselves meaning that they can serve their own interests through people following the religion
marxist sociologists on religion
lenin
marx
lenin
marxist
religion is spiritual gin which proletariats drown their human shape and claims to a decent life. religion is like a intoxicant given out to create a state of false class consiousness for the proletariat as religion acts as a coping mechanism and keeps them unaware of the true harsh realities of the capitalist society
for example in the hymn all things bright and beautiful it states that the rich man is in his castle and the poor man is at his gate, god made them high and lowly and ordered their estate. this encourages the idea of social class divide between bourgeoisie and proletariat as religion states that god made society how it is and that people should accept their place in society and not go against it or they are going against god.
evaluation: religion no longer maintains false class consiousness for the proletariat as there has been a huge decrease in the amount of people that follow religious teachings.
marx 1
marxist
religion is the opium of people
its like a drug that dulls the pain of oppression and exploitation
makes life bearable
the promise of heaven ensures the proletariat return to work week after week so that they please god
evaluation:
millaband argues that religion was once the opium of the people but it has now been replaced by the media. the media is the new opium of the people. seeing celebrity lifestyles distracts the proletariat from their own lives and leads them to keep going back to work to get the celebrity lifestyle
marx 2
marxist
religion lets proletariat used the idea of alienation
on earth, people are a long way from god, so distant that they contract him. humans have no power over gods decision.
this is similar to the proletariat in the workplace, they are kept distant from the profits of the business. the proletariat accept this as they see the idea of being far away as normal and they dont try to work their way up closer to the profits as they dont want to upset god.
evaluiation:
alienation is seen as an outdated concept workers are no longer alienated from profits as they can do things like earn shares in the business that they work for.
