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SOC201 > Durkheim - Religion > Flashcards

Durkheim - Religion Flashcards

1
Q

Durkheim

A

To uncover essence of religion
Method: chooses simplest known sample of religion
More complex examples has adonment that obscures essense
Simplest forms closes to capturing essence
He could engage in comparative analysis
He doesn’t align with Marx

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2
Q

Elementary Forms of Religious Life

A
  1. Difference betw sacred vs. profane (pg. 74)
  2. Pg. 75 – cults – pay homage to sacred homage/beings: when something seen as sacred, is it because of attributes inherent or of something else
  3. Pg. 75-76 – totems – sacred symbol of group/tribe: what does the totem express?
  4. Pg 76-77: what feelings/sensations does society impose on us?
    Alert to masterful way Durkheim talks about effect of society has on us
    Imagined how one would feel like if we were alone
    Qualities inherent when we’re alone
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3
Q

Elementary Forms of Religious Life

A

Pg. 79: how does durkheim differ from marx + feuerbach?
Marx + feuerbach: believe religion is an escape from crap conditions of life
Durkheim is not escape from society
1. Pg 77: aug. 4, 1789 – 14th of july – french revolution
in Paris: assembly composed of men from diff social classes, from new rising classes + aristocrats

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4
Q

Elementary Forms of Religious Life

A

abolished feudalism: why did aristocrats support this?
Collective passion so strong, even spurged aristocracy against own materialism
Collective sentiments so passionate that swept all participants

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5
Q

Elementary Forms of Religious Life

A

Pg. 78-79: “nearly all great social institutions have been born in religion” – durkheim just finished saying that religion is born in society
circular reasoning
3. Pg. 80: weakening of christianity in France of his day represented a secularization in society
where you have society you have God
how could religious belief be weakening if there is still a society?
Does less religion = less society?

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6
Q

Functionalism: An example of functionalist analysis: the political machine (Robert K. Merton, 1910-2003)

A

criminals not that deviant: wants same thing as non criminals, same values
differs is distribution of means to get those things
frozen from legitimate means of getting them
anomie theory: criminal resorts to socially deviant means of getting them
america in mind

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7
Q

Functionalism: An example of functionalist analysis: the political machine (Robert K. Merton, 1910-2003)

A

Political machine: Boss + client
American cities in which poor white immigrantsin 1900s – relativeles powerless, but supported political boss
Grassroots contact with residents, gives them jobs, other perks, legal advice, help ppl get small grants, get welfare
Constituents gave votes in return

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8
Q

Functionalism: An example of functionalist analysis: the political machine (Robert K. Merton, 1910-2003)

A

System of patron-client relation – seen as friendship – but it’s a transaction
Quid pro quo
Economic transaction masked by language of friendship
Language of friendship allows the needy to accept help without losing their dignity
Provides alternative route for social mobility for the nonelite

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9
Q

Functionalism: The nature of functionalist reasoning (Talcott parsons, 1902, 1979)

A

explains phenomena by their effects
2 prongs of political machine
treats society as organism: set of interdependent parts
takes diff parts of society: show how their healthy functioning contributes to the healthy functioning of the society as a whole
Parsons: most famous sociologist of his era
Strucural functionalism

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10
Q

. Functionalist reasoning in the sociology of religion (structural functionalism)

A

benefits: binds members together
shared values that help society function in integrated way
heavily influenced by Durkheim
religion binds society together

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11
Q

. Criticisms:

A 
assumes society is unified by religion: false - consider of Durkheim’s France – bloody wars of religions, can also be source of conflict
assumes diff (or no) religious beliefs undermine social unity: possibility that religious coexistence + tolerence can be unified is diff kind of way for unity
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12
Q

. Criticisms:

A

assumes close fit between religious beliefs + those of society: quakers – pacifists
catholic out of step with society on its views on birth control
christian writing opposed with genetic research

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13
Q

Society

A

Mead: sense of ourselves connected to others
Depends on how other people treat us
Internal dialogue with others in imagination: brings out who we are
Sense of self sustained through interaction
Self is disolving without interaction

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14
Q

The main question: why is this fiction so powerful?

A

Marx + Durkheim jewish background, but atheists
Durkheim + Marx realized religion is a powerful force
Same question
Durkheim: if religious belief is so powerful it must rest on more than a mistake in reasoning
Believes it is rooted in something real, but not alienation

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15
Q

The main question: why is this fiction so powerful?

A

Is it weakening (suicide) or is it still powerful?
Religion as a constant (all societies have religion)
In suicide: religion as a variable - is becoming eroded therefore need corporation

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16
Q

The main question: why is this fiction so powerful?

A

-

17
Q

Basic categories: sacred + profane

A

what is a unifying feature of all religion?
can’t be belief in 1 god – some polytheistic
can’t be rules about proper behaviour: dietary restriction
can’t be belief in a god: buddhism
divide world into sacred + profane

18
Q

Basic categories: sacred + profane

A

sacred can be anything: books, altar, spirit, songs, animals
seen as having special powers
to be treated with awe + respect
must prepare before approaching: purify, behave
profane: part of world that can be treated matter of factly

19
Q

Basic categories: sacred + profane

A

way they are treated are differently
nothing is inherently sacred, it is our attitude that makes it sacred
rituals: special behaviours

20
Q

Basic categories: sacred + profane

A

-

21
Q

Source of religion’s power:

A 
Sacred (God) = Society
Essence of religion – simple religions
Society divided into clans
Clan: social grouping that claims descent from common ancestor
Each clan has own symbol (sacred totem)
Lizard, rat, caterpillar, ant, frog
22
Q

Source of religion’s power:

A

Pg. 76: the God of the clan, the totemic priciple can be nothing else but the clan itself…personafied…which serves as a totem
They pay homage to the clan itself when they pay homage to the totem
Society gives us sustenance
Society gives us our consciousness, our ideas, our name, sense of place, sense of self worth

23
Q

Source of religion’s power:

A

We are dependent on society: we are little, has a lot of power relative to us as meakly individuals
Pg. 76: “Without society we would almost be nothing if not death
“Society also gives us the sensation of perpetual dependence”
“Power of experience”
It is society we are experiencing symbolized by a totem

24
Q

Source of religion’s power:

A

-

25
Q

Comparisons: Peter berger

A

society under modernity secularized
Durkheim says religion is a constant
Where you have society, you have sacred

26
Q

Comparisons: Peter berger

A

We industrialized are more dependent of society
Gap betw Berger + Durkheim
Secularazation disappears

27
Q

Comparisons: Max Weber

A

Sphere of disenchantment is increasingly taking over
Boundary is moving up
Durkheim divides world into realm of sacred + profane

28
Q

Comparisons: Max Weber

A

Boundary not moving under modernity
No sense of movement
Sacred separate from profane by boundary

29
Q

Comparisons: Karl Marx

A

Marx believes social conditions explain religion
For marx, Sacred originates from alienation + source is lack of community – exploitation
Put in place socialism (community) need to believe dissolves

30
Q

Comparisons: Karl Marx

A

For durkheim, religion is a reflection of community, our embeddedness to society
Anchored in community, connected + dependentness in society
Where there’s community, there’s belief
Both believe it is fiction, but source is different

31
Q

Comparisons: Tocqueville

A

Durkheim:
Religious belief is shared by all society
All believe central to environment
Since we are all social beings, we all believe
All pervasive

32
Q

Comparisons: Tocqueville

A

Religion in america segregates itself
Not excessively involved in political matters
Institutional portrait of society where religious sphere does not intrude in other sphere

33
Q

Comparisons: Tocqueville

A

Kept in its own relam to preserve himself
Much less pervasive
More nuanced + modest view of religion
Difference in location/spread of religion

34
Q

What about the non-social aspects of religion?

A

Isolation in biography of Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha
Turning point in life is a moment of withdrawal in society
Muhammad in cave to pray for several weeks

35
Q

What about the non-social aspects of religion?

A

Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert + reemerged to start his mission
Buddha: radical withdrawal from society, not alone technically
Religious realization came to them from seclusion

36
Q

What about the non-social aspects of religion?

A

Social seclusion of believers
Retreats for spiritual rebirth
Withdrawing from society is inescapable component of religion
Doesn’t fit with social reduction

37
Q

What about the non-social aspects of religion?

A

Oversociological
Dismisses nonsocial aspects
Durkheim sees strength of religion
Rigorous by defining key terms: profane + sacred

38
Q

What about the non-social aspects of religion?

A

Logic of arriving conclusion: relationship betw selves + society embodied in sacred
Durkheim aware that we can get carried away at events where we’re collected
Collected effervescence: we feel bubbly when we’re surrounded by people
Transported by something bigger than yourself

SOC201 (11 decks)

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