functionalism Flashcards
What are the three types of religious definitions Weber uses?
substantive definitions
functional definitions
social constructionist definitions
Substantive definition
a belief in a superior/ supernatural power/ God that is above nature and cannot be explained scientifically
-exclusive definitions- a clear line between religious and non religious
Functional definition
focuses on the social and psychological functions it performs for individuals and society
Social constructionist definition
focuses on how members of society themselves define religion
-an interpretivist approach
Durkheim
functional definition
-believes in contribution towards social integration > belief in God/supernatural
Yinger
functional definition
functions performed for individuals e/g/ answering ultimate questions
Aldridge
social constructionist view
for its followers scientology is a religion while many governments do not agree and sought to ban it
-influenced by who has the power to make the definitions
Evaluation of substantive definition
): exclusive- does not consider religions without a god e.g Buddhism
-> a western bias
(: conforms to a widespread view of religion as a belief in God
Evaluation of functional definition
(: inclusive, no western bias- religions do not need to believe in a God
): just because an institution helps to integrate people into a group, does not make it a religion e.g. collective chanting at a football match
Evaluation of social constructionist definition
(: inclusive, no western bias
): impossible to make generalisations about the nature of religion and come up with a universal definition
(: can get close to people’s own meaning of religion
What are some different ways that religion has been defined?
-a belief in some kind of natural power
-an expression of the belief in collective worship
-a set of moral values which guide actions
-a force which brings people together and unifies society
Functionalist perspective of religion
-sees society as a biological organism- a system of interrelated parts or social institutions, all playing a vital role in maintaining the social system
-society has basic needs in order to survive:
-social order-> cooperation and social solidarity
- a consensus theory- no consensus= no shared norms and values
DURKHEIM’S VIEW
-religious institutions play a central part in creating and maintaining value consensus, order and solidarity of a society
-religion played a vital role ‘social cement’
-interested in the fundamental distinction between the sacred and the profane
-religion is not merely a set of beliefs but definite practices or rituals in relation to the sacred- these rituals are collective
-to worship the sacred is to worship society as it is the only thing strong enough to evoke such feelings
-despite sacred items varying from religion to religion, they all perform the essential function of uniting believers into a single moral community
-collective conscience
What is social cement?
what Durkheim believed religion was as it brings and holds people together
What is the sacred and the profane?
sacred= things set apart that inspire feelings of awe, fear and wonder
e.g. praying, pilgrimage, holy books
profane= things of no special significance, ordinary or mundane
What is the collective conscience?
Durkheim argues that the sacred items used in religion represent the society’s shared norms, values, belief and knowledge to make social life and integration possible
-without these, society would disintegrate
-emphasised the importance of collective worship
BUT this argument may not be wholly true e.g. an Atheist society has not got sacred items but still works functionally
What is totemism?
the simplest, most basic form of religion
-studied the Arunta clan in Australia- all worshipped a totem (spiritual symbols such as animals)
-totemic rituals give members a sense of belonging and awe which they believe is reflective on the power of the group which each member is dependent on
-by worshipping the totem, they are worshipping society
Cognitive functions
origin of human thought and gives us concept of time, space, cause and substance
e.g. Pagans saw solar eclipse as a sign from the Sun God, which gave the worshippers an understanding of what had just happened
-also gave a sense of classification
Malinowski’s psychological functions
promotes social solidarity in two types of situations:
-where the outcome is important but uncontrollable e.g. Trobriand islanders- lagoon vs. ocean fishing
-at times of life crisis e.g. birth, puberty, marriage, death
(religion helps to minimise disruption e.g. funeral rituals enforce a sense of social solidarity among the survivors and notion of immortality gives comfort to the bereaved by denying the fact of death. Believes death is the main reason for the existence of religion)
Parson’s 2 functions that religion plays
-creates and legitimates society’s central values but sacralising them e.g Protestantism has sacralised the core American values of individualism, meritocracy and self-discipline
-the primary source of meaning- answers ultimate questions
Bellah- Civil religion
also interested in how religion unifies society, especially in a multi-faith society like America
Believes that civil religion is a belief system that attaches sacred qualities to society
e.g. Americanism and the American way of life to the nation-state and a belief in God expressed through rituals like the pledge of allegiance to the flag and the national anthem in America
-an ‘American God’
Functional alternatives
non-religious beliefs and practices that perform functions similar to those of organised religion e.g. maintaining social cohesion
-e.g. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union had secular political beliefs and rituals around which they sought to unite society
The problem with this, is it ignores what makes religion distinctive e.g. belief in the supernatural
Strengths of Functionalism
-emphasises social nature of religion and the positive functions it performs
-the idea of civil religion overcome problem of religion as a source of division and conflict by arguing that societies may still have an overarching belief system shared by all BUT is this really a religion (as no supernatural)
Weaknesses of Functionalism
-neglects negative aspects e.g. religion as a source of oppression of the poor or women
-ignores religion as a source of division and conflict esp in a complex modern society where there is more than one religion e.g. Northern Ireland- where there is religious pluralism (many religions- hard to see how it can unite people and promote integration)
