functionalism and religion Flashcards
Durkheims definition of religion
a unified set of beliefs and practices relative tp sacred things
where did Durkheim study Totemism
Durkheim practiced totemism among the central Australian Arunta tribe of Aborgines
totemism definition
the practise of worshipping a sacred object known as a totem, this represents religion in its most basic form
who created the totem and why is it so sacred to them
it is created by society, it is so sacred because it is a symbol of the group and society, when they worship the totem they are worshipping society
how does religion create social solidarity
religion provides beliefs and practices (ceremonies and rituals) that unite people and bind society together
how does religion create rituals and ceremonies and what purpose do they have in society
Durkheim argued rituals and ceremonies are essential to unite members of society
* ceremonies take people away from the profane part of their life into the world of the sacred where they can feel in touch with god
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definiton of the 3 critical life stages that religion provides
- hatch - christening
- match - wedding
- dispatch - funeral
sacred definition
things that people see as special and are set apart and forbidden, they can inspire feelings of awe and wonder and can be spiritual or religious
profane definition
things that are ordinary and everyday and have no significance
collective conscience meaning
this is the shared norms, values, beliefs and knowledge that make social life and cooperation between people possible and without these society would collapse
* sharing religious rituals reinforces the collective conscience and maintains social integration as it binds people together
what are the cognitive functions of religion
religion is a source of our intellectual or cognitive capacities, our ability to reason and think - in order to think we need to have categories such as time, space and cause etc - in order to share our thoughts we need the same categories as others
Durkheim states religion is the origin of thought, reason and science
evaluations of functionalist view of religion and Durkheims study
- still influential, made a valuable contribution to understanding religion
- unrepresentative - small scale and secondary research
- doesnt explain the conflicts in society caused by religion
- doesnt always act as a conservative force, society cant progress and develop
- collective conscience cant be applied to a postmodern society which is diverse and fragmented
Bellah and civil religion
- some sociologists argue that civil religion has began to replace traditional religion in modern industrial societies
- civil religion is a belief system that attaches sacred qualities to society itself
- e.g. in UK we have football, coronations etc
- these events can be seen as performing the same function as religion
civil religion USA case study
Bellah argues that civil religion integrates american society in a way that religion cant, no religion can unite society and claim loyalties of americans
* american civil religion involves loyalty to the state and a belief in god e.g. singing the national anthem, these bind americans together
Malinowski (psychological functions)
- religion performs psychological functions for individuals
- in particular religion provides explanations for unexpected crisises and periods of stress which threatens social stability
- anxiety and tension from crisises such as birth and marriage can be accompanied by religion e.g. christenings and funerals can provide support for them and religion provides the comfort
