Functionalist Theories Of Religion Flashcards
What is “The Collective Conscience” according to Durkheim?
The collective conscience is the shared norms, values, beliefs and knowledge that make social life and cooperation between individuals impossible - without these, society would disintegrate. According to Durkheim, regular shared religious rituals reinforce the collective conscience and maintain social integration.
Who criticises Durkheim’s idea of collective conscience and how?
Postermodernists Stjepan Mestrovic argues that Durkheim’s ideas cannot be applied to contemporary society, because increasing diversity has fragmented the collective conscience, so there is no longer a single shared value system for religion to reinforce.
How does Malinowski differ from Durkheim?
Believes religion promotes solidarity by performing psychological functions for individuals, helping them cope with emotional stressful that would undermine social solidarity.
Malinowski identifies two types of situations in which religion performs this role. What are they?
Where the outcome is important but is uncontrollable and thus uncertain.
At times of life crises - events such as birth, marriage, death etc.
How is Parsons theory similar to Malinowski?
Sees religion helping individuals to cope with unforeseen events and uncontrollable outcomes.
Parsons identifies which other two essential functions that religion performs in modern society?
It creates and legitimates society’s central values.
It is the primary source of meaning.
How does Parsons explain his first function of “it creates and legitimates society’s central values”?
Religion creates and legitimates society’s basic norms and values by sacralising them (making them sacred). Thus in the USA, Protestantism has sacralised the core American values of individualism, meritocracy and self-discipline. This serves to promote value consensus and thus social stability.
How does Parsons explain is second fiction “it is the primary source of meaning”?
It answers ‘ultimate’ questions about the human condition, such as death. By doing so, religion enables people to adjust to adverse events or circumstances and helps maintain stability.
What does Bellah argue about religion?
Argues that civil religion integrates society in a way that individual religions cannot. There is a shared belief, rituals and symbols.
What does Bellah argue about functional alternatives?
Argues that the belief in God doesn’t have to make a religion. Some other belief systems could performs the same functions, for example Nazi’s.
How would you criticise functional alternatives?
It ignored what makes religion distinctive and different - namely, it’s belief in the supernatural.
Evaluation of functionalism
It ignores religion as source of division and conflict Especially in complex modern societies where there is more than one religion. E.g ISIS Vs Islam and Je Suis Charlie incident
What four ideas did Durkheim develop about religion and how it maintains value consensus, order and solidarity?
- the sacred and profane
- totemism
- the collective conscience
- cognitive functions of religion
