functionalist view on religion

Question 1

the sacred + profane

Answer 1

Durkheim (1916-62)
-The sacred are things set apart/forbidden: inspire feelings of awe, fear and wonder, surrounded by taboos
-The profane are things that have no special significance: ordinary and mundane
-Religion isn’t just a set of beliefs, it involves practices/ rituals performed by a collective
-Sacred symbols perform the essential function of uniting believers into a single moral community–> reinforces collectivism
-social solidarity

Question 2

Totemism (example of sacred)

Answer 2

-Durkheim studied the Arunta, an aboriginal tribe
-Arunta clan come together to perform rituals involving the worship of the sacred totem
-Reinforces the groups solidarity, a sense of belonging and collective worship

Question 3

Collective conscience

Answer 3

Durkheim:
-The shared norms, values and beliefs that make social life between individuals possible- without them society would disintegrate
-Regular shared religious rituals reinforce the collective conscience + maintain social integration
-By participating in regular rituals, it reminds them that they are part of a single moral community to which they owe their loyalty to
-Religion makes us feel apart of something greater than ourselves.

Question 4

Cognitive functions of religion

Answer 4

Durkheim:
-Religion is the source of our cognitive capacities, our ability to reason and think conceptually.
-It’s the origin of the concepts and categories we need for reasoning, understanding the world and communicating.

Question 5

Evaluation of durkheim

Answer 5

-Ignores religion as a source for conflict e.g. northern Ireland
-Mestrovic (2011)- argues Durkheim’s theories can’t be applied to contemporary society, bc increasing diversity has fragmented collective conscience

Question 6

Psychological functions

Answer 6

Malinowski (1954):
-religion helps promote social solidarity by performing psychological functions for individuals helping them cope w emotional stress that would undermine social solidarity.

1) When the outcome is important but is uncontrollable and uncertain- people turn to religion as it offers them a sense of reassurance
–Lagoon fishing is safe and uses the predictable method of poisoning, so no ritual is used
–Ocean fishing is dangerous and uncertain + ‘canoe magic’- rituals are always used to ensure a safe and successful journey: offers people a sense of control which eases tension and reinforces social solidarity

2) At times of life crisis- events such as birth, death and marriage make major changes in social groups and religion helps to minimise disruption e.g. funerals reinforce a feeling of solidarity amongst the grieving
-He argues that death is the main reason for religious belief

Question 7

Values + meaning

Answer 7

Parsons (1967)
-Religion creates and legitimates society’s central values by sacralising them
-It’s the primary source of meaning, it answers the ultimate questions about the human condition such as why do the good suffer etc: explaining suffering as a test of faith that will be rewarded in heaven

Question 8

civil religion

Answer 8

Bellah (1991-2013)
-A belief system that generates loyalty to the country rather than to a god
-It integrates society in ways other institutions can’t and unifies American society
-AMERICAN civil religion however involves loyalty to the nation-state and a belief in god which equal to being a true american
-Expressed in various rituals e.g. pledge of allegiance to the flag and singing the national anthem

Question 9

Evaluation of functionalism

Answer 9

-It emphasises the positive functions religion performs but ignores the positive aspects such as a source of oppression of the poor/women
-Questions on whether or not civil religion is actually a religion, but provides social stability
-Religion plays a greater role in dividing people rather than uniting them