functions of religion Flashcards
functionalist view of religion
religion serves an important purpose in society by acting as social cement strengthening society and creating social harmony and consensus
4 main functionalist theories of religion
- Durkheim
- Parsons
- Malinowski
- Bellah
Durkheim - ‘the sacred and the profane’ (functionalism)
all societies create scared objects which serve to symbolise the collective consciousness, without which society would collapse into a state of anomie
- religion provides social solidarity
strengths of Durkheim ‘the sacred and the profane’ (functionalism)
- supporting evidence from the aborigines (totems)
- universal theory
weaknesses of Durkheim ‘the sacred and the profane’ (functionalism)
- unrepresentative (only studied small number of aboriginal groups)
- relied on second-hand accounts of the aborigines
- oversimplified
- out dated and source of conflict in today’s society
sacred
objects that are regarded as sacred often evoke strong emotions of respect, awe and deference
profane
objects that are not sacred
Malinowski - 2 purposes of religion (functionalism)
- help the individual deal with life crises
- deal with anxiety caused by events over which people have little control with the use of ritual
strengths of Malinowski 2 purposes of religion (functionalism)
- supporting evidence (Trobriand Islanders)
- extended period of time spent gathering first hand account of religion during WW1
weaknesses of Malinowski 2 purposes of religion (functionalism)
- unrepresentative (based on only Trobriand study)
- misinterpreted the purpose of religious rituals
Parsons - 2 functions of religion (functionalism)
- provides the core norms for society (‘thou shalt not kill’ from Bible etc)
- strengthens social solidarity by neutralising threats to it
strengths of Parsons 2 functions of religion (functionalism)
- anecdotal evidence from all major religions
- universal and flexible theory that can be applied to most religions
weaknesses of Parsons 2 functions of religion (functionalism)
- does not account for conflict caused by religion
- doesn’t explain whether religion or core norms came first
Bellah - civil religion in America (functionalism)
American’s have a civil religion which is intertwined with their nationality
- prophets (Lincoln)
- martyrs (Davy Crockett)
- sacred events (Independence Day)
- sacred places (White House)
- solemn rituals (Pledge of Allegiance)
- symbols (Flag)
strengths of Bellah civil religion in America (functionalism)
- generalisable to civil religion in other cultures