Religion as a conservative force Flashcards
Durkheim
Believes that religion brings integration into society, maintains social order and brings a value consensus. He supports this theory with totemism.
Totemism
The practice among Central Australian arunta tribes, in which each clan had their own totem (sacred item). Also the idea of something being profane (everyday things in life). Their beliefs and rituals act as a social cement to bind people together. Creating what Durkheim called: the collective conscience.
Malinowski
Believed that religion provided a psychological function to cope with situations in life that created emotional stress and threatened social solidarity. Such as in times of life crisis; reducing anxiety. And in uncontrollable events; they used the example of a fishing trip using religious rituals to cope with being stranded.
Parsons
Believed that religion provided core values and social norms to peoples behavior. Also answered the unanswerable questions of life such as suffering, villain’s prosper, justice and life after death. By providing answers and comfort.
Bellah
Believed in the theory that we have a civil religion. In the USA, this exists within and binds Americans together, developing a set of beliefs, symbols and rituals related to sacred things (secular).
Marxism
Marxist theories of religion believes it acts as a social opium, providing pain relief to the capitalist society we live in. The suffering in every day life; religion provides a false consciousness, treating the symptom and not the illness. They also believe religion and marxism go hand in hand. Work is fragmented and religion is a response to alienation. An instrument of oppression, leading people in a flase direction; distorting reality.
Examples of marxist religions
Hindu Caste System, Medieval Kings, Egyptian Pharaohs and the divine right of monarchy.
Feminism
Believe religion is patriarchal through multiple factors: religious organizations, places of worship, sacred texts and religious laws and customs.
Karen Armstrong
Brings ideas within religious organizations. Also states that before early religion often placed women in the center and that monotheistic religions created men in the center now. Women were leaders of fertility cults, earth mother goddesses and female priesthoods.
El Saadawi
Believed that religion itself is not the main reason for patriarchy. But instead is the result of patriarchal forms of society coming into existence. Men reshape religion and contribute to women’s oppression by reinterpreting beliefs.
Linda Woodhead
Sees the wearing of the veil as liberation for Muslim women, instead of oppression. This is seen as a greater form of freedom and gaining status and power within their religion.
Elizabeth Brusco and the Pentecostal Church
Religion is seen as empowering in Pentecostalism. This is because they can influence men’s behavior by insisting they practice what they preach (they lead an ascetic lifestyle). Therefore preventing them from ‘macho’ behavior and controlling/ benefiting women. They can also share experiences and find support in their religion.
Quakers and giving women greater role.
This is evidence against feminist theories, in that religion like the Quakers has given more power and unitarians are often committed to gender equality, and having female priests, over 1/5 of bishops are female since 2015.
Berger
This interpretist view believes that religion provides a ‘universe of meaning’ and theodicy, that enables people to make sense of inexplicable questions of human existence. The meaning of the world. It is a ‘sacred canopy’ over society providing a shield to uncertainties and their position in society, maintaining social stability.
Stark and Bainbridge
Believes that religion meets the needs of individuals when their sense of social order is disrupted by economic hardship, loneliness, grief accidents, death etc. It also sees religion as acting as a general compensator, providing answer to universal questions, also contributing to the maintenance of social stability.
