Religion- Functionalist Flashcards
What functions did Durkheim suggest
The sacred and profane, totemism, collective conscious and cognitive functions
What is the sacred and profane
Differentiate between the sacred (things that are special because they have a higher power) and the profane (no special meaning or purpose)
What is totemism
The totem is the clans emblem to represent the clans origins and identity
-Studied the Arunta Aboriginal tribe
What is collective conscious
Shared norms, values, beliefs and knowledge that make social living possible
What are cognitive functions
Origins of concepts and categories that we need for reasoning, understanding the world and communication
What function did Parsons develop
Values and meanings
What is values and meanings
It creates and legitimises societies central values by sacralising them which serves to promote a value consensus
-Primary source of meaning by trying to answer the ultimate questions about the human condition
What did Bellah come up with
Civil religion
What is civil religion
The belief system that attaches sacred qualities to society itself
-Integrates society in a way that all different religions cant
What does Malinowski suggest
Psychological functions
What are psychological functions
Religion helps people cope with things
-Where the outcome is important but is uncontrollable and uncertain
-At times of life crisis
