Functionalism and Religion
- Created by: BWards18
- Created on: 24-05-17 16:57
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- Functionalism and Religion
- Key Functions Of Religion
- Psychological Function - Giving comfort to individuals
- Intergrative Function - Binding Individuals to society (social integration and cultural identity)
- CosmologicalFunction - Religion helps explain our place in the world and links us to the spiritual world.
- Social Control Function - Help[ing maintain order in society, e.g. 10 common dments.
- Moral and Ethical Code - A sense of right and wrong, e.g. 10 ommanments
- Theorists
- Durkheim
- Religion is a 'unified system of beliefs and practices related to sacred things - things set apart and forbidden.
- Studied the Arunta Tribe - the simplest form of religion.
- The tribe worshipped a totem but in effect where worshipping society as it unites and reinforces social solidarity/belonging.
- Durkheims key functions of religion
- Stability and Cohesion - Shared religion binds people together
- Social Identity - Gives people identity and social membership
- Collective Conscience - Unites people In moral ways
- Socialisation and Social Control - Represents the value system in society
- Meaning and purpose - Gives meaning and purpose to peoples lives
- "In worshipping religion, mean are really worshipping society" - bringing people together (LATENT FUNCTION)
- Scared things represent something powerful (society), uniting people together!
- Malinowski
- Sees religion as performing a PSYCHOLOGICAL ROLE - helping individuals cope with stress, problems and anxieties.
- Religious ceremonies deal with crisis of life accompanied with rituals to reinforce faith and solidarity within society.
- Parsons
- Identifies two functions of religion:
- Reinforces society's central values (consensus and stability)
- Primary source of meaning and comfort for questions about life, death, suffering
- Religion is one part of the cultural system which provides guidelines and standards, e.g. 10 commandments
- Religion solves certain problems in life such as unforeseen events and uncertainity
- Identifies two functions of religion:
- Bellah
- Religion unifies society ion a. ultimate-faitjh society - a "CIVIL RELIGION".
- Durkheim
- Criticisms
- Can't explain social change. Religion can be used to challenge social order - e.g. Islamic Revolution
- Religion can cause conflict , e.g. fundamentalism
- Durkheim offers an inclusive view of religion and some things hints at may not be seen as scared
- Key Functions Of Religion
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