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BELIEFS (1) - RELIGION: DEFINITIONS AND VIEWS (1) - Coggle Diagram
BELIEFS (1) - RELIGION: DEFINITIONS AND VIEWS (1)
DEFINITIONS
FUNCTIONAL
the functions of religion; religion can bring comfort to individuals or reinforce value consensus, contributing to social integration
inclusive - includes wide range of beliefs
doesn't specify belief in god/ supernatural - no bias
institutions helping w/ integration != religion
too inclusive - any belief system could be considered a religion
SUBSTANTIVE
identifying the core characteristics of a religion; belief in a sacred being, set of teachings/ beliefs in a holy book/ text, rituals/ ceremonies, institutions, moral code and consequences
exclusive - clearly establishes between religious + non-religious beliefs
ignores beliefs/ practices that have similar functions to religion but doesn't involve god
western bias - excluding religions like buddhism
CONSTRUCTIONIST
how members of society define religion; it's impossible for there to be a single, universal definition - religion is whatever religion means to groups and individuals
doesn't assume religion always involve belief in god, or has similar functions for everyone
doesn't exclude any religions
allows focus on people's meaning on religion
impossible to generalise religion's nature
FUNCTIONALIST VIEW (CONSERVATIVE FORCE)
SACRED & PROFANE
many religions exist, so the divine have no foundation in reality
religion: made of imaginary forces made by humans to bring social order/ stability
religion helps bring about value consensus
sacred
: special things that come from the divine, are awe inspiring, extraordinary, fear invoking
profane
: non-sacred, unholy things that have no special meaning/ purpose
TOTEMISM
religion of aussie aboriginal, divided into clans that have their own totems
totems: symbols of the clan that highlight their differences, and were thought to have divine properties
totems bring clans together for worship + for the community
worshipping totem = worshipping society
COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE
worship = collective; collective worship -> collective conscience
group worship helps w/ social integration + social control
group worship creates group identity + solidarity
it binds ppl together by building bonds
religion invigorates + strengthens individuals to face trials + motivates ppl to overcome obstacles
SOCIALISATION & SOCIAL CONTROL
religion promotes + legitimate society's central values
religion = agency of social control
religion reinforces appropriate appropriate + inappropriate behaviour and moral code
religion = basis for society's punishment system; breaking the moral code leads to prison/ rehab
religion affects believers + non-believers, so when moral code is broken, ppl feel guilty conscience -> social stability
PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
LIFE CRISIS
religion appeases stress + anxiety created by life crises
life crises can undermine ppl's commitment to society -> threaten social order
religion rites of passage ceremonies minimise chances of social disruption
they allow ppl to adjust to their new situation + support each other
UNCERTAINTIES
TROBRIAND ISLANDERS
: comparison of fishing in the lagoon and fishing in the ocean
in the lagoon : safe, predictable, no ritual needed
in the ocean: dangerous, uncertain, 'canoe magic rituals' ->sense of control, eases tension, gives confidence, reinforces group solidarity
rituals fill gaps in human beings' control over the world
CIVIL RELIGION
secular belief systems incorporate elements of religion into their practices
this makes them similar to believing/ belonging in a religious group
AMERICANISM
unifies america; God + americanism are the same as God underpins most aspects of americanism
american patriotism has the belief of God being 'on our side'
'God bless america' is said at speeches/ nat. events
bellah supports durkheim's ideas, saying worshipping God in the usa is like the worship of us worship
totalitarian systems also support this perspective, e.g. rallies in
n@zi
germany
MARXIST VIEW (CONSERVATIVE FORCE)
RELIGION AS AN IDEOLOGY
religion creates a false class consciousness for w/c
religion allows + encourages acceptance of w/c suffering: no point in changing this life, as suffering is okay - it leads to heaven
suffering = test of faith, suffering w/o questioning = reward
LENIN
: 'spiritual gin'; religion = intoxicant that distorts w/c reality so they don't change their situation
divine right of kings
,
hindu caste system
RELIGION AS A PRODUCT OF ALIENATION
workers don't have control over their work + are in a constant cycle of suffering
religion works as consolation for this suffering + exploitation
MARX
:
"religion is the opium of the people"
MARX
: religion dulls the pain/ oppression, giving a temp. high through promises of a better afterlife to distract workers from their exploitation/ capitalism
religion...
dulls pain instead of dealing w/ the cause
distorts the world + its reality instead of giving solutions to misery
gives a high through worship
FEMINIST VIEW (CONSERVATIVE FORCE)
RELIGIOUS ORGANISATION
women don't often have leadership positions within religion, facing a 'stained glass ceiling' - prejudice + discrimination stops them from levelling up in the hierarchy
women can't become priests (roman catholic. orthodox christianity), nuns have less status than monks, and when women do become priests (c of e), it comes with controversy
SACRED TEXTS
in scriptures, women are either invisible/ subordinate to men; eve is accused of leading adam astray, seen as the basis for original sin
most important figures are males
DE BEAUVOIR
: most scriptures suggest 'man is master by divine right'
PLACES OF WORSHIP
HOLM
: places of worship represent devaluation of women in religion; men usually have the main space within places of worship
women's menstruation is seen as impure; in islam and hinduism, women are forbidden from entering places of worship and touching sacred texts on their periods
LAWS & CUSTOMS
DE BEAUVOIR
: religious ideology usually emphasises women's trad roles in the family
ALDRIDGE
: women's sexual pleasure is disapproved, and sexuality is seen as something only associated w/ reproduction, e.g. roman catholic being against artificial contraception
HOLM
: religious fundamentalist movements reinforce patriarchy + look to reverse women's growing independence by returning them to their trad roles
in some countries women face punishment for going against what is expected of their trad roles
ALDRIDGE
: in the qur'an, women are legally inferior to men, lacking the same rights to their husbands