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functionalism in religion - Coggle Diagram
functionalism in religion
defining religion
Roland ROBERTSON suggests: 'the existence of supernatural beings which have a governing effect on life'
substantive - focus on the subject or content of religious belief, such as a belief in God or the supernatural
functional - focus on the social or psychological functions religion performs of the individuals or society
constructionist - how members of society themselves define religion
functional definition
one way of defining religion is to see it in terms of the functions it performs for society or the individual
YINGER defined religion as a 'system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggle with the ultimate problems of human life'
substantive definition
these are concerned with the content of religion rather than its function or purpose
DURKHEIM defined religion in terms of the distinction between the sacred and the profane - sacred objects produce a sense of awe and respect, and profane objects do not
key features of religion
belief in sacred beings
sacred and profane objects; places and time
ritual acts based on sacred and profane objects, places and times
moral code with supernatural origins
prayer and other forms of communication with supernatural being
types of religions
Monotheistic - the belief in a single God, also referred to a Theistic
Christianity, Islam, Judaism
Polytheistic - the belief in several Gods - also referred to as Theistic
Hinduism, religions of ancient Greeks and Romans
spiritual religion without a belief in god
Buddhism - a set of values by which people are expected to live their lives
cult - with supernatural beliefs but no concept of god
Heaven's Gate Cult - humans were merely vehicles carrying the souls of interstellar travellers (Scientology)
Animism - belief in spirits or ghosts who can impact the human or natural world
Paganism and ancient religions such as the Aztecs
Totemism - where a community creates a symbol that represents them as a group - protecting them
Australian Aboriginals
functionalism key terms
Organic Analogy - like the organs in our body, society's institutions must cooperate to facilitate the smooth running of society
Meritocracy - equality of opportunity to succeed
Value Consensus - a shared set of norms and values
Norms - social rules, expectations or standards that govern behaviour (social construct)
Values - ideas or beliefs that tell us what is good or important in life and what to aim for
DURKHEIM (1915) on religion
key features of religion:
the Sacred and the Profane (non-sacred)
distinct from the secular (everyday lives
worshipping the sacred involves collective rituals and practices
items that are symbolised - they represent something
often deals with rituals involving the symbols
religion maintains value consensus
DURKHEIM
MALINOWSKI
PARSONS
BELLAH
Totemism
Arunta tribe
ritual: worship sacred totem
clan's emblem
worshipping society
Arunta Tribe
from his study on primitive religion, DURKHEIM defined 4 key functions of religion in their society
DISCIPLINE - religious rituals impose self-discipline, which encourages individuals to behave socially and not simply pursues their own selfish course of action, which would be anti-social and destabilizing
COHESION - the key function is social cohesion - worship brings the community together, through worship people reaffirm and reinforce the bonds that keep them together
VITALISING - Durkheim argued that religious beliefs maintain traditions, ensuring that values that are passed down from generation to generation are kept vital at the heart of society
EUPHORIC - if members of society ever become frustrated or lose their faith, their religion serves to remind them of their place in something much bigger