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Sociological theories of religion - Coggle Diagram
Sociological theories of religion
Functionalism and religion
Durkheim (1912)
Believed that religion served an important structural factor, binding people together (social integration)
Religion provides a set of moral values that form a collective consciousness, ensuring social stability - regular rituals also reinforce collective consciousness and maintains social integration - preventing rapid social change
By placing these values in a sacred context, this has increased the likelihood of them being kept (sin to steal, fear of God)
Religion is an agent of secondary socialisation
Study
Totemism - Durkheim studied aboriginal societies and saw their religion to be the most basic. The Totems were used as a symbol of worship. The totem rituals reinforce the group’s solidarity and sense of belonging.
Claimed that society divides the word into the sacred and the profane
Sacred:
symbols and ceremonies with ordinary meaning (Inspired awe)
Profane:
ordinary things with no special significance.
Criticisms
Evidence for totemism is pretty shaky - Divisions between the Scared and the profane are arbitrary (random) - clans share totems so therefore value diminishes
Ideas based on small scale societies do not translate to multi-faith/big societies and doesn't consider conflict between religion and within
Postmodernists: not applicable today, society has become increasingly fragmented/divided, no longer a shared belief/value system - Mestrovic (1997)
Malinowski (1954)
Argues that religion promotes social solidarity by performing psychological functions enabling individuals to cope with emotional stress that would otherwise lead to social instability.
Study
Trobriand Islanders: Lagoon fishing is safe and predictable so the islanders do not do any religious rituals. Ocean fishing is dangerous so the islanders use “canoe magic” to ensure a safe and successful trip. This ritual gives the islanders a sense of control and confidence which reinforces solidarity.
Religion can support and help us to deal with issues that cause emotional stress, uncertainty tension such as births and deaths
Christenings give parents an idea of extra protections of their child by a supreme being. It gives the parents a sense of security.
Funerals reinforce solidarity between survivors. Gives a notion of immortality which comforts the bereaved by denying the fact of death.
Parsons (1967)
Agreed with Durkheim and Malinowski - religion helps deal with unforeseen events and outcomes
Religion provides stability in times of adversity (maintaining stability of society's values)
Religion provides answers to to which otherwise seemingly no answer to the big questions
Marxism
Marx: Religion eases pain and oppression 'opiate for the masses'
Religion promises eventual escape from suffering and oppression in this life with promises of a ecstatic future in life after death
Offers hope of a supernatural intervention to solve problems on earth
Provides explanation for the jurisdiction of inequality
Marx: Ideological weapon
belief that distorted people’s perception of reality.
An ideology is a set of political and economic beliefs that are seen as true that benefit the dominant group (bourgeoisie) by justifying their privileged position.
Althusser
The repressive state apparatus: the monopoly of violence, the threat of its use, physical coercion (police, army, courts)
Religion is an important part of the ISA
It reproduces class inequality by transmitting ruling class ideology from generation to generation
It legitimates class inequality, it spread an ideology that disguises capitalist exploitation; persuading workers to accept exploitation
Criticism
Fails to consider secularisation
ignores positive functions of religion
there are examples of religions that have helped to bring about social change and help remove ruling elites
Feminism and religion
In almost all world religions, 'God' is male (except for Hinduism)
Sacred texts overwhelmingly concern males and male activity
The majority of all professionals in all major religions are male - Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism forbid women to become priests
Despite making up the majority of devotees are given the secondary role in worship (Jewesses cannot read from the Torah)
Places of worhsip
Segregation of the sexes and marginalisation of women takes place EG; seating them behind screens while the men occupy the central and more scared spaces
Womens participation may be restricted eg not being allowed to preach/ read from sacred texts
Taboos that regards menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth as polluting may also prevent participation - In Islam menstruating women are not allowed to touch the Quran
Simone De Beauvoir
Religion is used by men to control women
It claims to compensate women for their lower social status by gaining them equality in heaven (false class consciouness)
El Sadaadawi
women are sometimes oppressed in Arab states through male misinterpretations of the Quran which are used to exploit women
However, stated that some aspects of Islam are liberating like women being able to keep their own surname when they get married
Woodhead
Not all religion is patriarchal
Religious forms of feminism - ways women use religion to gain respect
In the west, the hijab is viewed as a symbol of oppression however, Woodhead argue its a form of resistance: It is a means to escape the confines of the home and enter education/employment; this allows women to enter the ‘public sphere' without losing their cultural identity
It eliminates the 'male gaze'
Religion may be used to gain status for their roles in the home and the family EG; strong evangelical belief in men respecting women