Functionalist theories of religion
- Created by: candiceball
- Created on: 24-05-15 13:35
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- Functionalism
- Functionalist see society as like an organism, with basic needs that it must meet in order to survive.
- Each institution performs certain functions to maintain the social system by meeting a need.
- Societies most basic need is for social order and solidarity.
- For functionalists what makes order possible is value consensus.
- Durkheim argues that religious institutions play a central part in creating and maintaining value consensus, order and solidarity.
- For functionalists what makes order possible is value consensus.
- For Durkheim, the key feature of all religions is the fundamental distinction between the sacred and the profane.
- The sacred are things set apart and forbidden, inspiring feelings of awe, fear and wonder. Eg) Christina cross.
- The profane are ordinary things that have no special significance.
- Religion is more than a set of beliefs; it has sacred rituals or practises and these are perfromed by social groups.
- Durkheim argues that sacred things create powerful feelings in believers because they are symbols representing something of great power - society.
- When people worship sacred symbols they are worshiping society itself.
- For Durkheim sacred symbols perform the essential function of uniting believers into a single moral community.
- Durkheim sees religion as being the source of our cognitive capacities - our ability to reason and think conceptually.
- In order to think at all we need categories such as time and space.
- Religion provides the concepts and categories we need for understanding the world and communicating with others.
- For Durkheim religion is the origin of human thought, reason and science.
- Religion provides the concepts and categories we need for understanding the world and communicating with others.
- Malinowski argues that religion promotes solidarity by performing psychological functions for individuals.
- It helps them cope with emotional stress that would undermine social solidarity.
- There are 2 situations where it performs this role
- Where the outcome is uncertain but uncontrollable and uncertain. Or at times of life crisis such as births or marriage.
- In order to think at all we need categories such as time and space.
- Parson identifies two essential functions of religion in modern society.
- It creates and legitmates societys basic norms and values by sacralising them
- It provides a source of meaning, answering ultimate questions about life.
- Functionalist see society as like an organism, with basic needs that it must meet in order to survive.
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