Durkheim (1961)
Totemism
The collective conscience
The sacred and the profane
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- Created on: 28-02-17 16:12
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- Durkheim (1961)
- The Sacred and the Profane. Religion involves definite rituals or practices in relation to the sacred and these rituals are collective.
- Totemism. According to Durkheim it is easier to visualise and therefore direct feelings of awe towards a symbol.
- Durkheim studied the Arunta tribe, who came together to worship a sacred totem. He suggested that they were in reality worshipping society, without their knowledge. The totem inspired feelings of awe in the members of the tribe because it represents the power of the group on which the individual is utterly dependent.
- The collective conscience. The sacred symbols represent societies collective conscience - the shared norms, values, beliefs and knowledge that makes social life and cooperation between individuals possible - without these society would disintegrate. Shared religious rituals reinforce the collective conscience
- and maintain social integration, binding individuals together and reminding them that they are part of a single moral community - making the individual feel part of something greater than themselves. Religion strengthens them to face life's trials and motivates them to overcome obstacles that would otherwise defeat them.
- Worsley (1956) argues there is no sharp division between the sacred and the profane. Ddurkheim's theory about totemism also does not provide that he has discovered the essence of all religion.
- Hard to apply to large scale societies, where two or more religions may be in conflict.
- Postmodernist argue Durkheim's theory cannot be applied to contemporary society, due to increasing diversity having fragmented the collective conscience.
- Hard to apply to large scale societies, where two or more religions may be in conflict.
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