Functionalist perspective of religion

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  • Created by: Lilly
  • Created on: 08-01-14 16:14
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  • Functionalist Perspectives of religion
    • Positive Perspective
      • Main role is to integrate groups- Social stability
      • Social harmony and cohesion
    • Malinoski 1954
      • Trobiand Island study
      • Crucial to help people deal with situations of emotional stress
      • Stress comes from 2 places
        • Anxiety and tension in life crises- birth marriage death- accompanied by religious ceremony
        • Unpredictable circumstances- produce tension and anxiety, ceremonies provide confidence and control
    • Parsons 1965
      • Provides the standard for moral conduct
      • USA- belief underpins value consensus
      • Provides answers for Q about suffering and purpose of existence
        • Helps society move smoothly and prevents conflict/ anomie
    • Durkheim 1912
      • Secondary socialisation
      • SOCIAL CEMENT
      • Provides set of shared values forms collective conscience- Social stability
      • Australian Aboriginal tribes study
        • Societies divided into sacred/ profane
        • Totem sacred because was symbol of clan/ symbolically representative of group- crucial in continuation of society
        • Collective worship- sense of community
      • Inclusive definition

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