SOC-UNIT3: Religious beliefs-Topic1
- Created by: adaaeze
- Created on: 02-02-16 19:14
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- What is religion?
- Substantive definitions
- Substantive definitions focus on the content of religious belief, such as the belief in God or the supernatural.
- Substantive definitions are exclusive- they draw a clear line between religious and non-religious beliefs.
- They conform to a widespread view of religion as belief in God.
- However, they don't take into account beliefs and practices that perform similar functions to religion, but do not involve belief in God.
- Substantive definitions can be accused as Western bias because they exclude religions such as Buddhism, which do not have the western ideas of God.
- Weber (1905) defines religion as a belief in a supernatural power that is above nature and cannot be explained scientifically.
- Functional definitions
- Functional definitions define religion in terms of the social or psychological functions it performs for individuals or society.
- An advantage is that they are inclusive- allowing us to include a wide range of practices and beliefs that perform functions, such as integration.
- There is no bias against non-western religions (eg Buddhism) as they do not specify in the belief in God or supernatural.
- Durkheim(1915) identifies functions that religion performs for individuals.
- for example answering 'ultimate questions' about the meaning of life and what happens when we die.
- However, helping to integrate individuals into groups does not make it a religion.
- For example, collective chanting at football matches may give you a sense of integration, but this does not mean it is a religion.
- Social constructionist definition
- Social constructionist take an interpretivist approach that society focuses on how members of society define religion.
- They argue that it is not possible to produce a single universal definition of religion- Different individuals and groups mean very different thing by 'religion'
- social constructionist are interested in how definitions of religion are constructed, challenged and fought over.
- Aldridge(2007) shows how scientology is a religion due to its followed, whereas governments have denied it legal status as a religion and sought to ban it.
- This shows that definitions of religion are challenged and are influenced by who is in power to define the situation.
- Aldridge(2007) shows how scientology is a religion due to its followed, whereas governments have denied it legal status as a religion and sought to ban it.
- Their approach allows them to get close to the meanings people give to religion.
- However, this makes it impossible to generalise about the nature of religion, since people may have widely differing views about what counts as a religion.
- There are 3 main ways in which sociologists define religion; Substantive, functional and social constructionist
- Substantive definitions
- Their approach allows them to get close to the meanings people give to religion.
- However, this makes it impossible to generalise about the nature of religion, since people may have widely differing views about what counts as a religion.
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