Things held a sacred can often appear ordinary to non beleivers. Their significance a symbol must represent something - a collective consciousness
Durkheim -Religion & the worship of society
Australian Aborigines - Toteism
This is distinguishing them from other clans and regarded as sacred without a collective consciousness society cant survive so we must repeatedly reaffirm shared norms and values.
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Beliefs in society
Pyschological function of the individual relgion plaed a central role promoting solidarity, argues it developed a response to the psychological need of ther individual. Life crisis - marriage/ death have religious rituals. The bereaved can be comforted in the ceremony.
Malinowski -
Trobriand Islanders - when fishing on an island in calm waters they poisoned the fish - rituals took place when on dangerous open water.
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Beliefs in society
Religion is a primary source of meaning for members as it legitimates core values of a culture promoting solidarity.
Parsons -Religion & the problem of meaning...
Providing meaning for unsolved questions as there is often no justice for it -
Why do people suffer? - They must suffer to test the human faith
Why did the villian succeed? - He will get his just deserts in the after life
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Beliefs in society
Civil religion = a faith in Americanism generating widespread loyalty to the nation state. Bellah argues that this holds supernatural beliefs...
God & Americanism appear to walk hand in hand. 'God bless America' ends speehces given by dignitaries across the USA.
Bellah - Civil Religion
Does the UK have a civil religion? Cermonies may represent civil religion - e.g. Rememberance day - The monarchy has provided a focus of sentiments of what may be called civil religion. This has perhaps been most evident at times of wat and national threat.
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