functionalist theories of religion (copy)

social order & solidarity between members

religious institutions play a central part in creating & maintaining value consensus, order & solidarity

a distinction between the sacred & the profane

things set apart & forbidden that inspire feelings of awe, fear & wonder, and are surrounded by taboos & prohibitions

things that have no special significance

• definite rituals & practices in relation to the sacred

• collective rituals

clan society

• aboriginal australian tribe with a clan system

• clans consisted of bands of kin who came together periodically to perform rituals

• worshipped a sacred totem

when people worship totems, they are really worshipping society but are unaware

the shared norms, values, beliefs & knowledge that make social life & cooperation between individuals possible

• reinforces collective conscience

• maintains social integration

• binds individuals together

• reminds individuals of power of society

provides categories for us to share with others & organise our thoughts into

• time

• space

• causation

• evidence on totemism is unsound - no sharp division between sacred & profane

• theory better applies to small-scale societies with a single religion

• postmodernist: increasing diversity has fragmented the collective conscience

religion provides psychological functions for individuals and therefore promotes solidarity

• where the outcome is important but uncontrollable & uncertain

• at times of life crisis

• malinowski’s ethnographic study

• trobiand islanders lagoon fishing vs ocean fishing

• ocean fishing accompanied with canoe magic

• canoe magic serves as a god of the gaps

rituals to ensure a safe & successful expedition

something that fills the gaps in human beings’ control of the world

minimises disruption

• birth

• puberty

• death

• marriage

death

• religion can be dysfunctional e.g., english civil war

• fails to explain the origin of religion

a way to help individuals cope with unforeseen events & uncontrollable outcomes

• creates & legitimises society’s central values

• it is the primary source of meaning

by sacralising basic norms & values e.g., protestanism sacralising individualism, meritocracy & self-discipline

it answers ultimate questions about the human condition & enables people to adjust the adverse events, maintaining stability

• fails to explain origins

• ignores dysfunction of religion

• only a minority of people attend church

civil religion

a belief system that attaches sacred qualities to society itself

• integrates american individuals

• involves loyalty to the nation-state

• expressed through rituals e.g., pledge of allegiance

non-religious beliefs and practices that perform functions similar to that of organised religion

• it ignores what makes religion distinctive & different

• doesn’t explain origins of religion

• emphasises the social nature of religion & the positive functions it performs

• civil religion overcomes religion as a source of division

• neglects negative aspects of religion i.e. oppression

• ignores religion as a source of division & conflict

• is civil religion really religion? - not based on a belief of supernatural