This creates unity within the social group, which then generates a ‘collective conscience.’ Durkheim drew on secondary research of religious beliefs and practices in the Australian Arunta tribe of aborigines. He studied the practice of Totemism. Totemism is where something or somewhere has a particular symbolic significance for a social group. It is a sacred object venerated by the group and surrounded by ritual. For example Churingas are sacred drawings on wood or stone.
A Christian could just say you know this due to the way God made the earth and humans. A more intelligent designer. Functionalists say that religion gives the answers to people. Functionalists say that religion offers common beliefs and shared identities which binds people together in society. They say it is conservative and when a community is cooperating such as practising worship together in church it creates a social harmony among everybody.
For Durkheim shared religious rituals reinforced the collective conscience and maintain social integration. Durkheim also says that religion helps individuals with cognitive functions, as it teaches us basic concepts. Anthropologist, Malinowski says that religion promotes solidarity. He says it performs important psychological functions in two situations. When the outcome is important but uncontrollable, and at times of crisis.
The main perspectives of this are the overall point of view towards a subject for example aspects of a person’s social life. Sociologists study the impact on many different societies and social structures that have an effect on people. They also study social trends and suggest actions or interventions to help improve health and well being of a particular group of people. Sociologists have introduced various perspectives to be able to explain and also analyse how societies work. Functionalism: Two functionalist called Talcott Parsons and George Murdock argued that every single society will have a religion due to religious institutions have certain functions which have a say to the survival of the system as whole just as the organs of the body have functions which are essential for the body’s survival.
Durkheim argues that religion functions to reinforce the collective unity or social solidarity of a group. He says all societies divide the world into the sacred and the profane. His view on sacred symbols represents society's collective consciousness which is the shared norms, values beliefs and knowledge that make social life possible without such consciousness it would crumble. While participating in shared rituals binds individuals together reminding them that they are a part of a community. The individual sees religion performing a significant function allowing them to feel apart of society and seeing that religion strengthens us to face life's trials and motivates us to overcome obstacles that would otherwise overpower us.
For example, The Ten Commandments are ‘moral codes’ which influenced both formal and informal control. Another function is social integration and solidarity. Functionalists say encouraging collective worship is particularly important for the integration of society, since it enables members to express their shared values and strengthens group unity. By worshipping together, people develop a sense of commitment and belonging: individuals unite into a group with shared values, reinforcing social solidarity, deviant behaviour is restrained and social change restricted. Another function they believe is civil religion.
Different to Durkheim and Malinowski, Parsons said that religion promotes consensus by doing two things; it answers the big questions in life and religious laws and society’s laws go hand in hand. For example, questions like ‘is there life after death?’ and ‘how was the world created?’ both can be given plausible answers from religion. Bellah also says that society is in need of collective rituals and civil religion reaffirms these group values. An example is Americanism and Football, they aren’t religions but they bring people together in the same way. Overall, the Functionalists ignore secularisation and conflict and their focus on the positive functions
But for some of us it means so much more. You do notice there is a functionalist observation to support Theoretical Perspectives for instance, the powwow event in this society will have a religion tone, and because religious institutions have certain functions which contribute to the survival of the social system as a whole, just as the organs of the body have functions which are necessary for the body's survival. I was able to draw this
Our diversity of religion results in people of different faiths or no faith living in one country peacefully. This is somewhat unsusual in the world and makes us a stronger country. The rest of the world looks to us with amazement that such diverse faiths can practice their religion in harmony. With this freedom we can have the luxury of great religious leaders inspiring their people and helping our country be stronger. During the American Revolution, our founding fathers were of different religions like Quakers, Methodists, Baptists and other religions.
This article explains each of their roles. It also states the rise of religious institutions that came to be in some colonies. Regulations concerning access to resources, economics and political power were also religious in nature. In order to better understand the concept of religious stratification, let’s define it. The author uses the definition, “Religious stratification occurs when religion is institutionalized in the laws and/or customs of society as a criterion for the allocation of social positions and their attendant rewards (Pyle 57).” If the advantages of religious affiliation are not intertwined in the laws of society, religious stratification may not last.