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 Functionalist view on religion highlights religions social role in society for example Durkheim believes that religion includes a mass of people worshiping. It also includes rituals and ceremonies, creating a collective consciousness and forming shared beliefs and values between people. This leads to social solidarity. Supporting the idea that religion is positive, Parsons expresses that the role of religion is to relieve stress created by everyday life .It mainly does this by shaping norms and values while providing guidelines for people to live by and giving a meaning to people lives. Opposing this view Marxists argue that religion inhibits change.
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.
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.
; Questions that can not be answered, even with modern day technology, the aid of science and the ever-growing knowledge of the world; but answers that nonetheless are needed to make sense of and give meaning and purpose to life. The origin of all religions is connected to the timeless search of our existence to humankind. One of the most significant ways in which religion creates meaning for its followers is through the understanding of the purpose of mankind. E.g. Death is understood as the end of mortality, but what people believe comes after varies with each religion.
Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim on Religion Religion plays a very interesting role in the world of Sociology because it is such a deep seeded and integral thread that holds many different parts of society together. A religion can be seen as a unified system of beliefs and practices which are relative to sacred things and beliefs (Giddens 1972, p.224). It can shape ones thoughts and feelings and gives people a sense of hope and something to believe in. However, although virtually no sociologist will deny the importance of religion in different societies, they differ greatly on their views on how it can fit into social and/or economic theory. Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx are two very well known sociologists whose opinions on religion differ a great deal.
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
Item A suggests that functionalists believe religion helps to integrate individuals into a community by instilling into them a set of shared beliefs that gives them a feeling a belonging and a common identity. This helps society to cooperate harmoniously creating social cohesion as people believe in the same thing and all abide by the same rules. While conforming to religious beliefs this allows us to gain morals, as well as giving us a variety of cultures allowing us to tolerate and accept different religions. Functionalists see religion as a positive aspect to society. Durkheim argues that religion functions to reinforce the collective unity or social solidarity of a group.
Throughout the world their are many religions, three in particular, Christianity, Judaism, and the Islamic religion are some of the most followed religions. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam religion are considered monotheistic religions, wich means they believe in only one god. Just like they are all monotheistic religions they also have more similarities.Though they have different beliefs and come from different places they have many patterns, rules of order, and parallels that are alike. The patterns between these three religions have a lot in common from how they are practiced to where their important teachings come from. For example all three religions are spread/practiced all over the world.