Malinowski

• Malinowski agreed with Durkheim that religion promoted solidarity.

  However, it did so by performing psychological functions, helping people to cope with emotional stress.

  For instance, they comfort the bereaved through practices like funerals, ensuring people get closure.
• People use religion to cope with uncertainty because...

  You are able to call upon a God who can control an outcome.

  In modern society this isn't relevant as the technology (applied by science) can control the outcomes of the natural world to some degree. This gives us a greater levels of certainty, leading to less religion.

  Malinowski states there is a positive correlation between uncertainty and religious beliefs.
• Science cannot explain what cannot be proven/disproven. It cannot explain existential questions about life and death. Malinowski argues that death is the main reason for religious beliefs.
• Overall, people do believe in religious terms.

  Davie states people practice religion vicariously. Most of peoples' life is secular but people expect religion to pick them up. For instance, when Jane Goodie knew she was going to die, she converted her and her children to Catholicism.