Perspectives

• Functionalist - Durkheim

  • Religious beliefs divide society into the sacred and profane
  • anything can be sacred if it is respected and is among believers
  • studies aboriginal groups - argues that totems are symbols of both god and society as they are the same thing
• Functionalist - Parsons

  • beliefs provide guidelines for human action and standards in which we can be evaluated
  • Religion helps to provide value consensus needed for stability and order
• Functionalists - evaluation

  • ignores dysfunctional aspect of religion where it can be a disruptive force
  • focuses on religion as a conservative force and not a radical force
• Marxists - Engles

  • religion can play role of social change
  • christianity created as a way to cope with exploitation
  • it became a source of resistance to the oppressors and a force of change
• Marxists

  • people project human powers and capabilities onto god who is seen as powerful
  • become detached from themselves -alienation
  • myths that justifies and legitimises the rule of the bougousie
  • in communism there would be no religion as alienation and exploitation would no longer exist
• Feminism - Du Beauvoir

  • Religion is oppressive to women as they are told that they will be compensated for their second class status on Earth, in heaven
• Feminism - Singh

  • points out that Sikh gurus pleaded for the cause of the emancipation of Indian womanhood - supporting them in improving their conduction in society
• Feminism - Watson

  1. veiling is oppressive to women
  2. veiling is misunderstood by western society

  • argues veiling can be interpreted as beneficial to them
  • can help to avoid male staring
  • concludes it can be seen as the assertion of independence, separate identity and rejection of Western cultural imperialism