religion as a conservative force

• Functionalist perspective - Durkheim

  -religion is an important institution in maintaining social cohesion and stability

  -acts as an agent of socialisation and a form of social control which helps maintain the status quo

  -does this by providing a cultural basis for the norms and values an legitimises them
• Functionalist perspective - Malinowski

  -religion provides explanations for the big questions in life

  -fulfils a need for emotional security and relieves social stress which can lead to bitterness, disillusionment and break down of social solidarity
• Interpretivist perspective - universe of meaning (Berger)

  -religion provides a universe of meaning

  -this is a set of beliefs and meanings that help people to make sense of the world and enables them to give life meaning, focus and order.

  -provides individuals a sense of meaning in a chaotic world
• Marxist perspective

  -see religion as an ideological state apparatus that helps to maintain and legitimise ruling class power and ideology

  -Marx - this is achieved by using an 'opimium of masses' which clouds them from oppression and exploitation of capitalist society.

  -achieved by promising the eventual escape of hardships (heaven)
• Feminist perspective-

  -religion is a conservative force as it maintains patriarchy

  -reproduce and justify inequality based on male domination and control of women

  -achieved by showing women in a submissive way in religious text and restricting them in religious organisations
• Religion as a compensator (Stark and Bainbridge)

  -examine the meaning and function of religion

  -religion meets the needs of the individual when their sense of social order is disrupted