Answering of 'ultimate questions' such as the meaning of life and what happens when we die
Constructionist
How members of society define religion
There is no single universal definiton
Durkheim - Scared and the Profane
Key features of religion-
Sacred
Things set apart/forbidden and inspire feelings of awe, fear and wonder
Surrounded around taboos - evoke powerful feelings
Profane:
No special significance
Ordinary and mundane
Durkheim - Totemism
Worship of the sacred totem
The shared totem rituals reinforces group solidarity and a sense of belonging
When worshiping the totem they are also worshiping society
Durkheim - Collectiveconscience
Shared values, norms, belief and knowledge
He says religious rituals reinforce the collective conscience
Binds individuals together
Durkheim - Evaluation
Postmodernists:
His ideas cannot be applied to contemporary society because increasing diversity has fragmented the collective conscience
There is no longer a single shared value system for religion to reinforce
Bellah - Civil Religion
A belief system attaches sacred qualities to society
America - loyalty to the nation and God is expressed through the pledge of allegiance to the flag and the national anthem
Binds Americans from many ethnic and religious backgrounds
Parsons - purpose of religion
Helps those to cope with unforeseen events and uncontrollable outcomes
Legitimates society's central values - makes them seem scared
Primary source of meaning - answers 'ultimate questions' about humans (why some die young, why good suffer)
Functionalism - Evaluation
Ignores religion as a source of division and conflict
Neglects negative aspects (oppression of the poor or women)
Marxists - religion as an ideology (a belief that distorts perception of reality)
Religion operates as an ideological weapon used by the ruling class to legitimate the suffering of the poor as something inevitable
Misleading the poor to believe their suffering is virtuous
Lenin - Religion (Marxism)
Religion is 'spiritual gin'
It intoxicates the masses to confuse them to put them in their place
Creates a 'mystical fog'
Marx - religion as a product of alienation
Workers are alienated as they don't own what they produce or have control over the production process
Religion is the 'opium of the people'
It provides a distorted view of the world with no offer of solution to earthly misery
Only promises an afterlife to create an illusory happiness to distract their attention
Marxism - Evaluation
Abercrombie et al
In a pre capitalist society, Christianity only had a limited impact on the peasantry
Ignores positive function of religion
Feminist - religion as evidence of the patriarchy
Religious organisations: male dominated (Catholicism forbids women to become priests)
Places of worship: segregates the sexes and marginalises women (women seated behind men in prayer)
Scared texts: features male Gods and prophets, written by men with stories reflecting on anti-female stereotypes (Eve caused humanity's fall from grace)
Religious laws: women given fewer rights than men (access to divorce)
Feminism - Evaluation
Armstrong
Early religion places women at the centre (fertility cults and mother earth goddesses)
Feminism - religion as a form of oppression
Woodhead
Hijab/veil - Western feminists view as a form of oppression
Gilliat Ray
Some young women wear it as a symbol of liberation
Worn to gain parental approval for further education