Functionalism and religion

FUNCTIONALISM AND Religion

FUNCTIONALISM AND

Functions of religion -  Socialisation The major function of religion is to socialise society’s members into a VALUE CONSENSUS investing  values with sacred quality. These values become ‘moral codes’ that society agrees to revere and socialise children into. Consequently such codes regulate social behaviour. Social integration Encouraging collective worship enables individuals to express their shared values and strengthens group unity. It foster the development of a COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE  or moral community so that deviant behaviour is restrained and social change is restricted. Preventing anomie If society were to become less integrated and their behaviour less regulated, a state of anomie could occur (a state of normlessness), whereby society could not function because its members would not know how to behave relative to one another. 

DURKHEIM

TotemismDurkheim studied the practice of totemism amongst the central Australian Arunta tribe of aborigines. A totem is an object such as a tree or an animal that has divine properties which is usually named after the name of the tribe or group. ØWhen worshipping the totem, people are really worshipping society. Religious belief such as totemism, ceremonies and rituals, act as a kind of social glue which binds people together.During these times GROUP SOLIDARITY is affirmed and heightened. The continued acts of group worship and celebration through ritual and ceremony serves to forge GROUP IDENTITY and create and promote SOCIAL COHERSION. Collective conscienceThe COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE is the shared norms, values, belief and knowledge that make social life and co-operation between individuals possible. For Durkheim, shared regular religious rituals reinforce the collective conscience and maintain social integration, therefore preventing any damaging social change.

MALINOWSKI

Malinowski was one of the worlds first anthropologist to live for a long period of time in a small scale society in which he studied. – Focused on both social and psychological functions. Life crises In all societies by particularly small scale societies life crises such as birth, puberty, marriage and death are potentially disruptive. This is for a number of reasons like high mortality and arranged marriages. This is when religious ritual is typically used to bind people together and comfort bereaved – funerals etc. Times of stress and anxiety In situations and activities where the outcome is important by uncertain and uncontrollable, religious rituals may be used. Malinowski studied of the Trobriand Islanders he found that when fishing ijn safe and well-known areas no ritual was used.  However in water where success and survival was uncertain, religious ritual was often used in order to increase peoples sense of self control, diminishes anxiety and unifies the group.

PARSONS

Provides answers to the big questions Some of the questions which religion answers include questions about humanity and the world. For example questions about suffering, justice and death. By providing these explanations religion makes sense of the apparently meaningless, helps people to adjust to their situation and promote social stability. Provides core norms and values Parsons said that religion provided core values and norms which it sacralises and legitimates. By establishing and legitimizing norms and values religion promotes social consensus which parsons believed to be essential for order and stability in society.

EVALUATION

Ignores the examples of religion being a negative and as an instrument of oppression e.g. conflict in Northern Ireland. Fails to explain the origins of social institutions… how did they arise in the first place. Durkheim based his ideas on secondary sources (may be unreliable, invalid and out of date). Durkheim studied small scale societies which are very different to todays more complex societies which have religious pluralism (religion is diluted – postmodernism). Ignores and does not say why or how religion came about. If society is become secularized, how can religion fulfill all of these functions?