Religion as a conservstive force

Conservative force

The view that helps maintain social norms and values is what we call religion as a ‘conservative force’

Functionalist view (Durkheim)

Totemism in the Arunta tribe

He conducted a strict of the Arunta (An Australian tribe’s religious beliefs)

In order to establish the function of the beliefs and ceremonies and what is signified

He chose what he considered to be a very primitive religion in order to focus on the essential beliefs and functions

He argued society divided objects and activities into the sacred and the profane

Profane- Everyday experiences with a clear function

Sacred- Greater, collective significance

He studied various ‘Totems’ were considered sacred

Durkeim’s 4 key functions of religion

Discipline- Religious rituals impose self-discipline, this encourages people to behave sociably and not pursue their own selfish course of action

Cohesion- Social cohesion, worship brought the community together and through worship, people reaffirm and reinforce the bonds that keep them together

Vitalising- He argued that religious belief maintained traditions, ensuring that the values are passed down to the next generation

Euphoric- If members of society ever become frustrated or lose their faith, the religion reminds them of their place in something much bigger, it prevents individuals from becoming anti-social

Parson’s- Value consensus (Functionalist) Function 1

He sees religion as part of a cultural sub-system of society and religious beliefs provide a guideline for human action, giving us norms and values that teach us how we should behave and treat each other

Religious belief provides a set of values, which form the basis of value consensus

Parson’s- Social order (Functionalist) Function 2

He views religion as a way to help people with problems that disrupt their social life

Sometimes people are hit with a negative impact in their lives, like death and therefore, an afterlife provides an idea that loved ones are ‘waiting for them on the other side’

Parson’s- Religion and meaning (Functionalist) Function 3

Religion helps individuals to make sense of experiences which are contradictory

Religion helps people make sense of injustice and inequality for example

Malinowski (Functionalist)

Agreed with Parsons and Durkheim that religion has a psychological function, it helps members to cope with uncertain and stressful events as well as ensuring social cohesion

Trobriand Islanders- He used participant observation over a number of years to gain an understanding of the beliefs and practices in society

Trobriand Islanders had a belief called ‘Canoe magic’ this involved dangerous journeys for things such as ‘sea fishing’ and ‘lagoon fishing’

They tried and tested a method of stunning the fish and gathering them in a net, this had no risk and was predictable

In this case, no ritual or canoe magic was performed

Marx- Opium of the people (Marxist)

Religon is ‘the opium of the people’

One of the main functions of religion is to prevent people making demands for social change by dulling pain of opression

The promise of an afterlife gives people something to look forward to, it is easier to put up with misery now if you believe you’ll have a life of ‘eternal bliss’ to wait for

Religion makes a virtue out of suffering

Marx and Engels- Social control (Marxist)

Religion acts as a tool of social control, in a more direct sense

‘The parson has ever gone hand in hand with the landlord’

This was true in Feudal England, when the landed classes decisions legitimated by religious decree

Marx and Engels saw it, the bourgeoisie and the church supported one another, the former generously funded the later, the church legitimated social inequality, thus maintaining the established social order

Althusser- ISA (Marxist)

Religion acts as an ideological state apparatus because it spreads and maintains the dominant ideology of the ruling classes, helping to maintain a capitalist society

Gramsci (Marxist)

He argued that once the institutions successfully passed on the views of the ruling class, they become the ‘norm’ and are accepted into the general norms and values of society

He called this process of normalisation or acceptance of the dominant ideology ‘Hegemony’

Feminist view of religion

Many religious institutions are patriarchal Reinforces and reproduces inequality based on male dominance and control of women by men

E.g the roles of woman in religious scriptures and texts, the oppression and marginalisation of women in organised religions like priests

Simone De Beauvoir (Feminist)

She argued that most scriptures in religions suggest that ‘man is master by divine right’

Women are either invisible, or occupy subordinate positions of men in religious scripture

E.g Eve was made from Adam’s rib in Genesis 2

God is always seen as a male figure

Allah is seen as a man in Islam, a long with Mohammed in the Quran

El Saadawi and Karen Armstrong (Feminist)

Argued that religion itself is not patriarchal e.g female Goddesses

They tried that religions such as Christianity, Isalm and Judaism used religion to perpetuate their patriarchal ideology, they do this through scripture but also through hierarchies

El Saadawi pointed out the ‘Veiling of women’ in Islam, seeing it as a way of keeping women from public life and control of their sexuality

‘Stained glass ceiling’- Women are not allowed to be leaders in many religions, they can’t reach the top/highest position

Berger (1990)

Religon is a ‘sacred canopy’ stretching over society and helping people to cope with the uncertainties of life

Providing comfort and a sense of community

Stark and Bainbridge

They argue that religion acts as a ‘compensator’ for the suffering in this life

Religion helps people deal with their life circumstances and traumatic events they’ve been through or are dealing with