Functionalist theories of religion

Functionalist theories of religion

1. Durkheim

   • Sacred and the profane
     • Sacred - symbols that are woshipped
       • Symbols represent society - society is most powerful - therefore people worship society itself
     • Profane - mundane and ordinary rituals
   • Collective conciencesness
     • Shared religious rituals reinforce social solidarity
       • Makes individuals feel as though they're part of something bigger than ourselves - motivates us to overcome obstacles
   • Totemism
     • Clan society
       • Totems are their emblems - inspire feelings of awe - subconsciously worshipping society

2. Parsons

   • Creates and legitimises core values
     • Religion makes norms and values sacred
       • EG Protestanism has sacralised USA core values - independence, self discipline and mertiocracy
   • Primary source of meaning
     • Offers answers to 'ultimate' questions - helps people adjust to adverse situations

3. Civil religion - Bellah

   • Interested in how religion unifies a multi-faith society - eg America
     • Belief system that attaches sacred qualities to society itself
   • Civil religion claims to hold loyalty of all the nation in a way that individual religions can't
     • EG - American CR involves loyalty to the nation-state and a belief in God
       • Expressed through rituals, symbols and beliefs - eg pledging allegence to the flag

4. Evaluation

   • Only looks at positives
     • Ignores religion as a source of oppression for certain groups eg women and the poor
   • Ignores divides and conflicts
     • Hard to see how people can be unified under one religion when religion causes conflict and divides throughout society.

5. Malinowski

   • Psychological functions
     • Where the outcome if important but uncontrollable and therefore uncertain
       • Study of Trobriand Islanders
         • Lagoon fishing is safe and predictable so they don't have a ritual but ocean fishing is dangerous and is accompanied by rituals called 'canoe magic'
     • At time of life crisis
       • Helps aid disruptive events such as birth, death, puberty and marriage.
       • EG funerals - aids solidarity among survivors and promise of immortality comforts the bereaved
         • M argues main reason for religion is death.