Flashcards
Anthropology—Religion and Worldview
Cards in this deck (26)
- 1AnimismBelief in spiritual beings
- 2MythsStories about cultural heroes or spirits and their actions from the past
- 3RitualThe attempt to influence supernatural powers with organized, stereotyped, and symbolic actions. A behavioural side of religion that involves interacting with or manipulating the supernatural. Involves calendrical, crisis, or rites of passage
- 4Cognitive ApproachReligious practices provide explanations for confusing events
Tyler-animism, explains dreaming and death, body and soul
Frazer- a general force (mana) flows through everything - 5Psychological ApproachReligious practices provide comfort to those in grief, distress, etc.
Freud- we project frustration to reinterpret life
Levi-Strauss- remedy involves myth
Malinowski- use of religion or magic in times of uncertainty or anxiety - 6Sociological ApproachReligious practices serve social functions like cohesion, conformity to social norms, controlling behaviour, etc.
Durkheim- society is the object of religion and causes social norms - 7SorceryUsing supernatural powers to cause harm to others
- 8WitchcraftUse of psychic powers alone to cause harm to others. The unique magical knowledge or power
- 9Individualistic OrganizationsReligious organizations based on personal relationships between people and supernatural powers. Can involve getting into some sort of induced trance
- 10Shamanistic OrganizationReligious organizations based on certain individuals that have special powers. People go to them for consultations where the spirits will enter or speak to them
- 11Communal OrganizationMembers of the group take part in rituals to benefit the entire group. Usually involves an object that has power and is a symbol of group unity
- 12Ecclesiastical OrganizationsAn organization where priests perform specific rites in specific places that are intended to benefit the entire group. Complicated and require a set of specialists
- 13Vision QuestAn example of an individualistic religious organization where a person intends to seek a dream or vision for aid
- 14ShamanA person who has a special ability and uses it to heal members of their own group and harm members of other groups
- 15Ancestral RitualsWorships for deceased relatives or ancestors of a kin group
- 16Rites of PassageMarking a stage of life in a certain group by doing certain activities
- 17Initiation RitualsRites of passage to incorporate members into a new role in society
- 18TotemismAll members of a group have a spiritual relationship with one or more natural objects
- 19Seasonal RitualsGroup cooperation is required to allow for seasonal changes
- 20PriestA religious leader that keeps the population safe with respect to supernatural forces
- 21Revitalization MovementReligious movements that create a new way of life for a group
- 22Cargo CultsProphets claim to know certain rituals that will bring wealth in revitalization movement
- 23ReligionThree components:
Belief in a spirit that created everything
Connections b/w supernatural powers, the natural world, and living people
Practices that control or interacts with supernatural powers - 24Religion vs. MagicReligion- rapport and subordination with supernatural beings
Magic- Rites and control over supernatural beings - 25Imitative MagicAlso called sympathetic magic. Manipulates a representation of an object or person and alters it in the desired way in the hope that the action will be imitated on the real thing
- 26Contagious MagicAlso called homeopathic magic. To use something that is connected to the person like hair, clothing, or nails and manipulate it in the hope that it will affect the subject