5 midterm (structuralism) Flashcards
what did Structuralism emerged out of
School of thought that emerged out of the field of linguistics
what is structuralism
Analyzes large-scale systems by examining the function of smaller elements, e.g., how a cultural system can be deduced by decoding its interactive system of signs: elucidate the underlying rules and conventions of language to determine and decode the structure of a culture
what was Claude Lévi-Strauss
Structuralist
what did Claude Lévi-Strauss do
focused on “deep structures” embedded in myths and rituals
what are deep structures
deep structures = the unconscious infrastructure of a cultural phenomenon revealed through its stories
what was Claude Lévi-Strauss’ motto
Motto: get at deep structures through a culture’s surface expressions
how did Claude Lévi-Strauss get at deep structures through a culture’s surface expressions
Lévi-Strauss did this by contrasting categories in myths described in your text in terms of “bipolar structures in tension with each other”, e.g., male-female, left- right, sky-earth, nature-culture (Rodrigues & Harding, p. 62). Myths function to resolve these tensions
what was Victor Turner
Structuralist
what did Victor Turner do
American anthropologist famous for his analysis of “rites of passage,” transitional states in religious practice that speak to issues of apprenticeship, maturation, and integration
what did Victor Turner say that rituals indicate
a “liminal” state of transition, from a conventional structure of society to a community structure that embodies the ethos that underpins the liminal state, “communitas”
what are communitas
(shared values of a specific worldview):
what is the liminal state of transition
- conventional society –
2. liminality & communitas – 3. religious institution
The study of religion includes the study what
literate and non-literate societies
why do anthropologists examine rituals and orally transmitted myths
The study of religion includes the study of literate and non-literate societies. That’s why anthropologists examine rituals and orally transmitted myths. They reveal things about religious beliefs and practices excluded from sacred texts.
Example of Contemporary Sociology of Religion
secularization
Sociology built on the preoccupation with the process
of what
“modernization” and “secularization”
what is the Theory of Secularization
Society has, since the 19th century, become increasingly secular, which means religion is consistently losing its grip as alternative explanations take precedence in terms of explaining the meaning and function of human society
The traditional view of secularization was held up until when
held up until the 1960s
what was secularization su[ported by
Supported by the “criticism of religion” of classical sociology and its various restatements
what approach did Peter Berger’s have
Contemporary Sociological approach
what was Peter Berger’s view
view of the “sacred canopy” somewhat embodies the presupposition of the traditional secularization thesis
what did Peter Berger think Religion (a religious worldview) serves as
sacred canopy protecting a religious
As the religious group faces the challenges of secular life and assimilates, the canopy begins to what (Peter Berger)
erode
does Berger still accept this thesis
Berger now rejects this thesis and argues that religion isn’t going away with the increase of secular consciousness. On a global scale, religions, especially religious fundamentalisms, are actually on the rise.
