Beliefs In Society - Functionalist View Of Religion

Question 1

What is religion vital for?

Answer 1

Maintaining social cohesion and solidarity.

Question 2

Durkheim - the sacred and the profane

Answer 2

One of the main purposes of religion is to differentiate between the sacred (things that are special because they are the product of a higher power/ supernatural being) and the profane (things that are ordinary, average and have no special meaning or purpose).

Question 3

Durkheim - totemism

Answer 3

The essence of a religion can be found in studying its simplest form in the simplest type of society.
He studies the Arunta Aboriginal tribe - consist of bands of kin who come together periodically to worship a scared totem.
The totem is the clan’s emblem in the form of an animal or plant to represent the clans origins and identity.
These rituals reinforce the clans sense of belonging and solidarity.

Question 4

Durkheim - collective conscious

Answer 4

Sacred symbols represent societies collective conscience.
A collective conscience is the shared norms, values, beliefs and knowledge that make social living possible.
Durkheim believed that regular religious rituals reinforce the collective conscience and maintain social integration reminding people that they share a common moral outlook to which they owe loyalty.
Religion also helps the individual feel part of something bigger than themselves.