What is religion?

Question 1

three main ways in which scoiologists define religion

Answer 1

substantive
functonal
social constructionist

Question 2

Substantive definitions

Answer 2

-focus on content or substance of religious beliefs such as belief in God
Weber Defines religions as belief in a superior cannot be explained scientifically.
They are exclusive draw a clear distinction between relgiious and non relgiious beliefs, to be religious a set of beleifs must include a belief in God
they conform to a widespread view of relgiion as belief in God however defining religion leaves no room

Question 3

criticisms of substantive definitions

Answer 3

accused of western bias as they exclude religions such as buddhism which dont have western idea of God

Question 4

Functional Definitions

Answer 4

social or pyschoogical functions it performs for individuals or society
Durkheim-contribution to social integration
Yinger-religion performs for individuals such as answering ultimate questions about meanings of life
They are inclusive allwoing us to include a wide range of bleiefs and practices that perform functions such as integration. no bias against non western religions

however jsut because an instituion helps integrate individuals into groups does not make it a religion for instance collective chanting at football

Question 5

Constructionist Definitions

Answer 5

take an intepretivist approach that focuses on how members of society themselves define religion they argue that it is not possible to produce a single universal definition of religion to cover all cases since in reality different individuals and groups mean very different things by religion

Focus on how definitions are constructed challenged-Alan Aldridge shows for its followers scientology is a religion whereas several goverments denied its legal status as a relgion and sought to ban it. this shows definitions of religion can be contested and influenced by who has power to define situation

Question 6

pos/disadv of constructionist definition

Answer 6

Do not assume that relgiion always involvs a beleif in God or supernatural it eprforms imilar functions for everyone in all societies.Their approach allows them to get close to meaanings people themselves give to religion.

However this makes it impossible to generalise about the nature of religion since poeple may have widely differing views about what counts as reliigon