Assess The Functionalist View That Religion Benefits Both Society As A Whole And Its Individual Members
Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the functionalist view that religion benefits both society as a whole and its individual members.
Functionalists believe that society is similar to a living organism and that all social institutions perform specific functions in order to help society function effectively. They believe that religion contributes to value consensus and social integration. For example Durkheim sees religion as a method for integrating individuals into a community by instilling into them a set of shared beliefs that gives them a feeling of belonging.
Emile Durkheim studied a clan society called the Arunta, he explains that the collective worship of the sacred totem unified society. He explained that their totem is sacred, it inspired feelings of wonder and awe due to the fact it is different to every other normal, profane item. Durkheim believes that the key feature of religion was not merely a belief in gods or higher powers, but the difference between the sacred and mundane. Durkheim continues to say that whatever religion sees to be sacred, must be seen to represent society itself, therefore when one worships a sacred symbol, one is worshiping society itself. This shows that religion is a means of uniting all people and tribes, through a consensus. …show more content…
Durkheim's views are more appropriate for small, non-literate, mono cultural societies with close integration. His views are less relevant to modern societies, which have many subcultures and ethnic
Functionalists believe that society is similar to a living organism and that all social institutions perform specific functions in order to help society function effectively. They believe that religion contributes to value consensus and social integration. For example Durkheim sees religion as a method for integrating individuals into a community by instilling into them a set of shared beliefs that gives them a feeling of belonging.
Emile Durkheim studied a clan society called the Arunta, he explains that the collective worship of the sacred totem unified society. He explained that their totem is sacred, it inspired feelings of wonder and awe due to the fact it is different to every other normal, profane item. Durkheim believes that the key feature of religion was not merely a belief in gods or higher powers, but the difference between the sacred and mundane. Durkheim continues to say that whatever religion sees to be sacred, must be seen to represent society itself, therefore when one worships a sacred symbol, one is worshiping society itself. This shows that religion is a means of uniting all people and tribes, through a consensus. …show more content…
Durkheim's views are more appropriate for small, non-literate, mono cultural societies with close integration. His views are less relevant to modern societies, which have many subcultures and ethnic