Assess the Functionalist View That Religion Benefits Both Society as a Whole and Its Individual Members.

Item A suggests that dishalists believe righteousness helps to integrate individuals into a comm haleness by instilling into them a set of shared beliefs that gives them a feeling a belonging and a lay area identity. This helps society to cooperate harmoniously creating sociable ropiness as people believe in the same amour and any abide by the same rules. While conforming to religious beliefs this allows us to gain morals, as well as bighearted us a variety of cultures allowing us to put up and assent different theologys. Functionalists see religion as a exacting aspect to society. Durkheim argues that religion functions to reinforce the incarnate unity or social solidarity of a group. He says all societies divorce the man into the sacred and the profane. His view on sacred symbols represents societys collective sense which is the shared norms, values beliefs and knowledge that make social feel possible without such consciousness it would crumble. While aliv e(p) in shared rituals binds individuals together reminding them that they are a infract of a community. The individual sees religion performing a world-shaking function allowing them to feel apart of society and seeing that religion strengthens us to face lifes trials and motivates us to overcome obstacles that would otherwise subject us.

Durkheim employ the religion of Aborigines to develop his argument. He calls their religion totemism, as apiece clan of aborigines had a sacred symbol called a totem which was a symbol of their gods and of their society. Therefore, he argues the people are sincerely worshipping society. However, Durkheims summary has been criticised as he only look ed at bantam pre-industrial societies so hi! s views do not apply to complex modern-day societies. in like manner he fails to account for the growth of new religions some of which stand the norms and values current at the time, for example the Amish. Like Durkheim Malinowski sees religion as reinforcing social norms and promoting social...If you wish to get a fully essay, order it on our website: OrderEssay.net

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