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20mark Essay Plan - Consensus vs Conflict
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A grade essay plan on whether Religion promotes consensus or conflict. includes detailed evaluation, key names and examples.
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Amy DavidsonEvaluate the view that the role of religion is to create social solidarity and
consensus rather than creatng confictt
Introduction
- Consensus: Functionalism
- Social Solidarity: people are brought together in agreement.
- Conflict: Mariism and Feminism
Functionalist
Functionalists see religion as something that inhibits changeg but they view this as a good thing:
creating and maintaining value consensusg social order and solidarity.
- Durkheim
o Religion is important in achieving a value consensus as it provides a set of beliefs
and practices which unite people togetherg therefore creating social solidarity and
stability.
o People develop a collective conscienceg a shared knowledge of what is right and
wrongg moral tiesg sense of identity through ritualsg worshipping and ceremonies
which act as social glue creating social solidarity and bringing people together.
o However it is argued that increasing diversity has fragmented the collective
conscienceg so there is no longer a shared value system for religion to reinforce.
Therefore how can religion be used to create consensus.
o Totemism: Aboriginal Tribeg worship totem which is a sacred item (things that
members regard as special) as it represents the tribeg its origin and identity. By
worshipping the totem they are worshipping their society. Such rituals act as
social glueg building bonds between people.
o Difficult to apply to large scale communitiesg where two or more religions are in
conflictg as it does nothing to help promote orderg value consensus and social
stability.
- Bellah
o Even in modern societies there are religions such as Civil religion (secular symbols,
rituals, etc.) creates social cohesion.
o Brings about a collective feeling that generates a collective identity e.g.
Nationalism, 羀ootball).
Functionalists see religion as part of the organic analogy. Without rules and guidelines people
would not have common belief about right and wrong behaviour therefore there would not be a
consensus. Thus suggesting religions main role is to create social cohesion.
- Parsons
o Emphasises role of religion as providing core value and social norms.
o Lays down guidelines for individuals e.g. The 10 Commandments, Buddhism 5
Precepts, Islamic 4 Pillars.
o Religion helps integrate people into a communityg maintaining a consensus.
o However functionalists ignore religion as a source of division and conflictg where
there is religious pluralismg making it hard to see how it can help integrate and
unite people.
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