PERSPECTIVE KEY IDEAS KEY THEORISTS/THINKERS SUPPORTING CRITICISMS/LIMITATIONS
EVIDENCE
Functionalism • Focus on positive DURKHEIM: • Religious practice • Ignores dysfunctional role – can be a
role of religion and Believed that religion was a set of myths and imaginary forces and belief are not source of conflict
its contribution to but functioned to bring about social order in societies… the same thing, 2011 • Ignores frequent example of internal
meeting societies Totemism studied Australian Aboriginals, as he believed to census suggests that divisions within a community
needs understand key role of religion we must study most simple more of the UK’s • Gives little consideration to hostility
• Helps to create form. Each aboriginal clan had its own unique totem, which population between different religious groups
social solidarity was considered sacred. Collective conscience. without a subscribes to some • Bruce (2002) pointed out that the
through collective collective conscience there would be no society, religion sort of religious decline of religious practice in Western
worship strengthens unity of the group and promotes social solidarity belief societies and have argued that it is
• Religion can and holds society together – social groups come together. • Religious beliefs now difficult to see how religion can socialize
prevent anomie Anomie. Durkheim feared this would happen in modern viewed by society as the majority of societies members in
• Religious rite of society, where religion is arguably declining social values morality and social intergradations
passages BUT – based on a small number of aboriginal groups, Dawson • Religion remains
ceremonies (2011) field work that he relies on is of doubtful validity extremely powerful
minimise any globally, particularly
potential social MALINOWSKI: outside Western
disruption created Religion functions to appease the stress and anxieties created Europe
by life crises by life crises, which have the potential to cause disruption.
• Religion provides Religious rites of passage ceremonies evolved to minimise
moral guidelines, a disruption. Trobriand islanders performed religious
means of adjusting ceremonies before going fishing, so any deaths at see where
to events that perceived as god chosen
cannot be BUT – exaggerates the importance of religious rituals. Tambiah
predicted or (1990) rituals are simply related to the maintenance of
controlled prestige in that society
• Religion may
function by giving a BELLAH (NEO-FUNC):
higher meaning and Defined civil religion as a belief system that induces a mass
purpose to events response, with similar levels of passion, dedication as that
that have potential found in mainstream religions. Dominating the USA in the form
to disrupt societies of ‘Americanism’ which he argues can be seen in most parts of
American life and has integrating effects
BUT – too unclear and vague, Moosa (2010) doesn’t benefit all
American’s equally – had to be white and Christian to
automatically have a God
PARSONS:
Three major functions: 1) provides moral guidelines, can be
socialised by priests, imams and so on when attending
religious institutions, in education etc. they often underpin
legal systems (generalisation), 2) religion provides a means of
, adjusting to events that cannot be predicted or controlled and
that may disrupt social order, 3) applies a higher meaning and
purpose to events that have potential to disrupt society.
BUT – too much emphasis on the role of religion, fails to
examine role of religion in maintaining patriarchy, doesn’t
examine religions role in maintaining capitalism
Classical • Religion as a means CONTROL: • Pentecostalism is a • Evidence suggests that religion does not
Marxism of controlling the Marx saw religion as a series of myths that justify and contemporary always legitimate power, not simply a
working class, acts legitimate the subordination of the proletariat and domination example of a religion justification of privilege
as an ideology of the bourgeoise. Promotes idea that class system is good that emphasises • McGuire (2002) relationship between
• Religion acts as an chosen, preventing proletarian revolution. “The rich man in his sobriety and hard religion and social change is more
‘opium of the castle, the poor man at this gate. God made them high and work, have complex and unpredictable than Marx
people’ by lowly and ordered their estate”. Religion is mainly aimed at conservative claims
disguising convincing the poor and powerless that their position is God’s teachings, support • Doesn’t explain why religion continues
exploitation will and that they will be compensated in the afterlife status quo to exist when in theory oppression has
• Method of keeping come to an end. Existence of
the upper class in ‘OPIUM’ OF THE PEOPLE: communism in USSR did not eradicate
power, through Dull the pain of oppression through: 1) promising a paradise of religion
legitimising social eternal bliss in life after death, 2) viewing suffering as simply a • Social control is functional
inequality trial from God, 3) offer hope of supernatural intervention to
solve problems on earth, 4) justifies social order and an
individuals position within it
KEEPS UPPER CLASS IN CONTROL:
Instrument of oppression. Christianity preaches
‘submissiveness and humbleness’ to the proletariat. Offering
an illusion of hope in hopeless situation, it prevents thoughts
of overthrowing the system so in this way it acts as
conservative force in society
Neo-Marxism • Dominant class is GRAMSCI
not only dominant • He believed that hegemony was extremely influential because the subordinate class were subjected to ideological influences but he
in economic terms didn’t believe that this meant that the poor and powerless were totally hypnotised
of wealth, property • Instead they experienced a dual consciousness, meaning they may support the ruling class in the face of an external threat to the
and income but country but retained their self respect by subscribing to political outlooks and practices based on everyday experience
also politically and • Gramsci acknowledged the state-sanctioned religions such as the Church of England or Catholic Church often served the interests of
culturally the state and ruling class.
• Hegemony was • However, Gramsci also argued that non-hegemonic religious ideas and practices could independently emerge from the superstructure.
influential because MADURO
subordinate class • Developed Gramsci’s ideas further, religious ideas might actually promote social change and override ruling class ideology
were subjected to • Argued some religious leaders are charismatic leaders and led by conscious, who eventually raise the consciousness of their followers
, ideological • Used the idea of liberation theology, catholic priests developed this in Central and South America in response to the failure of the
influences Vatican to respond critically to the oppression of the poor by right wing dictators
• Many of the
subordinate class
experienced dual
consciousness
• Religion can
sometimes
promote social
change and
override ruling class
ideology
Feminism • Male domination SIMONE DE BEAVIOUR (1953) • Fang-Long Shih • In some cases, radical feminists have not
can be seen in • Religion acts for women in a similar way as suggested by (2010) refers to backed up their views with detailed
many religious Marx for the oppressor classes. research which research, in other cases the validity and
teachings about • Religion serves as a way of compensating for women’s suggests that, even representativeness of the research may
women and men, in second class status, Beaviour notes that men have with increasing be open to question
the leadership generally exercised control over religious beliefs in numbers of women • Radical feminists are not particularly
structures of different faiths and use divine authority to support their ordinated within the sensitive to the ways in which women
religious dominance. CofE, relatively little may find space within or use apparently
institutions and • Religions gives women, like Marx’s proletariat, the false has changed and patriarchal religions to further their own
practices belief that they will be compensated for their suffering on sexist attitudes interests
• Religion can be earth by equality in heaven within the Church • Some liberal feminists have identified
seen as patriarchal remain strong certain religions e.g. Quakerism that are
through the MARY DARLY AND GODDESS RELIGION • Statistical evidence not clearly or strongly patriarchal
organisation, laws • Strongly influenced by de Beauvior and agreed that suggests that there
and customs, religion was oppressive is still a long way to
sacred texts and • Religion such as Christianity have proclaimed that the go before women
places of worship subordination of women is God’s will achieve equality,
which often places • God is portrayed as a man and as a Father – ‘one sex within the CofE e.g.
one in subordinate symbolism’ women made up
positions • Religion tells believers that redemption comes through 12% of senior staff
prayer not through actively trying to change the situation and in 2015 only
and abolish exploitation 19%
• Daly argued for a new feminist spirituality, this sets of
spiritually can come from within women themselves and
can lead to the revolutionary overthrow of dominant,
male gods.
• Linda Woodhead (2007) describes the Goddess feminist
movement as seeking ‘to honor the divine feminine in
their own lives and in wider societies. It is committed to
the empowerment of women
