The Challenges of Sociology to

1
The Challenges of Sociology to

• Religious Belief

2
What is Sociology?

• The study of human society

Sociologists examine the structure, development
and behaviour of different groups of people.
Some Sociologists attempt to explain the
existence of religion in society
Some Sociologists study the effects of religion
on society
3
Particularly examining the work of

• Emile Durkheim
• Max Weber
• Karl Marx

4
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Durkheim was a Functionalist. This means that he
was interested in the function played by religion
in society as a means of binding people
together
5
What is religion?

• Durkheim defined religion as a unified system of
  beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.
• He believed that sacred things are at the heart
  of every religion.
• A sacred object has a special quality that sets
  it apart from ordinary things.
• Sacredness may be associated with a physical
  object, gods or concepts such as life after death.

6
Pics cross, kangha, prayer
7
Religion also involves rituals

• These tend to follow a set pattern
• They are performed by a group of people
• Examples include tribal dances, public prayers,
  Holy Communion

8
Durkheims research work
The totemic principle the idea that an object
or animal is raised to sacred status within a
society.

• Aboriginal tribes
• Divided into smaller groups of extended families
  clans
• Each clan associated with a totem (usually animal
  or plant)
• Each clan identified with the power of that totem
• The totem was the focus of worship

9
From this, Durkheim concluded that the clan
itself was the source of the sacredness

• The god of the clan, the totemic principle, can
  therefore be nothing else than the clan itself,
  personified and represented to the imagination
  under the visible form of the animal vegetable
  which serves as the totem.
• Emile Durkheim The Elementary Forms of the
  Religious Life 1915

10

• The sacred force that surrounds the totem is the
  same as that surrounding the gods or spirits in
  more advanced societies
• The focus of worship is therefore society itself
• This explains why society has enormous power over
  individuals
• We feel we must behave in a socially acceptable
  manner
• If we go against the rules of society we will be
  victimised and this will affect our chances of
  survival
• We therefore accept the demands of society
  although we do not necessarily want to follow its
  demands because they often clash with our own
  desires
• We feel the weight of societys expectations as
  an external pressure rather than a desire that
  comes from within us
• Sacred images are collective representations of
  the moral constraints which we experience in our
  relations with others
• The fact that there are different moral
  expectations is a reflection of the fact that
  there are different societies

11
What is the Function of Religion for Society?

• As a functionalist Durkheim took the view that
  religion served a function within society all
  religions acted in a similar way to bind
  individuals together

12

• The rituals of religion hold people together
• When people gather together for a ritual they
  experience a renewed desire to follow the demands
  of the religion (society).
• Ritual are as necessary for the well working of
  our moral life as our food is for the maintenance
  of our physical life for it is through them that
  the group affirms and maintains itself.
• The content or type of ritual is immaterial a
  Roman Catholic Mass has the same meaning as an
  Aboriginal gathering
• The essential thing is that people are
  assembled and sentiments are felt in common and
  expressed in common acts.

13
Durkheim also argued that

• The specific object of worship does not matter
• As societies progress traditional religious
  beliefs will be replaced by special people
  (Princess Diana?, superstars?), symbols (the
  American flag?) or concepts (human rights?)

14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
How much of a challenge does Durkheim pose to
religious belief?

• If Durkheim is right, the existence of God is not
  necessary to explain the existence of religious
  rituals
• God does not exist except as a symbol to
  represent the will of society
• Durkheim does not seem to have any objection to
  the notion of God in itself he does not attempt
  to disprove God but does believe that religion
  is a representation of society

20
Evaluation of Durkheim

• Strengths
• Durkheim is able to account for the wide variety
  of religions
• It also accounts for the fact that most people in
  a society tend to share a set of beliefs
• Religion is acknowledged as playing vital role
  in encouraging social solidarity
• Rituals remind people of the power of society
• There is evidence to suggest that totems are
  closely connected to the core values of a society
• Durkheim explains why religion is practised in
  groups the collective worship of a group is
  believed to benefit individuals

• Weaknesses
• Durkheim still has not explained how religion
  originated. Rather than society determining
  religion it may be that religion influences how
  society is organised
• Some question Durkheims work with Aboriginal
  tribes there is no proof that the totem is the
  representation of the clan it could be sacred
  for some other reason
• Religion does not always seem to embody the
  values of society. The Prophet Muhammad rejected
  society in Mecca
• Religion can create divisions within society just
  as well as unite
• Durkheim defines religion too broadly (by
  including allegiance to a national flag as a
  religious act he may be missing the essence of
  religion