Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in...

Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today (33 marks) Functionalists have put forward their perspective on religion and how it benefits both society and the individual starting with how religion brings people together harmoniously, creating social cohesion and a sense of belonging as people believe in the same thing and all abide by the same rules. Religion creates and maintains a value consensus whilst giving society social order. By conforming to religious beliefs this allows us to gain morals and therefore Functionalists see religion as a positive aspect to society. Durkheim defines religion as â€Å"a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things†. He says all societies†¦show more content†¦In his view it serves psychological functions for individuals helping them cope with emotional stress that would undermine social solidarity. He argues that death is the main reason for religious beliefs and identifies two types of situations: where the outcome is important but uncontrollable and thus uncertain and at times of life crises events such as birth, death etc. religion helps to minimise disruption. Bellah said civil religions integrates society in ways that individual can’t as it’s able to unite a nation. For example in USA American civil religion involves loyalty to the nation state and belief in God. It is expressed in many ways such as the national anthem and allegiance to the flag. Parsons says that religion helps people to deal with things that are unforeseen and have outcomes that cannot be changed. There are essential functions of religion in society it creates and legitimates society’s values. It achieves this by sacralising core values such as individualism, meritocracy and self-discipline which promotes value consensus. Religion also provides a primary source of meaning answering ultimate questions about life which helps people to adjust to adverse events and maintain stability. However, Durkheims analysis has been criticised as he only looked at small pre-industrial societies so his views do not apply to complex modern societies. Also he fails to account for theShow MoreRelatedAssess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today965 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today (33 marks) There are a variety of different definitions of religion including substantive definitions, which refers to focusing on the content or substance of a religious belief such as God, functional definitions, which refers to religion in terms of the social or psychological functions it carries out for the individual and there are also social constructionist definitions which focus on how members of society actuallyRead Morecrime and deviance4817 Words   |  20 Pagesï » ¿ SCLY4 Crime and Deviance with Theories Methods Past Papers Use the following past papers to practise your exam writing techniques and aid your revision. Make sure you look at the mark scheme for each question to assess your answer. Also check the ‘model answers’ from students to see where good AO1 and AO2 marks were scored. Crime and Deviance Different theories of crime, deviance, social order and social control. The social distribution of crime and deviance by ageRead MoreContemporary Applications of Schools in Psychology8487 Words   |  34 Pagesas competing forces, each  perspective  has contributed to our understanding of psychology. Some of the major schools of thought in psychology are Structuralism, Functionalism, Gestalt psychology, Behaviorism, Psychoanalysis and Humanistic Psychology. Each school in psychology followed a certain viewpoint or perspective that defined it and its research and treatment methods. From each distinctive viewpoint there arose unique theories and concepts that can be seen applied widely in various fieldsRead MoreSociology Essay20437 Words   |  82 PagesRelationships Unit 1.7 Social Policy and the Future of Families and Households Module 2 Education Unit 2.1 Introduction to the Sociology of Education Unit 2.2 Developments in Education from the 19th Century to 1997 Unit 2.3 Sociological Theories of Education Unit 2.4 Social Class and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.5 Gender and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.6 Ethnicity and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.7 Government Policy and Education Unit 2.8 Researching Education Module 3 SociologicalRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 PagesOrganization Theory Challenges and Perspectives John McAuley, Joanne Duberley and Phil Johnson . This book is, to my knowledge, the most comprehensive and reliable guide to organisational theory currently available. What is needed is a text that will give a good idea of the breadth and complexity of this important subject, and this is precisely what McAuley, Duberley and Johnson have provided. They have done some sterling service in bringing together the very diverse strands of work that today qualifyRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesSatisfaction 69 Emotions and Moods 97 Personality and Values 131 Perception and Individual Decision Making 165 Motivation Concepts 201 Motivation: From Concepts to Applications 239 3 The Group 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Foundations of Group Behavior 271 Understanding Work Teams 307 Communication 335 Leadership 367 Power and Politics 411 Conflict and Negotiation 445 Foundations of Organization Structure 479 v vi BRIEF CONTENTS 4 The Organization System 16 Organizational Culture 511 17 Human Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in... Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today (33 marks) There are a variety of different definitions of religion including substantive definitions, which refers to focusing on the content or substance of a religious belief such as God, functional definitions, which refers to religion in terms of the social or psychological functions it carries out for the individual and there are also social constructionist definitions which focus on how members of society actually define religion. Functionalists hold a consensus view and argue that society requires both social order and solidarity in order for it to run smoothly, and religion is one way of providing this as it encourages shared norms and values. As†¦show more content†¦However, there are criticisms to this view; Worsley argues that there is no difference between the sacred and profane and his view of totemism would only apply to small scale communities with a single religion, but not larger scale communities with multiple religions as there are commonly conflicts between them, meaning there is no longer social order and solidarity. Malinowski argues that religion promotes social order and solidarity through it psychological functions, which helps individuals who are going through hardship therefore preventing them from going against society’s shared norms and values. Malinowski suggested two different types of situation in which religion helps to perform this role. One way is when the outcome is important but is uncontrollable – he compared the differences between two different ways of fishing when carrying out a study in the Western Pacific, he argued that lagoon fishing is predictable, safe and has a more successful method of catching fish meaning there is no ritual. However, when the islanders were ocean fishing, he identified it as more dangerous and uncertain which required the islanders to carry out rituals in order to ensure their safety whilst fishing. Malinowski argued that the ritual gave the islanders a sense of control and more confidence,Show MoreRelatedAssess the usefulness of functi onalist theories in understanding religion today920 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today (33 marks) Functionalists have put forward their perspective on religion and how it benefits both society and the individual starting with how religion brings people together harmoniously, creating social cohesion and a sense of belonging as people believe in the same thing and all abide by the same rules. Religion creates and maintains a value consensus whilst giving society social order. By conforming to religiousRead Morecrime and deviance4817 Words   |  20 Pagesï » ¿ SCLY4 Crime and Deviance with Theories Methods Past Papers Use the following past papers to practise your exam writing techniques and aid your revision. Make sure you look at the mark scheme for each question to assess your answer. Also check the ‘model answers’ from students to see where good AO1 and AO2 marks were scored. Crime and Deviance Different theories of crime, deviance, social order and social control. The social distribution of crime and deviance by ageRead MoreContemporary Applications of Schools in Psychology8487 Words   |  34 Pagesas competing forces, each  perspective  has contributed to our understanding of psychology. Some of the major schools of thought in psychology are Structuralism, Functionalism, Gestalt psychology, Behaviorism, Psychoanalysis and Humanistic Psychology. Each school in psychology followed a certain viewpoint or perspective that defined it and its research and treatment methods. From each distinctive viewpoint there arose unique theories and concepts that can be seen applied widely in various fieldsRead MoreSociology Essay20437 Words   |  82 PagesRelationships Unit 1.7 Social Policy and the Future of Families and Households Module 2 Education Unit 2.1 Introduction to the Sociology of Education Unit 2.2 Developments in Education from the 19th Century to 1997 Unit 2.3 Sociological Theories of Education Unit 2.4 Social Class and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.5 Gender and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.6 Ethnicity and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.7 Government Policy and Education Unit 2.8 Researching Education Module 3 SociologicalRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 PagesOrganization Theory Challenges and Perspectives John McAuley, Joanne Duberley and Phil Johnson . This book is, to my knowledge, the most comprehensive and reliable guide to organisational theory currently available. What is needed is a text that will give a good idea of the breadth and complexity of this important subject, and this is precisely what McAuley, Duberley and Johnson have provided. They have done some sterling service in bringing together the very diverse strands of work that today qualifyRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesSatisfaction 69 Emotions and Moods 97 Personality and Values 131 Perception and Individual Decision Making 165 Motivation Concepts 201 Motivation: From Concepts to Applications 239 3 The Group 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Foundations of Group Behavior 271 Understanding Work Teams 307 Communication 335 Leadership 367 Power and Politics 411 Conflict and Negotiation 445 Foundations of Organization Structure 479 v vi BRIEF CONTENTS 4 The Organization System 16 Organizational Culture 511 17 Human