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Religions influence on society
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Reasons Why Sociologists Disagree on Religion
What is religion? How can you define it? Can you give it one universal
definition? Highly unlikely, as religion can be, and has been, defined
in many ways. It can be called a belief in some kind of supernatural
power by one person, then a set of moral values that guide action by
another. It all depends on the simple fact of from what viewpoint you
are looking at religion from.
Durkheim defines religion as shared beliefs and practices that unites
communities and creates social solidarity. Durkheim studied Australian
Aborigines. The Aborigines each had a totem, be it a plant, animal or
object. This totem was a symbol of both their God and their clan. In
other words they were worshipping their God on a conscious level and
themselves on a sub-conscious one. What he’s trying to say is that
it’s not a belief in supernatural powers, but a certain admiration and
respect for what that group of people considers sacred, which could
be anything. This view has been criticised for being too broad,
allowing anything to be sacred, eg, football. Football has become what
you could call a ‘national religion’ in the UK. Millions of fans
follow the game, attending every game as if it were some sort of
religious ritual. These people might miss Church every Sunday but make
sure they attend every match their team plays without fail. The
stadium has become their Church where they stand in worship of their
‘Gods’. However even the sacred may lose it’s sacred status.
Hamilton found that in Italy people directed their prayers at statues
of the saints, if the people had been praying for pro-longed periods
of time without having their prayers answered the statues were tipped
on their heads and whipped. The same goes for football, if a player
scores a winning goal he is considered a God, if he misses a winning
shot then he is immediately shot down. This in effect shows that
people tailor their ‘religion’ to suit their needs, showing respect
Religion is considered as a pervasive force in this world. It shapes people as to how they behave and interact with almost everything present in the society. Influencing behavior, character formations, ideals, policies, standards are just among the dimensions and societal perspectives affected and impacted by religion. Because of these applications and implications in human lives and existence, religion should be understood deeply, particularly, on how it affects the world. Looking at the American perspective of the term "religion," it could be simply
... type, for the reason that this is what actual reasoning is. In the end, Durkheim's sociology of wisdom seems at risk to as a minimum as many experiential doubts as his sociology of religion. This may be further elucidated by the following words: “Yet if there is one truth that history has incontrovertibly settled, it is that religion extends over an ever-diminishing area of social life. Originally, it extended to everything; everything social was religious-- the two words were synonymous. ... This [weakening of religion] did not begin at any precise moment in history, but one can follow the phases of its development from the very origins of social evolution…. [Meaning] that the average intensity of the common consciousness is itself weakening" Reference "Elementary Forms of the Religion Life” by Emile Durkheim in High Points in Anthropology Second Edition, page 254
Many people believe that there is one definition of religion. However, not every religion has the same beliefs. People have developed their own interpretation of religion. According to four philosophers: Otto, Marx, Freud, and Tillich, each theory is different from the other.
When beginning to look at religions and cultures and their intertwining effect on each other, you can see that a religion shapes society, and equally society shapes religion. When comparing the theories of two popular anthropologists, Durkheim and Geertz, I believe that Geertz’s theory is more realistic and reliable than Durkheim’s theory. Durkheim’s theory says that religion is a joined community effort that brings people together like a social glue, and uses the definitions of the sacred and profane to distinguish what makes things religious. On the other side, Geertz’s theory holds that religion is a cultural organization, and showed that religion and society can have an impact on each other, and religion is a set symbols of that promote an emotional response, ultimate meaning, ordering of the world, and marks a special status in one’s life. When examining both theories I saw that Geertz’s theory challenges Durkheim’s theory in the definitions of the sacred and profane, Durkheim’s view of religion as a social glue of society, and Durkheim’s neglection of the individual’s use of religion impacting society.
Religion is a symbolic representation of society. The sociological approach to religious belief looks at how society behaves on a whole, to answer the question, “Why are people religious?” We express our participation in religious events through plays, acts of confession, religious dances, etc. To begin to understand why we have such term, let’s understand the common elements of religion. There are different types in which people believe in or follow and that is: animatism, animism, ancestral spirits, god and goddesses, and minor supernatural beings. Beyond these different elements, such one is to have religious leaders to follow.
In today’s culture, dominated by being right and shunning anyone who dares to oppose that right option, society is in a constant game of who can convert the most people to their beliefs. Since there were people to debate about it, even before there were Twitter memes of Kim Davis to retweet or website articles like The Plan For Muslim World Dominance, religion has been a staple topic to be right about. As society appears to be falling apart at its seams, it is time to set pride aside and find common ground. As a nation of immigrates, Americans live side-by-side with Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. No longer do public schools have Christian-based daily pray, and almost 10% of the 114th Congress consists of religions other than Christianity. It is time the world’s people found their
What is religion? Each person’s definition of religion is different. Each person’s faith is different. This is a question that has been asked for centuries, and regardless of the answer given there is no right or wrong answer. Religion can be defined as a group of people who have shared beliefs who feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning can come from outside of themselves, as well as within. Taking this one step further, these shared beliefs put into action in the form of worship, can be easily identified because they happen regularly. It can be said the Primal religions were in fact not religions. Some may argue Confucianism is not a religion. Others may say Taoism is not a religion. However, one argument can be made. All three of these “religions” share “features.” Huston Smith, author of World’s Religions, says “six features of religion appear so regularly as to suggest that their seeds are in the human makeup.” These six features discussed in World’s Religions are as follows: authority, ritual, explanation, tradition, grace, and mystery (World’s, Page 67). First is authority, Smith argues religion is so complex that people will need assistance or guidance from those held in a higher light, or of a higher authority. Next is ritual, which can be happy (a wedding) or sad (a funeral), rituals are shared between people of the same religion in many forms as a sign of common beliefs. Following rituals, some explanation is required. Many of a religion’s followers ask for explanations, some ask, “What is my purpose in life?” Others may ask, “Who is God?” Depending on one’s religion, the questions or
The sociology of religion is the study of the beliefs, practices and organizational forms of religion using the tools and methods of the discipline of sociology. Thus, the purpose of this comprehensive exam is to give me an opportunity to demonstrate mastery over relevant theories, methods, and empirical findings in major subfields of the sociology of religion. This reading list also provides a strong foundation in the central theoretical perspectives, main classic and current debates, and prominent published empirical studies in the field. Hence, this reading list includes a core set of readings to which we most often refer in our studies and enables comprehensive analyses about the
As said by Yale professor of psychology and cognitive science, "Religion and science will always clash." Science and religion are both avenues to explain how life came into existence. However, science uses evidence collected by people to explain the phenomenon while religion is usually based off a belief in a greater power which is responsible for the creation of life. The characters Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth in Nathaniel Hawthorne 's novel, The Scarlet Letter, represent religion and science, respectively, compared to the real world debate between science and religion. Roger Chillingworth is a physician who is associated with science. (ch. 9; page 107) "...made [Roger Chillingworth] extensively acquainted with the medical science of the day... Skillful men, of the medical and chirurgical profession, were of rare occurrence in the colony...They seldom... partook of the religious zeal that brought other emigrants across the Atlantic." The people of the Puritan community traveled across the Atlantic for religious reasons, and because men affiliated with medical science did not tend to practice religion, they rarely inhabited this community. Chillingworth, falling under the category of "skillful men of the medical and chirurgical profession," would not be expected to reside in this community. The narrator through emphasizes this with his rhetorical questioning, "Why, with such a rank in the learned world, had he come hither? What could he, whose sphere was in great cities, be seeking in the wilderness?" These questions demonstrate that it was so strange for Chillingworth to appear in this community because of his association with science. Perhaps, the phrase "with such rank in the learned world" could yield the narra...
“The changing meanings of religion. Sociological theories of religion in the perspective of the last 100 years” is a research article written by Irena Borowik and the final version of the same was published in March of 2011. This article is targeted to other sociologists and academics of similar branches. Borowik states that the purpose of the article lies in discussing the conceptual framework for defining religion from a sociological perspective. In her article Borowik start by discussing when and how the first impression of religion from a sociological perspective appeared, and how such reflection on religion in the framework of sociology may be organized in a way that highlights dominant characteristics. According to Borowik the sociological
The importance of fans is vital because in addition to skill talent and hardwork, fans greatly affect how a team performs in their games. They affect the way a player plays because fans have a way of getting into their players heads and the opponent's head, even the referees are affected by the fans and we rarely notice the importance. In 2001 a Sports Ethics article “ The Ideal Fan” by Myles Dichter he explains the importance of fans and connection between fans
Sport fans, sometimes also called sport devotees, followers, or supporters, are persons who are enthusiastically devoted to a particular athlete, team or sport. They may show their enthusiasm by often attending sporting events or watch on television, being members of a fan club, follow sport news through newspapers, online websites, and creating fanzines. Their disposition is often such that they will experience a game or event by living through their favored players or teams. These behaviors manifest itself in different ways. To enable better understanding of these behavioral patterns, we have to classify these sports fans into groups based on their devotion to teams: fair-weather fans, bandwagon and the super-fans.
Religion, “part of the human experience that has to do with a god or gods, a higher power, or the ultimate values of life” (Cason & Tillman 6-7), is one of the most controversial and interesting subjects for humanity. It has been around for as long as anyone can recall and they have difference and similarities in their founders, beliefs, and history. Religion has served to give some sort of a meaning to life and everything around it. In modern society, some religions have grown and expanded significantly. These larger religions have been classified as world religions. In addition, these world religions have been split into two categories known as Eastern and Western religion.
In many indigenous cultures, many tribes believed in the concept of totemism to serve as a reminder of their ancestral lineage and that they are being spiritually guided
During the European industrialization, theorist Émile Durkheim was the first to analyze religion in terms of societal impact. Durkheim defined religion as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things” (Keirns, N. et al, p. 337, 2012). In terms of society, Durkheim overall believed that religion is about community: It binds people together (social cohesion), promotes behavior consistency (social control), and offers strength for people during life’s tribulations (meaning and purpose) (Keirns, N. et al, p. 337, 2012). He held that the source of religion is the collective mind-set of society and that this cohesive bond of social order resulted from common values in a society (Keirns, N. et al, p. 337, 2012). Additionally, he contended that these values need to be maintained to sustain social stability (Keirns, N. et al, p. 337,