7.1.3

Social Stability & Religion

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Functionalism and Religion

Functionalists believe that religion creates social stability.

Secondary socialisation

Secondary socialisation

  • Durkheim believed that religion creates a collective conscience through secondary socialisation. 
  • Religion acts as part of secondary socialisation, it teaches its followers the norms and values of society.
  • By performing this function, religion reinforces the value consensus creating social order.  
Australian Aborigines

Australian Aborigines

  • Durkheim conducted a study on Australian Aborigines.
  • He found that their religion was based on totemism. 
  • To a community, their chosen sacred symbol represents themselves as a society along with a higher power that protects them.
Collective conscience

Collective conscience

  • Therefore, by worshiping their god, they are also celebrating their own society.  
  • He argued that by worshipping together, religion provides the community with a collective conscience.
  • This means they had a shared understanding of the norms, values and beliefs that held their community together. 
Psychological functions

Psychological functions

  • Malinowski claimed that religion also provides society with psychological functions.
  • He argued that when faced with a life crisis religion can help you overcome this.
  • He referred to this as a rite of passage.
  • A rite of passage, such as a funeral, helps the community return to normality as quickly as possible therefore maintaining social order.  
 __Bellah__

 Bellah

  • Neo-functionalist Bellah argued that America has its own civil religion known as ‘Americanism’. 
  • In order to avoid conflict and promote integration, the worship of the American culture unites its citizens better than any other religion.
 Americanism

 Americanism

  • For example, Americanism can be said to ‘worship’ the American flag.
  • A civil religion is a faith in Americanism or ‘the American way of life’ rather than one almighty God. 

Marxism and Religion

Marxists believe that religion creates social stability.

‘Opium of the masses’

‘Opium of the masses’

  • Marx said religion was the ‘opium of the masses’ as it dulls the pain of oppression by giving its followers a temporary ‘high’ through promises of a better afterlife in order to distract them from their exploitation.
  • Lenin agreed, comparing religion to ‘spiritual gin’, an intoxicant that numbs the pain of oppression.
An ideology

An ideology

  • Marx believed that religion's main function was to benefit capitalism through its power as an ideology.
  • He claimed that it maintained capitalism in two ways.
Maintaining capitalism

Maintaining capitalism

  • Firstly religion suggests that inequality is God-given and therefore unchangeable.
  • Secondly, it teaches the poor that their poverty is a test from God that will be compensated in the afterlife. 
Accepting inequality

Accepting inequality

  • By convincing the proletariat to accept inequality, religion is succeeding in its purpose to maintain the false class consciousness.
  • The proletariat remain unaware of the true extent of their exploitation and as a result will never revolt against the bourgeoisie. 

Feminism and Religion

Feminists believe that religion creates social stability.

Religion and patriarchy

Religion and patriarchy

  • Feminists argue that religion reproduces patriarchy as it is male dominated.
  • For example in monotheistic religions:
    • God is a man.
    • Sacred texts portray women negatively. 
Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir

  • Simone de Beauvoir believes that religion successfully maintains gender inequality by tricking women into thinking that they are equal to men in the eyes of their God and that they will be compensated for any hardship in the afterlife.
Armstrong

Armstrong

  • Armstrong studies how women are often blocked from positions in the top of the mainstream churches.
  • She studied the Church of England.
  • Women in the church have not been able to progress to the top religious positions.
  • This issue is not only confined to the Church of England as many other religions face the same issue. 
Jump to other topics
1

Theory & Methods

1.1

Sociological Theories

1.1.1Marxism1.1.2Feminism1.1.3Social Action Theories
1.2

Sociological Methods

1.2.1Types of Data1.2.2Positivism & Interpretivism1.2.3Research Design1.2.4Research Considerations1.2.5Values in Research1.2.6Modernity & Post-Modernity1.2.7Sociology as a Science1.2.8Sociology & Social Policy1.2.9End of Topic Test - Sociology Methods & Theories
1.3

Sources of Data

1.3.1Introduction1.3.2Experiments1.3.3Surveys1.3.4Longitudinal Studies1.3.5Questionnaires1.3.6Types of Questionnaires1.3.7Interviews1.3.8Observation1.3.9Case Studies1.3.10Documents1.3.11Official Statistics1.3.12End of Topic Test - Sources of Data
2

Education with Methods in Context

2.1

Role & Function of the Education System

2.1.1Introduction2.1.2Functionalist Theories2.1.3Marxist & Feminist Theories2.1.4The New Right
2.2

Educational Achievement

2.2.1Social Class: Internal Factors2.2.2Social Class: External Factors2.2.3Social Class: Attitudes to Education2.2.4Social Class: Difference in Achievement2.2.5Gender2.2.6Ethnicity
2.3

Relationships & Processes Within Schools

2.3.1Processes2.3.2Labelling2.3.3Categorisations2.3.4Student Experience2.3.5End of Topic Test -Education with Methods
2.4

Educational Policies

2.4.1Equality2.4.2Privatisation2.4.3Marketisation2.4.4Government Policies by Party2.4.5Globalisation2.4.6End of Topic Test- Educational Policies2.4.7Practice Exam Question - Social Policies
3

Option 1: Culture & Identity

3.1

Conceptions of Culture

3.1.1Culture3.1.2Mass Culture3.1.3Popular Culture3.1.4Global Culture3.1.5End of Topic Test - Culture and Identity
3.2

Identity & Socialisation

3.2.1Identities3.2.2Socialisation3.2.3Secondary Socialisation3.2.4Theories of Socialisation3.2.5End of Topic Test - Identity3.2.6Practice Exam Question - Socialisation & Equality
3.3

Social Identity

3.3.1Social Class3.3.2Upper & Middle Class3.3.3Working & Underclass3.3.4Social Class Evaluation3.3.5Gender3.3.6Changing Gender Identities3.3.7Ethnicity3.3.8Age3.3.9Disability3.3.10Nationality3.3.11End of Topic Test - Social Identity
3.4

Production, Consumption & Globalisation

3.4.1Production & Consumption3.4.2Globalisation3.4.3Evaluation3.4.4End of Topic Test - Production
4

Option 1: Families & Households

4.1

Families & Households

4.1.1Definitions4.1.2Functionalist & New Right Perspectives4.1.3Marxist & Feminist Perspectives4.1.4Postmodernist Perspective4.1.5End of Topic Test - Families & Households4.1.6Practice Exam Question - Function of Family
4.2

Changing Patterns

4.2.1Marriage4.2.2Divorce4.2.3LAT Relationships4.2.4Child-Bearing4.2.5Lone Parenthood4.2.6Diversity4.2.7The Sociology of Personal Life4.2.8Government Policies Post-WW24.2.9End of Topic Test - Changing Patterns
4.3

The Symmetrical Family

4.3.1The Symmetrical Family4.3.2Evaluation
4.4

Children & Childhood

4.4.1Childhood4.4.2Childhood in the UK4.4.3Childhood as a Social Construct4.4.4The Disappearance of Childhood4.4.5Child Abuse4.4.6Domestic Violence4.4.7End of Topic Test - Family & Childhood
4.5

Demographic Trends UK

4.5.1Introduction4.5.2Birth Rates4.5.3Death Rates4.5.4The Ageing Population4.5.5Studies on the Ageing Population4.5.6Migration4.5.7Globalisation4.5.8End of Topic Test - Demographics UK
5

Option 1: Health

5.1

Social Constructions

5.1.1The Body5.1.2Health, Illness & Disease5.1.3Disability5.1.4Models of Health & Illness5.1.5End of Topic Test - Social Constructions
5.2

Social Distribution of Healthcare

5.2.1Social Class5.2.2Gender5.2.3Ethnicity5.2.4Regional
5.3

Provision & Access to Healthcare

5.3.1The NHS5.3.2Inequalities in Provision5.3.3Sociological Explanations5.3.4Inequalities in Access5.3.5Inequalities in Access 25.3.6End of Topic Test - Distribution Health
5.4

Mental Health

5.4.1The Biomedical Approach5.4.2Social Patterns5.4.3Social Constructionist Approach
5.5

The Globalised Health Industry

5.5.1The Functionalist Approach5.5.2The Postmodernist Approach5.5.3The Globalised Health Industry5.5.4End of Topic Test - Mental Health & Globalisation
6

Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

6.1

Poverty & Wealth

6.1.1Types of Poverty6.1.2Types of Poverty 26.1.3Distribution of Wealth UK6.1.4Sociological Theories6.1.5Sociological Theories 26.1.6Distribution of Poverty UK6.1.7End of Topic Test - Poverty & Wealth
6.2

Welfare

6.2.1The Welfare State6.2.2Theoretical Approaches to Welfare
6.3

Labour Process

6.3.1Nature of Work6.3.2Technology & Control6.3.3Work & Life6.3.4The Effects of Globalisation6.3.5Globalisation & Worklessness6.3.6End of Topic Test - Welfare & Labour
7

Option 2: Beliefs in Society

7.1

Ideology, Science & Religion

7.1.1Types of Religion7.1.2Ideology & Belief Systems7.1.3Social Stability & Religion7.1.4Social Change & Religion7.1.5End of Topic Test - Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2

Religious Movements

7.2.1Religious Organisations7.2.2New Religious Movements7.2.3New Age Movements7.2.4Practice Exam Question - Growth of NRMs
7.3

Society & Religion

7.3.1Social Groups & Religion7.3.2Gender & Religion7.3.3End of Topic Test- Religious Movements & Society
7.4

Contemporary Religion

7.4.1Secularisation UK7.4.2Against Secularisation7.4.3Secularisation US7.4.4Fundamentalism7.4.5Economic Development & Religion7.4.6End of Topic - Contemporary Religion
8

Option 2: Global Development

8.1

Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality

8.1.1Development8.1.2Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2

Globalisation & Global Organisations

8.2.1Globalisation8.2.2Transnational Corporations & International Agency8.2.3Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
8.3

Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation

8.3.1Development: Aid & Trade8.3.2Development: Industrialisation & Urbanisation8.3.3Development: Environment & War
9

Option 2: The Media

9.1

Contemporary Media

9.1.1New Media9.1.2Control of the Media9.1.3Sociological Approaches: New Media9.1.4Globalisation9.1.5News Selection9.1.6Moral Panics9.1.7End of Topic Test - Contemporary Media
9.2

Media Representations

9.2.1Age9.2.2Social Class & Ethnicity9.2.3Gender9.2.4Sexuality & Disability9.2.5Practice Exam Questions - Presentation of Women
9.3

Audiences

9.3.1Media Theories9.3.2Media Theories 29.3.3Media Representations & Audiences
10

Crime & Deviance

10.1

Crime & Society

10.1.1Functionalism10.1.2Subcultural Theory10.1.3Marxism10.1.4Realism10.1.5Other Approaches10.1.6End of Topic Test - Crime & Society10.1.7Practice Exam Questions - Social Construction
10.2

Social Distribution of Crime

10.2.1Ethnicity10.2.2Gender10.2.3Globalisation & Crime10.2.4Media & Crime10.2.5Types of Crimes10.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Distribution of Crime
10.3

Prevention & Punishment

10.3.1Surveillance10.3.2Prevention10.3.3Punishment10.3.4Victimology10.3.5End of Topic Test - Prevention & Punishment

Practice questions on Social Stability & Religion

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    __Durkheim's__ study:True / false
  2. 2
    __Malinowski__ and religion:Fill in the list
  3. 3
    Ways religion maintains capitalism (Marx):Fill in the list
  4. 4
    Examples of patriarchy in monotheistic religions: Fill in the list
  5. 5
    __Armstrong's__ study:Fill in the list
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Ideology & Belief Systems

Social Change & Religion