![]() ![]() In his theory of Alienation Marx describes religion as an asocial construct that has been attributed immense power by its creators (society) such that it has become an independent entity that exercises control over the lives of the creators. Hence religion is seen as a tool for the capitalist to control the masses by justifying their positions in society, examples of religious teachings that justify a stratification in society Are a verse from the bible that blesses the meek in the society and promises them a greater reward in the hereafter. According to Karl Marx, the only way that the proletariat can escape the cycle of poverty is through a revolution that will replace the capitalist system with communism.Īccording to the conflict, theory religion poses a threat to liberalization from oppression because it seeks to justify an individual’s position in the society thus the quote by Marx is that religion is opium for the masses meaning that it blinds the people from seeing their oppressed lifestyle. Conflict arises between the Bourgeoisie and the proletariat due to their differences in goals, while the Bourgeoisie’s goal is to maximize profits by reducing the cost of production the proletariat’s goal is to increase their wages. This theory was developed by Karl Marx, this theory views society as a materialistic entity that favors the rich (capitalists/ bourgeoisie) and exploits the poor (workers/ proletariat) the capitalists control the means of production and employ the proletariat at minimal wages. Therefore in this theory, religion is a system in the society that contributes to the survival of the society. When there is a disturbance in the equilibrium in the society the social institutions work together to correct this disturbance for example when a member of society deviates from normal practices and begins to take part in acceptable activities, the religious institutions take it upon themselves to counsel the person if this does not work then other institutions such as the judicial institutions step in to correct the disturbance. The social systems in the social work at establishing a state of equilibrium in the society, religion achieves this by instilling norms and values that will govern the behavior of individuals such that peace and order are maintained.įunctionalism does not explain the emergence of social change but only explains how the disturbance caused by the change is resolved. ![]() Similarly, the society is highly differentiated into social institutions, these social institutions have different roles that are important for the functioning of the society, for example, the family is a social institution that ensures the continuity of the society by providing new members and concerning the discussion at hand, religion is an important social institution that instills values and norms in the society and generally dictating how the members of society should relate to one another (Durkheim, 1915 p. Durkheim postulated that society is a complex entity that is highly differentiated in roles, he used imagery and compared society to human anatomy, and the anatomy is made up of different organs like kidneys, liver, heart, Brain, etc.Īll these organs have important parts to play in the functioning of the body and no part of the anatomy can exist autonomously. Functionalism is built on two major foundations these include a scientific method and an analogy between society and a complex organism. Role of religion in functionalismįunctionalism theory was developed by a French sociologist thinker, Emile Durkheim. In my study, I will examine how each theory perceives the individual, the similarities in the role that religion plays in the three theories, the differences, the effect on society, and how the theory affects social change. This paper seeks to establish the role of religion in three major sociological theories (functionalism, conflict, and Interactionism). ![]() In modern society there is much different religion, major ones include Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism.Īlthough these religions have different ideologies, they serve the same function in society. ![]() Religion plays an important role in society because it governs the behavior of the individuals in society and provides meaning to an individual’s life, in this sense religion satisfies a human being’s psychological needs as presented in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Schaefer 2008 P.86). ![]()
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