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Sociological Perspectives On Religion
Sociological Perspectives On Religion
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Sociological Perspectives on Religion
According to and do Basirico, religion is described as “Religion is a ritualized system of beliefs and practices related to things defined as sacred by an organized community of believers.” (Basirico, 2012) In every society, one will always find a type of religion to believe in. there are various forms of religion but some most known forms include Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Jew and Buddhism. Religion is an important aspect in a society as it influences ways in which people think or act. Religion is a great part of reading bonds in a family and community and is also been a huge part in making decisions on political as well as economic issues ass religious leaders are often play great leadership role in a country. Sociologists are interested with religion as it helps them understand people’s interaction, their expression as well as actions (Hamilton, 2009).
There are various ways sociologists view religion and while others may view it from a functional perspective, others view it from a sociological approach. Functionalism is a framework that tries to explain social order, relationship that exists in various parts in a society and how these structures contribute to stability of society. When this theory is applied to religion, it views religion as a functional entity in a society as it creates integration as well as cohesion by bringing people together who believe in one thing. From a functionalist point of view, religious rituals portray conviction of members of a religion thus creating a sense of belongingness among the numbers. Emile Durkheim one of the theorists of structural functionalism views religion as a function in a society. Durkheim defined religion as “unified system of beliefs and practice relative to sacred things.” (Pickering, 2002) He believed that religion played a huge role in bringing stability in a society. One question that Durkheim sort to answer was what factors would bring people together yet various people always had various interests? The answer was religion as it gave people a common thing to believe in. for example Christians going to church every Sunday or Muslims daily prayers. From functionalist point of view religion is a great way of instilling social norms in a society. This was because many religions believed in leaving a certain way such as being respectful, kind, showing love too another and respecting the authority. Questions that functionalists may ask include: why do people believe in common things in a religion? Are the social norms we have instilled by religion? Why do conflicts occur even in churches yet they ought to promote cohesion?
Social conflict theory is another sociological perspective theory that explains how religion affects the society and individuals. Karl Marx is known for this theory and he defined religion as “opium of the people.” Marx pointed out that religion played a great role in maintaining status quo. Most religious beliefs often offer followers with a reward in the after-life and not the religion itself. Religion plays a role in giving explanations on state of the world. It offers reasons for social inequalities that occur and will perpetuate them through divine sanctions. Marx argued that religion taught people to accept their current life no matter how bad it is as they were promised a better reward in their afterlife. Because of this, religion prohibited social change by diverting attention from injustices that occurred in the world, promising a reward that was yet to come, teaching nonresistance to cruelty and justifying inequalities of both wealth and power of the privileged (Furseth, 2017). Marx held the belief that religion was a sanctuary from the challenges that life presented. Conflict theorist believe that religion is a way that keeps lower classes working with just a little or with no regard at all to their structure. Conflict theorist believe that religion can be a way of imposing a rule over people an example is where kings and queens ruled and claimed to have been chosen by God. Questions that conflict theorist can ask include why do we suffer? Does a reward in the afterlife really exist? Does religion make one satisfied with the social and economic status they are in?
Lastly, we examine the symbolic interaction theory on religion. The theory posits that an individual’s concept is created by interpretation of actions, symbolic gestures, words as well as appearances. It considers immediate social interaction as where the society exists. Humans are able to give meaning to their behavior by reflecting then interpreting meaning of behaviors and events. Symbolic interactionist state that religion is socially constructed and only comes up when there is a social or cultural change. Through this sociological view of religion, rituals and religious practices are symbolic activities that help define identities of a group, and thus religious beliefs are viewed as subject to interpretation. It recognizes the fact that various religion arises as a result of different historical or social context. Symbolic interactionist help gives answers that are not well explained in other perspectives such as why there may different interpretation to same bible scripture. Some differences that have been seen include ordaining homosexual archbishops or allowing women to be part of the clergy (Goldstein, 2012). The theory points out that religious text will often be interpreted by different individuals to probably suit their argument. Some questions that may arise include: who des interpretations of the sacred texts? Why will certain individuals interpret certain texts differently yet they are of the same faith? Can a religious text have more than one meaning?
In conclusion, there are different sociological theories that try to explain relationship between religion and the society or its followers. All the theories have shortcomings and that is why many theories occur to point out why the other one was wrong. However, I fell the functionalist theory seems to apply more. Religion is a great part of why cohesion and peace exist. There are norms that are instilled in us through religion that help us interact with each other and coexist peacefully. I also disagree with the conflict theory that they help the poor get comfortable with the social class they are in as one of religious teachings is hard work. Although religious functions advocate for respect of leaders it also points out how the leaders should lead their people. A society that uses religion as their cornerstone will find that it provides a settling sense in the society.
References
Basirico, L. A., Cashion, B. G., & Eshleman, J. R. (2012). Introduction to sociology. BVT Publishing.
Furseth, I., and Pål, R. (2017) An introduction to the sociology of religion: Classical and contemporary perspectives. Routledge.
Goldstein, Warren S. (2012). “Sociological Theory of Religion.” Religion Compass 6.7: 347-353.
Hamilton, M. B. (2001). The sociology of religion: Theoretical and comparative perspectives. Psychology Press.
Pickering, R. B. (2009). Durkheim’s sociology of religion: Themes and theories. James Clarke & Co. Ltd.
Sociological implications of economy
Sociological implications of economy
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Economical sociology studies on the effects of economic phenomenon and their social cause. Sociology defines work as the implementation of task that includes costs of physical and mental efforts, and its aim is to make goods and services to accommodate human beings needs. Economic system consists of institutions that provides for distribution and production of goods and services. The various institutions vary with culture of modern and traditional societies. Economy influences the society and hence social reproduction. Work is directly intertwined by social processes, social structures, and particularly social inequality.
Sociological theorists include Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber. They consider the contemporary work breakdown to be the major ground of sociology. For instance, Marx examines factories working conditions which focus on the transition from working independently to working for a boss which results to deckling and alienation. On the other hand, Durkheim is concerned with how a society can achieves stability through traditions, customs and norms traditions as industry and work changes in the industrial revolution. Weber focuses on progress variety of authority that is emerging in current bureaucratic organizations. Sociologists in macro level are interested in learning how changes in technology can bring about changes in demographics. On the other hand of micro level they check on the demands that the occupations place and workplace as well as on workers’ sense of self identity and the power of work on families (Anderson& Taylor, 2009) .Symbolic interaction analysis
This perspective is a chief frame work of sociological theory that relies on the symbolic implication that people build up and rely on during social process even though it traces its origin from Weber’s declaration that people act according to their analysis of the implications in the world. The symbolic interaction studies the society through tackling the subjective implications that people entail on events, behavior and things. Subjective implications are given since people behave regarding on what they believe and not what is true. People tend to interpret each other’s behavior forming social bond that define the situation. A symbolic implication overrides actual facts. Symbolic interactions tend to neglect macro level of social analysis thus it may miss the superior issues of society. In cases of gender and race this perspective does not account for social forces such as gender discrimination and symmetric racism which strongly controls what one believes race and gender mean.
Conflict theory analysis
This perspective emphasis on the role of power and coercion in producing social order and it is derived from the works of Karl Marx, who sees the society as uneven in groups that struggle for economic and social resources. Social order is sustained by power, with authority in the hands of those with the utmost economic, social and political resources. Conflict perspective originates from Karl Marx’s writings regarding class struggles. It presents society in a diverse light than the symbolic interaction and functionalist perspectives. While these two latter perspectives center on the positive aspects of society that bring about stability, conflict perspective centers on the conflicted, negative and ever‐changing nature of society. Unlike functionalists who protect the position quo, evade social change, and think people collaborate to achieve social order, conflict theorists confronts the position quo, support social change and consider powerful and rich people power social order on the weak and the poor.
In modern day, conflict theorists get social conflict among any groups in which the possibility for disparity exists: gender, racial, political, religious and economic. Conflict theorists recognize that unequal groups normally have conflicting agendas and values, which cause them to compete against each other. This stable competition between groups forms the foundation for the ever‐changing nature of society. The theory eventually points out compassionate humanity, hard work, social equality and civil rights (Anderson& Taylor, 2009).
The functionalist perspective
The functionalist analysis is one of the main theoretical perspectives in sociology that believes the society is brought together by cohesion and social consensus. It originates from Emile Durkheim works which specializes in how social order is achievable as well as how society the remains moderately stable. According to functionalism, every feature of society is mutually dependent and give in to society’s functioning as a whole. The state grants education for a family’s the children, which consecutively pays taxes on which the government depends on to keep itself running. Thus the family depends on the school to assist children to grow up and secure good jobs in order to support and raise their own families. Within the process, these children abide to law by being taxpaying citizens, to support the state and enhance productivity and stability. Emile Durkheim states there are two forms of social consensus, they include:
Mechanical solidarity which is a form of social structure that arises when people in a society maintain similar beliefs and values as well as engage in similar types of work. Mechanical cohesion normally takes place in traditional, plain societies. Amish society demonstrates mechanical solidarity; Organic solidarity is a form of social structure that arises when the people in a society are mutually dependent, but hold onto changeable values and beliefs and employ in unreliable types of work. Organic cohesion usually takes place in multifaceted and industrialized societies. Functionalism perspective validates the status quo and satisfaction on the part of society’s members. It discourages people from taking active roles in changing their social environment, even when the change may beneficial to them. Functionalism views active social change as unpleasant since the various parts of society will reimburse logically for any problems that may crop up (Giddens, 1991).
Change in technology in the workplace?
The changes on working pattern employed at workplace fall into the following domains: Cognitive competence which states that Cognitive workers are anticipated to be more functionally and cognitively flowing as well as able to work across different kinds of situations and tasks; Social and interactive competence emphasizes on the importance of interactive and relational aspects of work; The new “psychological contract” between employees psychological contract” states on what each person expects of the other thus the focuses on proficiency development, constant training, and work/life balance: finally on employers as well as Changes in process and place (Giddens, 1991).
References
Anderson, M.L. &Taylor, H.F. (2009). Sociology: The Essentials. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
Giddens,A. (1991)Introduction to sociology. New York, NY: W. W. Norton Company.
The Support Economy by S. Zuboff & J. Maxmin. New York: Penguin Group, Viking Press, 2002.
SOCIOLOGICAL FUTURE OF AMERICA
SOCIOLOGICAL FUTURE OF AMERICA
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Sociological Future of America
America is one of the most socialized and most developed nations of the world, and it is upon this basis that it is considered one of the post-industrial societies. However, there are many suggestions as to what comes next after the post-industrial. Of all the directions like post-modernism and the decline theory, the former seems to apply even more in the American society. It is because the American society, after so much time of growth, is currently having young adults and teenagers who do not have the essential American values and who care less about what it means to be American and how to protect the American dream. Rather the teenagers are just enjoying the benefits of being American (Slater, 2020). Therefore we can argue that sociology will be complicated in the future to a point whereby a person cannot fully grasp what it means to be social. In the end, it will lead to a decline in the way American society lives and how society is blended into one (Parker et al., 2019).
With the current signs of mass shootings among the youths and the very many vices visible among the young generation, it is evident how the future will look. However, it cannot be explicitly determined because there is no explicit certainty. However, it is possible to state that the American social well-being and its togetherness will decline as future individuals delve more into technology and forget how to socialize and have machines doing work for them rather than fellow human beings (Parker et al., 2019). Loneliness is one inevitable characteristic of future America. Therefore, compared to other developing nations, American society is likely to be superseded by those developing nations in terms of its quality of sociological concepts and behavior. Even though economically very stable, there is a likelihood of American society be disintegrated sociologically.
References
Slater Kate (2020), The future of America, according to 7 teachers. TODAY.com. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.today.com/tmrw/future-america-according-7-teachers-t194619
Parker, K., Morin, R., & Horowitz, J. M. (2019). Looking to the future, the public sees America in decline on many fronts. Pew Research Center, 21.