To him, sacred meant extraordinary—something that inspired wonder and that seemed connected to the concept of “the divine.” Durkheim argued that “religion happens” in society when there is a separation between the profane (ordinary life) and the sacred (1915). Religious explanations of these concepts are presumed to be more satisfactory than scientific explanations, which may help to account for the continuation of strong religious connectedness in countries such as the United States, despite predictions of some competing theories for a great decline in religious affiliation due to modernization and religious pluralism. Thus, religion functions to bind society's members by prompting them to affirm their common values and beliefs on a regular basis. Moreover, religion is a cultural universal found in all social groups. For sociological purposes, at least, we can then say that religion involves three key elements: beliefs, practices, and a social group. Thus different people or groups may interpret the same Bible in different ways. In jobs where roles and tasks are highly prescribed, workers have no opportunity to make decisions. One of the most important functions of religion, from a functionalist perspective, is the opportunities it creates for social interaction and the formation of groups. What does the concept of work ethic mean today? Glencoe, IL: Free Press. Sociologists measure religiosity by asking people about their religious beliefs, their membership in religious organizations, and attendance at religious services. In the wake of nineteenth century European industrialization and secularization, three social theorists attempted to examine the relationship between religion and society: Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx. A scientific explanation for why something occurs can’t reasonably be supported by the fact that it does occur. The information age has increased the rapid pace of production expected in many jobs. They study religion objectively, and their purpose is not to judge. Dubussion (2003) claims religion is a western invented concept, which influences the way religion is defined by constructing western religions as ‘true’ and thus marginalising eastern religions which do not conform to the western ideal. The Christian theologian Paul Tillich’s (1967) contention that religion involves issues of “ultimate concern” is far more broadly applicable (see Kurtz 1995:8–9). In other words, whether a belief can be considered religious or not depends on the substance of what is believed. Society. Read British historian Niall Ferguson’s view at http://openstaxcollege.org/l/Protestant_work_ethic. Employees also seek autonomy and fulfillment in their jobs, not just wages. Critics also believe this theory overuses economic terminology and structure and point out that terms such as “rational” and “reward” are unacceptably defined by their use; they would argue that the theory is based on faulty logic and lacks external, empirical support. Durkheim’s Sociology of religion was purely speculative. They are among the founding thinkers of modern sociology. It is not just a strict institution but also exerts a tremendous influence upon all other institutions. Let’s explore how scholars applying these paradigms understand religion. The History of Religion as a Sociological Concept. List some ways that you see religion having social control in the everyday world. The theory proposes that people are self-interested, though not necessarily selfish, and that people make rational choices—choices that can reasonably be expected to maximize positive outcomes while minimizing negative outcomes. These theories define what they present as universal characteristics of religious belief and practice . The interaction between religious leaders and practitioners, the role of religion in the ordinary components of everyday life, and the ways people express religious values in social interactions—all might be topics of study to an interactionist. They are among the founding thinkers of modern sociology. Many sociologists and anthropologists were fascinated by the mystic side of religion. Higher levels of education have become necessary, as well as people management skills and access to the most recent information on any given topic. While Durkheim and Weber concentrated on how religion contributes to the cohesion of society, Karl Marx focused on the conflict and oppression that religion provided to societies. These views offer different lenses through which to study and understand society: functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and conflict theory. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, What Sociology Can Teach Us About Thanksgiving, Emile Durkheim's Examples of Social Facts and Their Negative Impact, Max Weber's Key Contributions to Sociology, Symbolic Interaction Theory: History, Development, and Examples, Introduction to the Sociology of Knowledge, How Emile Durkheim Made His Mark on Sociology. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. By the end of this section, you will be able to: From the Latin religio (respect for what is sacred) and religare (to bind, in the sense of an obligation), the term religion describes various systems of belief and practice that define what people consider to be sacred or spiritual (Fasching and deChant 2001; Durkheim 1915). Above all, he believed religion is about community: It binds people together (social cohesion), promotes behavior consistency (social control), and offers strength during life’s transitions and tragedies (meaning and purpose). In the wake of nineteenth century European industrialization and secularization, three social theorists attempted to examine the relationship between religion and society: Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx. Hightower, Jim. Factory jobs tend to be simple, uninvolved, and require very little thinking or decision making on the part of the worker. Religion is also an example of a cultural universal, because it is found in all societies in one form or another. Comparative Religious Ethics: A Narrative Approach. It consists of all the structural components of a society through which the main concerns and activities are organized and social needs such as those for order, belief and reproduction are met. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwel. How does one pick a church or decide which denomination “fits” best? Hechter, M. 1997. It includes the study of the relation of religion to social stability, to social change, and to the functional problems of a society. 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