Identify And Briefly Explain Three Func
A. Identify and briefly explain three functions of religion (9 marks)
Marxism believes it acts as the ‘opium for the exploited working class people’. Religion would cushion the pain of oppression and exploitation in unequal societies such as in a capitalist society. It legitimized and maintained the power of the ruling class – helps to maintain the status quo by preventing the less powerful from changing things.
Feminists see religion as a conservative force because it acts as an ideology that legitimates patriarchal power and maintains women’s subordination in the family and wider society.
Functionalists see religion acting as a ‘collective conscience’. Bringing people to have shared beliefs and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society. This produces social solidarity and value consensus.
B. Identify and briefly explain 3 reasons why liberation theology may bring social change
Liberation theology is a movement that emerged within Catholic Church with strong commitment to the poor and opposition to military dictatorships.
C. Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the extent to which religion can be seen as a conservative influence. (18 marks)
Religion can be seen as a conservative force in two different senses. It is often seen as conservative in the sense of traditional, such as defending traditional customs, institutions, moral views and roles. It upholds traditional beliefs about how society should be organised. Secondly it functions to conserve or preserve things as they are. It stabilises society and maintains the status quo.
The view that religion acts as a conservative force comes from the structuralism theories of Functionalism and Marxism. Both see religion as facilitating the presence of society in its current form, although their views do differ considerably. For the functionalist Emile Durkheim, religion, like many other social institutions, acts in the same way as an organism, with basic needs that it must meet in
Marxism believes it acts as the ‘opium for the exploited working class people’. Religion would cushion the pain of oppression and exploitation in unequal societies such as in a capitalist society. It legitimized and maintained the power of the ruling class – helps to maintain the status quo by preventing the less powerful from changing things.
Feminists see religion as a conservative force because it acts as an ideology that legitimates patriarchal power and maintains women’s subordination in the family and wider society.
Functionalists see religion acting as a ‘collective conscience’. Bringing people to have shared beliefs and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society. This produces social solidarity and value consensus.
B. Identify and briefly explain 3 reasons why liberation theology may bring social change
Liberation theology is a movement that emerged within Catholic Church with strong commitment to the poor and opposition to military dictatorships.
C. Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the extent to which religion can be seen as a conservative influence. (18 marks)
Religion can be seen as a conservative force in two different senses. It is often seen as conservative in the sense of traditional, such as defending traditional customs, institutions, moral views and roles. It upholds traditional beliefs about how society should be organised. Secondly it functions to conserve or preserve things as they are. It stabilises society and maintains the status quo.
The view that religion acts as a conservative force comes from the structuralism theories of Functionalism and Marxism. Both see religion as facilitating the presence of society in its current form, although their views do differ considerably. For the functionalist Emile Durkheim, religion, like many other social institutions, acts in the same way as an organism, with basic needs that it must meet in