5/24/2017 SociologyofReligion

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Sociology Of Religion
Studying The Relationship Between Religion And Society

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by Ashley Crossman
Updated May 13, 2017

Notallreligionssharethesamesetofbeliefs,butinoneformoranother,religionisfound
inallknownhumansocieties.Eventheearliestsocietiesonrecordshowcleartracesof
religioussymbolsandceremonies.Throughouthistory,religionhascontinuedtobea
centralpartofsocietiesandhumanexperience,shapinghowindividualsreacttothe
environmentsinwhichtheylive.Sincereligionissuchanimportantpartofsocieties
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aroundtheworld,sociologistsareveryinterestedinstudyingit.

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Sociologistsstudyreligionasbothabeliefsystemandasocialinstitution.Asabelief
system,religionshapeswhatpeoplethinkandhowtheyseetheworld.Asasocial
institution,religionisapatternofsocialactionorganizedaroundthebeliefsandpractices
thatpeopledeveloptoanswerquestionsaboutthemeaningofexistence.Asan
institution,religionpersistsovertimeandhasanorganizationalstructureintowhich
membersaresocialized.

Instudyingreligionfromasociologicalperspective,itisnotimportantwhatonebelieves
aboutreligion.Whatisimportantistheabilitytoexaminereligionobjectivelyinitssocial
andculturalcontext.Sociologistsareinterestedinseveralquestionsaboutreligion:

Howarereligiousbeliefsandfactorsrelatedtoothersocialfactorslikerace,age,
gender,andeducation?

Howarereligiousinstitutionsorganized?

Howdoesreligionaffectsocialchange?

Whatinfluencedoesreligionhaveonothersocialinstitutions,suchaspoliticalor
educationalinstitutions?

Sociologistsalsostudyreligiosityofindividuals,groups,andsocieties.Religiosityisthe
intensityandconsistencyofpracticeofapersons(orgroups)faith.Sociologistsmeasure
religiositybyaskingpeopleabouttheirreligiousbeliefs,theirmembershipinreligious
organizations,andattendanceatreligiousservices.

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ModernacademicsociologybeganwiththestudyofreligioninEmileDurkheims1897
TheStudyofSuicideinwhichheexploredthedifferingsuicideratesamongProtestants
andCatholics.FollowingDurkheim,KarlMarxandMaxWeberalsolookedatreligions
roleandinfluenceinothersocialinstitutionssuchaseconomicsandpolitics.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF RELIGION

Eachmajorsociologicalframeworkhasitsperspectiveonreligion.Forinstance,fromthe
functionalistperspectiveofsociologicaltheory,religionisanintegrativeforceinsociety
becauseithasthepowertoshapecollectivebeliefs.Itprovidescohesioninthesocial
orderbypromotingasenseofbelongingandcollectiveconsciousness.Thisviewwas
supportedbyEmileDurkheim.
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Thesecondpointofview,supportedbyMaxWeber,viewsreligionintermsofhowit
supportsothersocialinstitutions.Weberthoughtthatthereligiousbeliefsystems
providedaculturalframeworkthatsupportedthedevelopmentofothersocial
institutions,suchastheeconomy.

WhileDurkheimandWeberconcentratedonhowreligioncontributestothecohesionof
society,KarlMarxfocusedontheconflictandoppressionthatreligionprovidedto
societies.

Marxsawreligionasatoolforclassoppressioninwhichitpromotesstratification
becauseitsupportsahierarchyofpeopleonEarthandthesubordinationofhumankind
todivineauthority.

Lastly,symbolicinteractiontheoryfocusesontheprocessbywhichpeoplebecome
religious.Differentreligiousbeliefsandpracticesemergeindifferentsocialandhistorical
contextsbecausecontextframesthemeaningofreligiousbelief.Symbolicinteraction
theoryhelpsexplainhowthesamereligioncanbeinterpreteddifferentlybydifferent
groupsorindifferenttimesthroughouthistory.Fromthisperspective,religioustextsare
nottruthsbuthavebeeninterpretedbypeople.Thusdifferentpeopleorgroupsmay
interpretthesameBibleindifferentways.

REFERENCES
Giddens,A.(1991).IntroductiontoSociology.

NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company.

Anderson,M.L.andTaylor,H.F.(2009).Sociology:TheEssentials.Belmont,CA:
ThomsonWadsworth.

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