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Religion
Kelsey edit Master subtitle style Click toMcHugh, Kevin Stapleton, Eric Huet, Cecila Grugan, Lily Dudek, Yuqing Zhang, Christian Sarzosa Caicedo

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What is Religion?
Sociologists study the relationships between religion and

society, and the role religion plays in peoples lives.

Sociologists do not try to prove or disprove someones

faith, they only deal with things that can be observed or measured.
Emile Durkheims findings:
The worlds religions are so varied that they have no specific belief

or practice in common. practice

All religions develop a community centering on their beliefs or All religions separate the sacred from the profane.

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Three Elements of Religion

Beliefs Practices Moral community

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Functions of Religion
Questions about ultimate meaning Emotional Comfort Social Solidarity Framework for how people should live their lives Sets limits on peoples behaviors Occasionally helps spread change

4/25/12 What is the most important thing your religion has given you?
12

10

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Dysfunctions in Religion
Being used to justify oppression and brutal acts. From the

1200s up until the 1800s, women were tortured for being alleged witches, through the Roman Catholic Church.

Wars in history have been fought over religion.

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Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

ALL religions use symbols to prove identity and create

social solidarity for their members.

Religions use Symbols Rituals Beliefs

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Symbolic Interactionist Continued

Religious Experience- refers to a sudden awareness of the

supernatural or a feeling of coming into contact with god who has had a religious experience

Born again- term used by Protestants to describe someone

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Religious Groups
Cults- a new or different religion whose teachings and

practices put it at odds with the dominant culture and religion

All religions begin as cults Often originate with a charismatic leader Christianity as a cult? Majority of cults fail
Hare Krishna

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Sects
When a cult starts to become accepted by many, it loses

the term cult and is considered a sect.

Members still feel tension between their beliefs and the

beliefs of the dominant religion of their society

As a sect grows, some beliefs may change to better

conform and fit in with the rest of society

Mormons started as a sect

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Church
Relationship with God has become less intense Worship is more sedate with formal sermons and written

prayers

New members come from within the church as opposed to

joining through conversion having seen the truth

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Ecclesia
Integrated between religion and government, difficult to tell

where one ends and the other begins

Shaping society Religion is part of a cultural identity, no an eye-opening

experience

God is less personal and more remote Very formal services by trained priests Sharia- Islamic Law

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Religion in the United StatesMembers

Religion in the United States is stratified by social class
Religious groups are top-heavy and bottom-heavy

Mormons and The Assembly of God also show status

inconsistencies because they are high ranking in one category and low in other categories.

Race-Ethnicity

Racial-ethnics groups tend to cluster together Sunday morning from 10-11 AM is called The most segregated hour in the United States.

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Spirit of Capitalism
Accumulate profits by investing money

Encouraged the traditional approach

It was when Protestantism came along that the Spirit of

Capitalism came alive

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Capitalism
Summary: The change in religion, from Catholicism to Protestantism

led to change in thought and behavior, which resulted in the Spirit of Capitalism.

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Conflict Theory Perspective on Religion

Conflict Theorists are generally highly critical of Religion Karl Marx was an atheist who believed that religion was an

escape for the oppressed workers to make them less miserable

What God wants.

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Survey Results

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er abandon your religion, or convert to Do you ever question your religion? another one?

4/25/12 How important is it to you that your spouse be of the same religion?

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

4/25/12 How intrusive is your religion in your daily life?

10

12

4/25/12 Have you ever tried to influence someone else in regards to religion?

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fucntionalist

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Types of Religious groups

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