Religion As A Cultural System - 1601 Words

Sociologists define religion as a cultural system of commonly shared beliefs and rituals that provides a sense of ultimate meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality that is sacred, all-encompassing and supernatural (Durkheim in Giddens 2006 p.534). Religion can be viewed as a lifestyle or culture for some people: This culture entails united beliefs, the same values, customs and philosophies that generates a shared distinctiveness among a group of people. All religions have a behavioural aspect to them – these are distinctive activities in which members of the faith participate in, and that identify them as members of a religious community, an example of this would be Ramadan, this is a period of roughly thirty days fasting which Muslims partake in yearly which is then ended by a huge celebration named Eid al-Fitr. Sociologists are not concerned with the validity of religious beliefs, rather they tend to focus on the social effect that religion has on people individual ly, and the institution itself. Since the beginning of human existence religion has been a very important part of society’s substance. One thing that is notable is the difficulty of defining what religion is. Sociological thinkers also have conflicting views about what purpose religion has for society. Some theorists view it from a functionalist viewpoint, while others take the conflict stance. Functionalists are concerned with making sure an orderly fashion is upheld in society. They have a varietyShow MoreRelatedReligion As A Cultural System1033 Words   |  5 PagesThrough the different approaches that anthropologists took in regards to religion, anthropologists thoroughly focused on the different aspects of religion through the theories conducted in the 19th and 20th century. These different theories conducted in the nineteenth and twentieth century allowed anthropologists to look at religion as a product of the interpenetrations of cultural systems rather than a unified system. Religion was viewed as a belief in all societies and is highly visible. ReligiousRead MoreThe Symbolic Cultural System Of Religion Ess ay2274 Words   |  10 PagesReligion, whenever looked upon as a treatise within the periphery of being the society-approved construction of the mankind, compels the process of acquisition of cognizance about the popular religio-rituals of which the signifier is the religio-cultural ceremonies that can be construed as the mean of giving birth to the idea of the temporal prosperity of the state and that too definitely at the cost of obedience to the universal divine law. Creating illusory fantasies, religion is revered for presentingRead MoreClifford Geertz Religion As A Cultural System Summary1495 Words   |  6 PagesClifford Geertz, in his essay â€Å"Religion as a Cultural System†, presents what he considers to be the definition of religion. According to him, religion is about symbols and people use these symbols as a guide for their view of the world and how they should behave in that world. Religion, states Geertz is â€Å"a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptionsRead MoreReligion Is A Cultural System Of Behaviors, Practices, And Moral Standards1552 Words   |  7 PagesReligion is a cultural system of behaviors, practices, world views, ethics, and social organization that relate humanity to an order of existence (Dictionary). With more than 84% of the world affiliating with religion, religion permeates the fabric of our existence by it’s influence on legal systems, nation’s policies, and moral standards (Religion stats). Making up 23% of the world population, the Muslim religion is divided into two sects: Sunni and Shi’a. The separation of the Muslim religion isRead MoreReligion : A Cultural System Of Behaviors And Practices, World Views, Ethics, And Social Organization1909 Words   |  8 Pagescompare it a little to my own religion. So to start this I think it would be appropriate to first ask the question what is religion? The definition would tell you that it â€Å"is a cultural system of behaviors and practices, world views, ethics, and social organization that relate humanity to an order of existence. About 84% of the world s population is affiliated with one of the five largest religions, namely Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or forms of folk religion† (Wiki). However, that reallyRead MoreSimilarities In The Opposition. Ideas Do Not Prove Their909 Words   |  4 PagesSimilarities in the Opposition Ideas do not prove their value until they withstand the challenge of being questioned. On the surface, professor Craig Martin and anthropologist Clifford Geertz approach analyzing religion with opposing views. Martin dismisses definitions of religion claiming that no definition can encompass the practical use of the word and instead provides a step by step approach to explaining beliefs and actions in the perspective of a methodological atheist. Geertz, however, providesRead MoreCause of the Disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization1675 Words   |  7 PagesAryans, floods, drought, and/or decline in trade with other societies. Topic 1: On several occasions in class, we discussed the processes of accretion and syncretism. Describe and analyze the cross-cultural influences in a Mediterranean and Indus Valley context. Your essay should provide examples of cultural (remember the components of culture we discussed early in the semester) interchange between different societies and civilizations. Introduction Culture is the complex combination of intellectualRead MoreWestern Culture And Indian Culture1604 Words   |  7 Pages Our global world is full of dominant cultures that infiltrate their ascendancy into many of the world’s countries in a conscious and subconscious manner. An example of this cultural dominance can be seen in the bidirectional influence that Western Culture and the Indian culture portray onto one another. The cultures of the Western world and India in particular are alike one another on the basis that they are both economically established and are full of vibrant social societies. There is an idealizedRead MoreHumanities 130 Hinduism Paper733 Words   |  3 Pages130 Hinduism is a diverse body of religion, philosophy, and cultural practice native to and predominant in India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils (GodWeb,  n.d.). In this paper I will further explore what the Hindu religion is encompassed of. And delve into what makes the religion of Hinduism vital to the region it is originatedRead MoreCultural Relativity: the Root Cause of Conflict in Nigeria1428 Words   |  6 PagesCULTURAL RELATIVITY: THE ROOT OF CAUSE CONFLICT IN NIGERIA Nigeria is a multicultural nation with over 250 ethnic groups. Human beings are product of culture. Culture has made people what they are. Culture is the totality of experience of people in a given environment. Culture is complex whole of the people- this complex whole includes the beliefs, habits, modes and attitude of people. Culture is the result of interaction of people in a particular environment and the interpretation of their experiences