Education and its Power in Social Change: Understanding its Role and Impact, Best Sociology Optional Coaching, Sociology Optional Syllabus

Tantrik dupes woman of Rs 4.57 lakh under pretext of performing ‘black magic’ to help her win back estranged lover

RELEVANCE : Sociology

Religion and Society: Sociological theories of religion. Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.

NEWS IN SHORT:

  • A self-proclaimed 33-year-old tantrik was arrested by Navi Mumbai police in Maharashtra for allegedly cheating a 26-year-old woman of Rs 4.57 lakh under the pretext of performing some “black magic” to make her estranged lover marry her.

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Syllabus: 

  • The structural-functional approach to religion has its roots in Emile Durkheim’s work on religion. Durkheim argued that religion is, in a sense, the celebration and even (self-) worship of human society.
  • Durkheim proposed that religion has three major functions in society:
  • it provides social cohesion to help maintain social solidarity through shared rituals and beliefs,
  • social control to enforce religious-based morals and norms to help maintain conformity and control in society, and
  • it offers meaning and purpose to answer any existential questions.
  • Religion, for Durkheim, is not imaginary, although he does deprive it of what many believers find essential. Religion is very real; it is an expression of society itself, and indeed, there is no society that does not have religion.
  • We perceive as individuals a force greater than ourselves and give that perception a supernatural face. We then express ourselves religiously in groups, which for Durkheim makes the symbolic power greater.
  • Religion is an expression of our collective consciousness, which is the fusion of all of our individual consciousness, which then creates a reality of its own.

CRITICISM

  • The primary criticism of the structural-functional approach to religion is that it overlooks religion’s dysfunctions. For instance, religion can be used to justify terrorism and violence.
  • Religion has often been the justification of, and motivation for, war. In one sense, this still fits the structural-functional approach as it provides social cohesion among the members of one party in a conflict.
  • For instance, the social cohesion among the members of a terrorist group is high, but in a broader sense, religion is obviously resulting in conflict without questioning its actions against other members of society.

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