The functional aspect of religion, as discussed by Emile Durkheim, Alfred Radcliffe Brown and Bronislaw Malinowski highlights its role in maintaining social order, cohesion and individual well being. Durkheim's Theory - Shared values and norms unite individuals collectively. Religion provides sacreRead more
The functional aspect of religion, as discussed by Emile Durkheim, Alfred Radcliffe Brown and Bronislaw Malinowski highlights its role in maintaining social order, cohesion and individual well being.
Durkheim’s Theory –
- Shared values and norms unite individuals collectively.
- Religion provides sacred moral guidelines regulating social behavior.
- Collective practices reinforce social bonds and shared values.
- Religion distinguishes sacred (spiritual) from profane (secular) realms.
Radcliffe Brown’s Theory –
- Rituals and symbols unify individuals into cohesive social systems.
- Religion regulates individual behavior, maintaining social order and norms.
- Collective rituals convey social values through symbolic expressions and actions.
- Religion replaces or supplements other social institutions functions simultaneously.
Malinowski’s Theory –
- Religion alleviates anxiety, uncertainty and emotional distress through rituals beliefs.
- Shared rituals and myths strengthen social bonds and collective unity.
- Explain natural phenomena, provide meaning and ensure social stability.
- Religion addresses birth, death, marriage and transition anxieties ritually.
Durkheim, Radcliffe Brown and Malinowski’s theories share common themes i.e. religion’s role in social cohesion, ritual symbolism and emotional comfort. Critiques include overemphasis on social function, neglecting individual agency and religious diversity. Limitations include ethnocentrism and oversimplification of complex religious phenomena, highlighting need for nuanced and contextual understandings.
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Equally important in Western Europe's reconstruction efforts was the concept of the Marshall Plan, the ultimate goal of which was to help the economies of those countries devastated by the war. In this case, the assistance that was due to these countries sought not only to reconstruct their economieRead more
Equally important in Western Europe’s reconstruction efforts was the concept of the Marshall Plan, the ultimate goal of which was to help the economies of those countries devastated by the war. In this case, the assistance that was due to these countries sought not only to reconstruct their economies and eliminate the expansion of communism but also to fortify the democratic capitalist systems in place.
Despite this, it is still essential to bear in mind that the Marshall Plan fared far better in the rebuilding of economies in Europe than it had in facilitating economic expansions, as well as in preventing any chances of Soviet inroads. This gave the United States the enviable position of commanding the world economy and clinched its status as a power capable of shaping the world after the war. Moreover, the implementation of the Marshall Plan allowed the United States to ingrain itself in the economic and political systems of Western Europe, laying down the foundations for enhancement of interactions and alliances in the years to come.
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