The Social Institution of Religion
Although its practice varies widely, the social institution of religion has been a part of all known societies. Typically, religion serves to provide a foundation for the answers to some of the most fundamental questions of human existence and thus plays an important part in influencing many of the other social institutions in a culture. As such, examining the religious tenets of a society can provide broad insights for understanding the motivations and actions of groups in a society.
View this video on religion and society:
Religion: Crash Course Sociology #39 (YouTube - 11:05)
https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=pIgb-3e8CWA
Answer the following questions:
Identify the major trends and changes that have occurred in society with respect to religion. What has been the effect on society?
How do the major sociological paradigms view religion?
Which theory do you think best captures the role and purpose of religion from a sociological perspective?
write a submission of approximately 300 words.. document any citations and references (according to the current APA standard).
The Social Institution of Religion
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The Social Institution of Religion
Religion is a social institution since it encompasses social beliefs. Over the years, there has been a tremendous change in religion. The most noticeable of these changes is the shift from religious to spiritual. More people now identify as being spiritual and secular rather than religious. This is especially seen in the younger demographic of people. Equally, there has been a significant increase in diversity in religions. More religions have come up in our societies, an increase attributed to globalization and migration. Paganism has equally increased over the years, with more people resulting to not identifying with any religion.
Sociologists have described religion as a secret. For a long time, sociologists have studied religion, and various sociological paradigms have varied views on religion. A good example of this is the structural functionalism paradigm. Structural functionalists see religious institutions as having significant social purposes. They consider religion a tool for fostering societal order and stability, a feeling of belonging and community, and bringi...