How do sociologists measure the significance of religion for people, and what forms does religion take?
How do sociologists measure the significance of religion for people, and what forms does religion take?
Sociology as a field of study focuses on the social interaction that happens in society. It explains the behavioral influences that the several organizations of the society have on the individual in shaping his behavior. Religion is considered the collection of beliefs, values that are related to the spiritual contexts.
Sociology as a discipline focuses on the people's roles and behaviors that are shaped by religion. Religion as an entity plays a significant role in shaping the behavior of the individual in his early stages. It measures the significance of religion through the roles that the individuals exhibit.
Socialization: In the primary socialization process of an individual, the family plays a major role in socializing the individual. The individual is inculcated with the values and beliefs of the religion that the family follows. They teach them to shape their behavior according to the demands of the religion.
Patriarchy: patriarchy is a religiously inherited category. The people tend to conserve this system due to its facilitation of the dominance of men over women. Religion provides an opportunity to have their dominance over women.
Social behavior: Religion also plays a major role in societal behavior. If we take the majoritarianism, the people from the minority groups tend to exhibit their behavior according to the societal norms because these norms are dominated by the dominant religion of a particular geography.
Social insecurity: The people follow the religion strictly to bind them with the people of their respective religion. The social insecurity that the people feel in a geography where there is the dominance of other religions follows their religion strictly to develop their collectiveness.
Economic behavior: An individual also shaped by religion while buying a commodity in the marketplace where he tends to buy the commodity that complies with the religious values.
Religion is classified into five forms, where Durkheim proposed in his theory about religion.
Polytheism: The religion will have the belief in the existence of multiple gods. Ex: Hinduism.
Monotheism: The religion will have the belief in the existence of a single god. Ex: Islam.
Atheism: The people following it will not accept the belief in the existence of the god.
Animism: In this, the people treat the animals, plants, nature as their sacred entity. Ex: many tribal communities follow this type traditionally.
Totemism: In this, the people believe in the symbols where they feel as having their relationship with the spiritual entity through ancestry.
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps
