Using Material from Item a and Elsewhere, Assess the Functionalist View That Religion Benefits Both Society as a Whole and Its Individual Members (18 Marks)"
Many functionalists argue that religion benefits both society as a whole as well as its individual members however other sociologists may oppose this view and claim that those who do actually benefit from religion this is at the expense of others, this in itself contradicts many of the beliefs set out in religions themselves.
The consensus view as posed by functionalists presents religion in a far more positive light in comparison to that put forward by Marxists and feminists for example. As in Item A, stating that religion integrates individuals into a community by instilling into them a set of shared beliefs that gives them a feeling of belonging and common identity supporting the view that religion does benefit society as a whole. On the other hand it can be viewed that those who benefit from religion is in fact at the expense of others, as stated in Item A line 5. This contradicts the positive view towards religion and poses it in a much more negative light.
From a functionalist perspective, Emile Derkheim defines religion in terms of the contribution it makes to social integration, rather than any specific belief in God or the supernatural. However this can be counter-argued in that just because an institution helps integrate individuals into groups this does not mean it is a religion.
To try and come to a conclusion as to whether religion does actually benefit society as a whole as well as its individuals the problem arises when trying to look at all religions and being able to come to one inclusive decision. All religions vary therefore to generalise all of the religions amongst many different societies and cultures can become increasingly difficult. However many sociologists have posed their own