Sociologia

Term Paper
Part one: Photo #1, Religion is a big key in our society and how we, people act and behave in our lives. There are theories on religion from the different position of Functionalism, Conflict theory and Symbolic Interactionism. The functionalism approach takes religion as a mean of purpose and power in our society. It is the “skeleton of thought” that we must have to in order functionand think. It is not about which religions are true or false, it’s about the ideas each religion share to its individuals. Durkheim says that people gives power to objects and therefore it becomes sacred things that give people hope and power. “Each individual carries the whole in himself. It is part of him, so when he yields to its promptings, he does not think he is yielding to coercion butinstead doing what his own nature tells him to do.” When people conform to the rules of their religion, they are in effect yielding to the moral authority of society. Page 333. Durkheim also argued that religion perpetuates social unity or solidarity. It puts people together because of the shared beliefs and ideas. The people who go the church in the photo, well they are active doing work for thechurch therefore they don’t have time to do criminal activities. From the functionalism view religion has a power to keep in line and be good.
Conflict Theory takes a different approach when it comes to religion. It is more of a system of oppression and to control the masses. It depends in where you are in the system. If you are the working class then religion is like Marx said “ opium of themasses.” It gives people hope that things are going to get better afterlife. This idea keeps people deceived into working harder and that is okay to be exploited because of “salvation” In the other hand if you are in the upper class religion gives you a mean to oppress the working class with injustices and inequalities because of the rewards the working class is going to get. Religion teachesnonresistance to oppression. Marx said that if only workers could see the real truth, then they would overthrow the oppressors and experience real happiness and good working conditions. The church in my photo is a working class church, so the people in it have the belief that everything happens for a reason and that if they behave and do good, then eventually they will be rewarded with a better life.From the symbolic interactionism takes religion into a large scale and looks how it affects each level in our environment. Symbolic interactionism tries to figure the social force behind it by putting one self’s in another’s shoes, the use of empathy. Max Weber argued how religion has an important key in the economic system in the society. Weber argued that the main force behind capitalism isProtestantism because of the “greed” people have is backed up by the calling each person has. The idea that if you work for a better life here on Earth you will have a better life in the afterlife. “A person could fulfill his or her calling by choosing a vocation and then methodically completing its associated work for God’s glory. Salvation entailed rigorous self-discipline, the rational application ofone’s labor.” Page 330 Christianity was the salvation for the people but they needed to convert to the beliefs and adapt to the moral codes. A life of hard work, this made it easy for capitalism to grow. The people in this Assyrian church have their own norms and moral codes. So that’s why they might act in a different way than a person from a white church. We need to look the big picture ofreligion and how it affects each aspect of our lives when it comes to symbolic interaction.
Photo #2, Education serves as a mean of socialization; to transfer ideas from generation to generation, share ideas and values, it is a big part of every human. The sociological perspectives debate on what’s the real function of education. The functionalist theory focuses on how education keeps the system...