'The main function of religion is to provide people with a code of behavior which regulates personal and social life' Assess the extent to which sociological argument support this view of religion in modern society.

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'The main function of religion is to provide people with a code of behavior which regulates personal and social life' Assess the extent to which sociological argument support this view of religion in modern society.

There is no common definition for Religion, thus making it hard to analyze the effects it has on contemporary society. Three major characteristics of defining what is a religion is that there is a collection of individuals, A set of shared beliefs and a set of approved rituals. There is no doubt that Religion today provides a code of behavior which even though is clear, some people choose to ignore. The fact some people may dismiss these rules doesn't disprove Religion.

Durkheims' functionalist view was based around the 'collective consciousness' in which without "society could not endure". Durkheim believed highly in "The Sacred" in which things of a symbolic nature are placed higher than anything. An example of this would be Christians wearing a cross; it has symbolic meaning to the individual and the collective, so they represent shared beliefs. He says that, "collective worship has a crucial social significance" as it constantly unifies the group; this frequent unification means that bonds between