Religion can be both conservative force and an initiator of social change

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‘Religion can be both conservative force and an initiator of social change” To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view?  (33)

There is great debate concerning the role of religion in society, and whereas some claim that religion acts as a conservative force, others argue that religion is a major contributor to social change. It would be likely, many sociologists have took the middle ground, and argue that religion can act as both as conservative force, and an initiator of social change.

There are a number of possible relationships between religion and social change. Religion can either promote social change, or can also be a factor in helping promote it. On the other hand, religion itself may not influence changes in society, but there is still a relationship between the two. Functionalists and Marxists both argue that religion does not bring about change in society. They believe that religion acts as a “conservative Force” and that it is changes in society that shape religion, not the other way round as religion does not shape society. A conservative force can have two meanings. It is usually used to refer to religion as preventing change and maintaining the status quo. However, it can also refer to promoting traditional beliefs and customs that can bring out social change.

Theories from both Functionalism and Marxism have put forward the view that religion acts as a conservative force. They both see religion as facilitating the existence of society in its current form, although their views do differ significantly. For Durkheim, religion, like many other social institutions, acts in the same way as one of the body’s vital organs, in that it “keeps society alive”. In other words, religion has a number of functions that serve the purpose of maintaining social stability and harmony. Durkheim believes that through the act of collective worship in the form of religious practices, religion helps bond and unite individuals; it acts as” social glue” that promotes value consensus and social solidarity within society. Functionalists see religion as a conservative force in that it helps to integrate individuals and allows them to realise the “collective conscience” that they are all in the same thing together, and should carry on doing so this deters people from going against the norm as they see everyone else doing it, this therefore keeping a conservative force.

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Although both functionalism and Marxism offer a plausible account of religions role in society, many are critical of such narrow views, arguing that religion does not act as a conservative force but it actually has the complete opposite purpose and that it actually can act as a radical force and a motion for change. Neo Marxism, a subset of Marxism, holds such a view in particular, some Neo Marxists, comment on how religion has the power to spark revolutionary change.

There are many examples which show that religion is acting as a conservative force, this adding evidence ...

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