SOCIOL 2S06 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Social Fact, Collective Effervescence
4 Jan 2016
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Every religion makes a distinction between the sacred (elements beyond everyday life, which inspire both awe and respect) and the profane (ordinary and commonplace elements of life) e. g. christianity. Durkheim also distinguishes between religious beliefs and religious practices (religious beliefs articulate the nature of the sacred, practices indicate how to act in relation to the sacred). For durkheim, religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices connected to what is sacred. Totem an animal, plant or an object that members of a tribal society come to see as being sacred having supernatural powers. Members of the society would treat the totem with reverence they would be forbidden to kill the animal that the totem was e. g. cats, mistreating it, damaging it etc. Has two particular roles: it helped the society to function. The society share their religious beliefs and this helps bind them together.
