ANTHR101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Emic And Etic, Polytheism, Conflict Resolution
11 Dec 2018
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November 30, 2018 - chapter 16: religion & culture. Pragmatic definition: a set of rituals performed to influence the supernatural, again, includes supernatural in the definition = problem. Instead of definition, we get a set of characteristics that are found in all forms of religious beliefs. Universal characteristics of religion: belief in the supernatural, animism: the belief of supernatural beings. Gods, spirits, ghosts, etc: animatism: is the belief in supernatural power (karma or mana) Often includes taboos: rules forbidding contact with sacred things. Karma: what you put out into the world, is what you get back. E. g. places that humans can"t go = the end of the rainbow: temples. Where you can communicate with the gods. E. g. a church: rituals, crisis rituals are performed whenever needed, calendrical trials are performed at specific times (daily, monthly, etc. ) Social functions: social control, conflict resolution, group solidarity. Psychological functions: cognitive function (explaining the unknown)
