SOC101Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Falun Gong, Caodaism, Public Culture
Document Summary
Offered answers to most of life"s questions (truth/false, right/wrong) Religious beliefs so common that most societies had no word for religion. Means different things- no consensus on definitions. Functional definitions- focus on what religion does: 1) provides meaning and purpose to life, 2) promotes social cohesion and a sense of belonging, 3) provides social control. National anthem includes the line god keep our land glorious and free! . Religious authority has declined in canada - governs fewer aspects of life than it used to. Religious beliefs vary in content and intensity. Religious practices vary in form and frequency. Due to structure of society and our place in it. Effect: religious impulse takes thousands of forms. The task of the sociology of religion is to account for these variations. Sociology: systemic study of human behavior in social context. For example: written texts, patterns of behaviours, individuals opinions about religious matters.
