Sociology chapter 13

Muslims have something called the Five Pillars of Islam that they must follow to be a Muslim

Declaration of Faith: In it's shortest form, the declaration of faith goes "There is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Five Daily Prayers: Muslims are required to pray at least five times a day. They face toward the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia when doing so. Charitable Giving: Muslims are required to give to charity. It is a personal responsibility for Muslims to reduce economic hardship and to reduce inequality for followers of Islam. Fasting during Ramadan: Muslims are required to fast during the month of Ramadan. They fast from food, drink, and sex from dawn to sunset everyday during this month. This ritual is thought to cleanse one's mind, body, and soul from the spiritual and physical impurities of this world Pilgrimage to Mecca: Every Muslim who is physically and financially capable must also travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia at least once in their life to partake in the rituals of this pilgrimage. A successful pilgrimage is thought to return one to the time of a baby first born, clean of sins (similar to baptism in Christianity).

Functionalist Perspective of Education

A central position of functionalism is that when the parts of society are working properly, each contributes to the well-being or stability of that society. Within the perspective of functionalism, there are two main types of functions: manifest and latent. Manifest functions are positive things that people intend their actions to accomplish. Latent functions are positive consequences that people did not intend their actions to accomplish.

a religious experience

A religious experience also falls under the category of beliefs. A religious experience refers to a sudden awareness of the supernatural or a feeling of coming into contact with God.

3 main elements of religion

Beliefs Rituals A moral community of believers

4 main types of religious groups

Cult Sect Church Ecclesia

functions of education

Education's most manifest function is to teach knowledge and skills. Each generation must train the next to fill the group's significant positions.

islam

Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is the second largest faith in the world with the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, and Indonesia being the primary location of followers today. It is a monotheistic religion as well. They have a belief in prophets (with Muhammad being the main prophet), an afterlife of heaven and hell, a judgment day, and is a faith that imposes a moral code on to its believers. Muslims do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God or that he was resurrected; however, they do believe that he was a prophet. Their sacred text is the Quran and they must pray at least five times a day. If they were to go somewhere to worship, it would be a mosque. Sunni and Shia are the two major denominations of Islam.

Hinduism

Hinduism differs from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in that it embraces a number of gods and minor gods, although more worshipers are devoted primarily to a single deity. This makes Hinduism a polytheistic religion (the belief in many gods). Hinduism is also distinguished by a belief in reincarnation, or the perpetual rebirth of the soul after death

Judiasm

Like Christianity and Islam, Judiasm is monotheistic. In fact, Christianity and Islam are so similar to Judaism because they both grew out of Judaism. Jews believe that God's true nature is revealed in the Torah. God formed a covenant, a pact, with Abraham and Sarah, the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jews believe that this convenant holds them accountable to God's will.

religious symbols

Religious symbols fall under the category of beliefs. All religions use symbols to provide identity and social solidarity for their members. Christians have the cross, Jews have the Star of David, and Muslims have the crescent moon and star. For members, these are not ordinary symbols, but sacred emblems that evoke feelings of awe and reverence. It is the belief that these symbols are sacred.

rituals

are ceremonies or repetitive practices that help to unite people into a moral community. It is a practice of doing something. For example, praying is a ritual. Other examples could be singing, lighting candles and incense, reading scripture, following prescribed traditions at processions, baptisms, weddings, funerals, bowing, bar mitzvahs, etc.

christians

are monotheistic (the belief in one God) and is the single largest faith in the world. Europe, North America, and South America are the primary location of followers. It includes a belief in prophets, an afterlife of heaven and hell, a judgment day, and is a faith that imposes a moral code on its believers. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and their sacred text is the Bible. If they were to go somewhere to worship, it would be a church

Buddhism

developed as a reaction against Hinduism. There is not a worship of a god in Buddhism, it is more of a way of life, a way of living. Through meditation, followers of Buddhism strive to overcome selfish cravings for physical or material pleasures. They believe that these cravings cause suffering. Throughout your life, you go through a series of rituals to end the suffering with the goal of reaching a state of enlightenment, or nirvana.

ecclesia

is a state religion where the government and religion work together to try and shape society. There is no recruitment of members, for citizenship makes everyone a member. The religion is part of a cultural identity. Examples include the Roman Catholic Church in medieval Europe, Islam in Saudi Arabia today, or Buddhism in Thailand.

social integration

is another manifest function. Social integration means to identify and belong to the nation and to society's institutions.

cultural transmission of values

is another manifest function. This is a process by which schools pass on a society's core values from one generation to the next.

gatekeeping

is another manifest function. This process determines which people will enter what occupations. One type of gatekeeping is called credentialism. Credentialism is where diplomas and degrees are used to determine who is eligible for a job.

sect

is larger than a cult, but its members still feel tension between their views and the prevailing beliefs and values of the broader society. If a sect grows, its members tend to gradually make peace with the rest of society. Examples include Hutterites, Jehovah's Witness, Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Amish.

moral community

is simply a group of people who are united by their religious practices. It is the followers of the religion that make up the moral community. This element implies that there must be a group of people who buy in to the beliefs and practices of the religion for it to be a religion.

a church

is when the religious group becomes highly bureacratized, probably with national and international headquarters that give direction to the local congregations, enforce rules about who can be ordained, and control finances. Examples include Roman Catholic, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Mormons, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.

growing function

of schools is to provide sex education, and in some schools, birth control. While it is largely thought of to be the families responsibility, lots of families do not provide this function for their children. Therefore, the school has stepped in to fulfill this role.

cult

simply a new or different religion whose teachings and practices put it at odds with the dominant culture and religion. Christianity started out as a cult. Hinduism started out as a cult. Buddhism started out as a cult. Judaism started out as a cult. All religions start out as cults.

tracking

sorts students into different educational programs on the basis of perceived abilities. Students on the lowest track are likely to go to work after high school or to take vocational courses so they take courses that stress obedience to authority and close supervision. Those on the highest track usually attend prestigious colleges so they take courses that stress leadership and innovation. Tracking helps fulfill the different levels of society's positions.

child care

used to be a latent function but has turned in to a manifest function. Grade schools do double duty as babysitters for families in which both parents work or for single working mothers/fathers. Schools are used as child care with some schools even offering child care both before and after the school day.