Ok, makes sense. I agree that anthropology and sociology share some theories as well as research methods. I actually borrow a lot from anthropology to study social groups or communities. I would say that I am more a "conflict theorist" rather than "functionalist." Rather than saying that morality/religion functions to "preserve efficiency and consequent prosperity of civilization," I would say that morality/religion mainly serve the purpose of the social group with the most power. The most powerful group uses morality and religion to force onto others in the society the values, norms, perspectives that best serve that powerful group. In other words, by constructing the dominant morality and notion of religion, the powerful group preserves its own efficiency and prosperity, and other members of the society are duped to believe they need to accept this dominant morality/religion to be prosperous, too.
|