Week 5-Religion and Belief System, Health

Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics
RELIGION
AND BELIEF HEALTH
SYSTEMS
RELIGION
 Is a social institution that answers
questions and explains the seemingly
inexplicable.
 It provides explanations for why
things happen and demystifies the
ideas of birth and death.
Religion and Belief Systems
Animism
Polytheism
Monotheism
Institutionalized Religions
Separation of church and state
RELIGION
 Religions are different in terms of perspectives and
practices.
 Religion can be found in all human societies which
makes it cultural universal.
 Religion affects us and our way of thinking in the
existing world. It serves as a pattern for the actions we
take in day-to-day existence. Religion is seen not only
as a social belief but also as a social institution that
continues to develop over time.
FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION
Major Sociological Theories and

Their Major Assumptions Concerning Religion
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS
Functionalism Emile Durkheim

Religion serves several functions for society.
1. Giving meaning and purpose to life.
2. Reinforcing social unity and stability
3. Serving as an agent of social control of
behavior.
4. Promoting physical and psychological
well-being
5. Motivating people to work for positive
social change
FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION
Conflict Theory Major SocKarl Marx

iological Theories and
Their Major Ass Religion
mptions reinforces and promotes
Concerning Religion social
inequality and social conflict. It helps
convince the poor to accept their lot in life,
and it leads to hostility and violence
motivated by religious differences.
Symbolic Interactionism Max Weber
This perspective focuses on the ways in
which individuals interpret their religious
experiences. It emphasizes that beliefs and
practices are not sacred unless people regard
them as such. Once they are regarded as
sacred, they take on special significance and
give meaning to people’s lives.
Source: Barkan, Steven. “Sociological Perspectives on Religion.” In Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World,
comprehensive edition.
RELIGIOUS PATTERNS
ANIMISM POLYTHEISM MONOTHEISM

ANIMISM
Belief that the natural world, as a whole or in

parts, has a soul or spirit.
As a whole = World Spirit, Mother Earth,
In parts = rocks, trees, springs, and animals.
ANIMISM
 In animism, Spirits can be in either good or bad
form which can make interactions and influences
on humans in various ways and forms
*Bad spirits = negative energies, possessions,
demonic disturbances and cases of insanity.
*Good spirits = attributes that aid humans in
acquiring their needs and addressing their issues.
POLYTHEISM
 Belief in more than one deity which is characterized by the

worship of many deities that illustrate the ways of life
including beliefs, practices and traditions.
 Rooted from the words: poly, which means “many”,
and theism which means “god”.
 Polytheistic deities consist of variants such as: Sky god,
Death deity , Mother goddess , Love goddess, Creator
deity, Trickster deity , Life- death-rebirth deity, Culture
hero
POLYTHEISM
Hinduism
Considered as the world's oldest religion still
being practiced today.
There is only one supreme god in
Hinduism, Brahma, and all other deities are
his aspects and reflections. Since Brahma is
too immense a concept for the human mind
to comprehend, he presents himself in the
many different versions of himself which
people recognize as deities such as Vishnu,
Shiva, and the many others.
POLYTHEISM
Ganesh (Ganapati)
*One of the Hindu gods - an elephant-headed
god.
*god of wisdom and learning, as well as the
remover of obstacles, and consequently the
sign of auspiciousness.
*said to have written down the Mahabharata
from the dictation of Vyasa. He is the lord
(Isa) of the Ganas or troops of inferior deities,
but more well-known as the son of Shiva and
Parvati.
*in the most common representations of
Ganesh, he appears as a pot-bellied figure,
usually but not always yellow in color. In his
four hands, he holds a shell, a discus, a club,
and a water lily; his elephant head has only
one tusk.
MONOTHEISM
 Belief in one god, which is accountable for all the things
happening in the world including the world’s creation and
existence.
 Scholars argue that as human societies affiliate with a few of
the gods in the pantheon, they have come to practice
exclusive worship of several deities that was promoted with
the ascension of a singular chosen deity to supremacy.
MONOTHEISM
 Hume (2015) believed that the differences between
polytheism and monotheism led to the changes of the
human mind, wherein rationality is more associated
with monotheism while tolerance is to polytheism.
 Ex: Christians and Muslims

INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGION
 Also called as Organized Religion, is

religion in which belief systems and
rituals are systematically arranged and
formally established.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGION:
1. Wide-scale religious clout

The number of individuals affiliated with this religious
institution is immense that it crosses political and
international borders and cuts across social status.
2. Hierarchical leadership and membership

Followers of this type of faith system are relegated to
socio-political posts within the system, which provides
ranking and status. This implies that access to the divine may
not be given to every member but is a privilege of a select few.
The decisions for the welfare of the religious group are also
made by those who hold power while members are expected
to follow them.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGION:
3. Codified Rituals
Processes of interacting with the divine and
with fellow members are guided by written rules and
regulations that have the power of the law , such that
a member’s inability to comply results in the
imposition of sanctions.
Most of the world subscribe to one of the following religions:
 Christianity- the most widespread world religion. It is based

on the belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the
redeemer of mankind.
 Islam – followers of Islam are called Muslim. Muslims believe
that the true word of God was revealed to the prophet
Muhammad around 570 A.D.
 Judaism – it is a monotheistic religion that predates
Christianity, built on the belief that the Israelites are the
“chosen people” of God.
Most of the world subscribe to one of the following religions:
 Hinduism – it is the oldest major world religion, dominant in

India. Hindus do not worship a single person or deity but
rather are guided by a set of ancient cultural beliefs.
• They believe in principle of Karma, which is the wisdom or health
of one’s eternal soul.
• Karma can be strengthen with good acts and harmed by bad acts.
 Buddhism – follow the teachings of Siddharta Gautama, a
spiritual teacher of the sixth century B.C.E.
• does not feature any single all –powerful deity but teaches that by eschewing
materialism, one can transcend the “illusion” of life and achieve enlightenment.
TYPES OF RELIGIOUS GROUPS:
There are three group categories of religious

organizations according to sociologist:
1. Church – a religious group integrated with society.
2. Sect –a religious group that sets itself apart from
society as a whole.
3. Cult – a religious group that is outside the standard
cultural norms, typically centered on a charismatic
leader.
TYPES OF RELIGIOUS
PRACTITIONERS
 Religious practices are performed by the individuals in

varying capacities.
Four main types of religious practitioners:
Shaman Sorcerer Priest

and witch
Medium
SHAMAN
 also known as a community healer
 position usually occupied by a male who has
fairly high status in his community.
 also involved in other nonreligious activities
in his community, making his religious
function an occasional preoccupation.
 Shamanism was observed in most parts of
Asia . In the Philippines, it has been
practiced in the province of Siquijor.
SORCERER AND WITCH
 poorly regarded in their societies due to the

perceived malevolence that they inflict on
individuals
 have very low social and economic status and
often ostracized by members of the society.
 sorcerer uses “materials, objects and
medicines to invoke supernatural malevolence”
 witch can accomplish malevolence by means of
“thoughts and emotions alone”
MEDIUM
 well favoured by the members of his\her
community as he\she is involved in healing
rituals while in a possessed trance.
 capable of performing divination to predict
future courses of action.
 most mediums tend to be females who
perform other roles when not in religious
practice.
PRIEST
 tends to be a male whose sole
preoccupation is to officiate religious
ceremonies and rituals.
 due to his status in religious hierarchy,
he is highly regarded by community
members.
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
 The 1987 Philippine Constitution Article III Section 6 states that “The
separation of Church and state shall be inviolable”
Article III Section 5:
No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship,
without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be
required for the exercise of civil or political rights.
 However, despite such provisions, the religious culture of the Filipinos have
oftentimes empower the religious sectors to influence the political affairs of
the country.
 As states developed into more complex political units, the church is regarded
as a separate entity from the state.
The belief in the supernatural is a cultural
universal as the need by humans to understand
their environment and self persists. Due to
economic and political differentiation, humans
tend to create varying religious norms and
practices. Religion is a mirror f one’s society as it
reflects the social dynamics experienced y its
members. An understanding of the variance of
religion promotes tolerance and acceptance
across societies.
HEALTH
Bughat or Binat is the term used to refer to the ailments (headache,
chills, body pains, malaise, dizziness, muscle weakness and in some
it is blindness).
The list of prohibited activities include:
1. Drinking cold water
2. Eating coconut or other coconut based viand like ginataan.
3. Going up and down the stairs
4. Getting a manicure or pedicure
5. Go hungry or miss meals
6. Taking a bath immediately after giving birth
7. Taking a bath in cold water
8. Exposing one’s self to cold air
9. Opening one’s leg or crossing them Indian Style
10. Walking around
11. Reading a books
12. Sewing
13. Not taking a first bath with the 7-leaves concoction
14. Carrying heavy objects.
USOG
Is a filipino superstition that attributes an
illness to the greeting of a stranger, a child
develops a fever, the stranger is sought
after and asked to touch lightly his or her
saliva on the child’s forehead, chest or
abdomen.
SYSTEM OF DIAGNOSIS,
PREVENTION AND HEALING
1. Traditional medicine
Complementary /alternative medicine (CAM) –are often used
interchangeably with traditional medicine in some countries.
2. Herbal Medicines
3. Traditional use of herbal medicines- refers to the long historical
use of these medicines.
4. Therapeutic activity – refers to the successful prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental illnesses.
5. Active ingredient – refers to ingredient of herbal medicines with
therapeutic activity.
HEALTH AS HUMAN RIGHT
It means that everyone has the right to the highest

attainable standard of physical and mental health,
which includes access to all medical services, sanitation,
adequate food, decent housing, healthy working
conditions and a clean environment.
The design of a health care system must be guided
by the following key human rights standards.
o Universal Access
 Access to health care must be universal, guaranted for all on an
equitable basis.
o Availability
o Acceptability and Dignity
 They must respect medical ethics and protect confidentiality.
o Quality
 All health care must be medically appropriate and of good quality
guided by quality standards and control mechanisms
The human right to health also entails the following
procedural principles, which apply to all human rights:
o Non-Discrimination
o Transparency
o Participation
o Accountability
o Healthcare
 Universality –everyone must have access to equal high-quality and
comprehensive health care.
 Equity – resources and services must be distributed and accessed
according to peoples needs. We get what we need and give what we
can.

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Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

Major Sociological Theories and

Functionalism Emile Durkheim

Conflict Theory Major SocKarl Marx

ANIMISM POLYTHEISM MONOTHEISM

Belief that the natural world, as a whole or in

 Belief in more than one deity which is characterized by the

 Ex: Christians and Muslims

 Also called as Organized Religion, is

1. Wide-scale religious clout

2. Hierarchical leadership and membership

 Christianity- the most widespread world religion. It is based

 Hinduism – it is the oldest major world religion, dominant in

There are three group categories of religious

 Religious practices are performed by the individuals in

Four main types of religious practitioners:

Shaman Sorcerer Priest

 poorly regarded in their societies due to the

It means that everyone has the right to the highest

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