LNI 1013 : AGAMA DAN

MASYARAKAT
 KEDUDUKAN
AGAMA
DALAM MASYARAKAT
 Mengikut pendekatan structural-functional
masyarakat dilihat sebagai satu
keseluruhan (whole) yang terdiri daripada
bahagian-bahagian (parts).
 Setiap bahagian mempunyai fungsi masing-
masing dan memberi sumbangan
(contribution) terhadap wujudnya
keseluruhan tersebut.
 Jika masyarakat dilihat sebagai satu sistem
sosial (social system), maka ia terdiri
daripada beberapa sub-sistem, yang setiap
satunya berfungsi.
 Sub-sistem itu pula mempunyai hubungan
yang fungsional antara satu sama lain, dan
bersifat saling melengkapi (complementary)
bagi menjaminkan kelangsungan sistem
sosial (masyarakat) secara keseluruhannya.
 SISTEM SISTEM
POLITIK EKONOMI

SISTEM
PENDIDIKAN
SISTEM
AGAMA

SISTEM
KELUARGA LAIN-LAIN
 Selain itu setiap sub-sistem masing-masing
saling bergantungan dan mempengaruhi
antara satu sama lain.
 Jika mana-mana sub-sistem berubah, ia
akan menyebabkan perubahan pada sub-
sistem yang lain, misalnya jika sistem
ekonomi berubah maka sistem politik,
sistem keluarga, sistem agama dll juga turut
berubah atau setidak-tidaknya turut
menerima kesan perubahan tersebut.
 Talcott Parsons mengatakan setiap
sistem dalam masyarakat mesti
digerakkan bagi memenuhi empat
keperluan utama atau bagi mencapai
empat "functional imperatives" atau
AGIL berikut:
1. A = Adaptation
2. G = Goal Attainment
3. I = Integration
4. L = Latency/ Pattern Maintenance
 Adaptation
 Mana-mana sistem mesti
menyesuaikan diri dengan persekitaran
(sosial & bukan-sosial).
 Ini dilakukan dengan cara menguasai
persekitaran tersebut serta
mengadaptasikan diri dengannya.
 Fungsi adaptasi dijalankan oleh sub-
sistem ekonomi.
 Goal Attainment
 Setiap sistem mempunyai matlamat
tertentu yang hendak dicapai, dan
segala sumber yang ada dalam
masyarakat perlu dimobilisasikan bagi
mencapai matlamat tersebut.
 Tugas mobilisasi sumber ini dijalankan
oleh sub-sistem pemerintahan atau
kerajaan.
 Integration
 Setiap sistem mempunyai keinginan
untuk mewujudkan ketenteraman dan
kestabilan berlandaskan kepada sistem
nilai yang dikongsi bersama oleh
anggotanya.
 Fungsi integrasi ini dijalankan oleh
Sub-sistem agama & sub-sistem
undang-undang.
 Latency

 Mana-mana sistem mesti dikekalkan

bagi mewujudkan kesinambungan
(continuity).
 Fungsi latency/pattern maintenance ini
dijalankan oleh sistem keluarga.
FUNGSI AGAMA
 FUNGSI AGAMA
Terdapat beberapa fungsi utama agama
dalam masyarakat iaitu:
1. Integrasi
2. Panduan Kehidupan
3. Kawalan Sosial
4. Asas Identiti
 Integrasi
 Sistem agama menimbulkan keseragaman
dalam kalangan penganutnya bukan sahaja
dari segi dasar kepercayaan, malah
keseragaman tingkah laku, pandangan
dunia (worldview) dan nilai.
 Perkara-perkara ini menjadi faktor
pengikat yang membawa kepada integrasi
masyarakat.
 Panduan Kehidupan
 Sistem agama mewujudkan panduan
(guidelines) bagi kehidupan manusia
supaya melakukan sesuatu yang baik dan
mengelak daripada melakukan perbuatan
jahat dan keji.
 Manusia sebagai makluk sosial bergaul dan
berinteraksi dalam masyarakat
berlandaskan panduan yang ditetapkan
oleh sistem agama tersebut.
 Kawalan Sosial
 Agama terkandung di dalammya peraturan
dan undang-undang.
 Perkara-perkara ini merupakan satu
bentuk kawalan sosial.
 Pelanggaran kawalan akan dikenakan
tekanan baik tekanan dalaman (internal
sanction) maupun tekanan luaran (external
sanction).
 Asas Identiti
 Agama menjadi asas identiti atau jati diri
seseorang – seperti dalam ungkapan saya
seorang Muslim, beliau seorang
Kristian/Hindu dll.
 Dalam masyarakat Melayu (di Malaysia)
misalnya, agama menjadi pentakrif utama
orang Melayu (Perkara 160 Perlembagaan
Malaysia)
 Aspek Beragama
 Kepercayaan Kepada Kekuatan Ghaib
 Sakral
 Ritual
 Umat Beragama
 Mistisme
 TEORI AGAMA
(Religious Theories)
 TEORI AGAMA
Terdapat tiga teori utama tentang agama iaitu:
1. Teori Fungsional
2. Teori Marxis
3. Teori Feminisme

RELIGION as reported by Earl

Christopher M. Segales
Sept 12, 2009
 As reported by
Earl Christopher M. Segales
Sept 12, 2009

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19771945/Religion-
RELIGION - FUNCTIONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
Emile Durkheim
 Religion: a unified system of beliefs and practices related
to sacred things.
 Distinguished between the sacred and the profane
 Totemism: the simplest & most basic form of religion
 Religion reinforces the collective conscience (shared
values and moral beliefs)
 In collective worship, members express and understand
the moral bonds which unite them.
RELIGION—FUNCTIONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
Bronislaw Malinowski
• Religion reinforces social norms and values. It promotes
social solidarity.
• It serves as a ‘cushion’ to crises of life (anxiety and tension)
• Rituals reduce the feeling of uneasiness by providing
confidence and a sense of control.
• Religion promotes social solidarity by dealing with situations
of emotional stress that threaten the stability of society, e.g.
Death  the bereaved person is comforted by relatives
RELIGION—FUNCTIONALIST
PERSPECTIVE
Talcott Parsons
 Human action is directed and controlled by norms provided by
the social system.
 Since religion is embedded in this system, it provides
guidelines for conduct which are expressed in a variety of
norms. E.g. 10 Commandments and Laws
 Two categories of human problems:
1. Fortuitous events (kejadian yang berlaku secara kebetulan)
are inevitable (tidak dapat dielakkan) and unpredictable -
Religion enables people to restoring the normal pattern of
life.
2. The feeling of uncertainty towards the future is evident -
Religion becomes a ‘tonic for self-confidence’.
RELIGION - A MARXIST PERSPECTIVE
 Religion is an illusion which eases the pain produced by
exploitation and oppression. It justifies the subordination of the
subject class and the domination of the ruling class.
 “Opium of the people”  stupefies (menyekat dari berfikir)
and disillusions the people into false notions:
1. It promises a paradise of eternal bliss (kebahagian abadi)
because there is Heaven.
2. It allows poverty to become tolerable because of afterlife’s
reward.
3. A supernatural intervention is possible.
4. It justifies the social order between the rich and the poor.
RELIGION - A MARXIST PERSPECTIVE
 Religion is an instrument of oppression. It acts as mechanism
of social control which maintains system of exploitation. It
prevents social change.
 Religion distorts reality. It allows false consciousness to
pervade among the workers.
 Historical evidence: Hinduism caste system; Divine Right
(mandate of heaven) monarchy
 In a truly socialist society, individuals revolve around
themselves, and religion disappears.
RELIGION – GENDER & FEMINIST
PERSPECTIVE
Gender Inequality in Religion
 Main premise: Religion is a product of patriarchy rather than
capitalism.
 Acc. to Karen Armstrong, early history shows the women
played a central role in the spiritual conquest. e.g. the idea of
Mother Goddess or Mother Earth
 Turning point: foreign invasions
 Before=polytheism; After=monotheism
 Before=roster of gods & goddesses;
After=Yahweh/Allah/Jehovah
RELIGION – GENDER & FEMINIST
PERSPECTIVE
 Acc. to Jean Holm, women have a subordinate role in religion
than men.
 Some examples:
 In Japanese folk religions, women organize public rituals
while men perform these.
 In Chinese beliefs, Yin=women=passive=submission;
Yang=men=active=aggression
 In Buddhism, women=nuns; men=priests  priest are more
senior to nuns
 In Hinduism, women cannot enter shrines or perform rituals
when they are menstruating or pregnant because these are
regarded as pollutants to the sacredness of the
activities/objects,
RELIGION – GENDER & FEMINIST
PERSPECTIVE
 Acc. to Simone de Beauvoir,
 Religion gives women .. beliefs that they will be
compensated for their sufferings on earth by equality in
heaven.
 Religion can be used by oppressors (men) to control the
oppressed ones (women).
 Acc. to Nawal El Saadawi,
 In the Arab world, patriarchal dominance leads to
prostitution, slavery, and abortion.
 Acc. to Islam, men are permitted to marry several wives
(but women can’t have many husbands), and men could
divorce their spouses instantaneously.
SEKIAN & TERIMA KASIH