Emile Durkheim's Theories

Emile Durkheim was a man of many theories. Most of his theories were based on the reasons of religion and why societies and people believe in, and honor, their religions. Durkheim had more of a functionalist's point of view. Most of his career was spent studying religion in the small traditional societies. He accepted that religion was an illusion, which was a theory also accepted by Karl Marx and Max Weber. Durkheim connected religion with …

…birthdays, death, marriage, success, failure, and crisis. The set of rituals constitute the daily practices and ceremonies of religions (Enduring Issues in Sociology, 221). Durkheim felt that the collective ceremonies reaffirmed groups at times where people are forced to adjust to major changes in their lives. One example is in the case of death. Mourning isn't only and emotion expressing grief, but it is also a duty which is influenced by the group (Introduction to Sociology, 562).