- False (substantive definitions of religion are exclusive).
- Durkheim sees sacred things as set apart, special and forbidden; profane things are seen as everyday and ordinary.
- According to Durkheim and Mauss, religion is the original source of categories of thought, such as notions of time and causation.
- A belief system that attached sacred qualities to society itself, e.g. a faith in the ‘American way of life’.
- It ignores the conflict that religion often produces; it neglects various types of religious oppression.
- A lack of control over the means of production.
- By justifying the caste system, e.g. a person cannot question his or her position, as it is believed to be deserved as the result of good or bad behaviour in a previous life.
- Male-dominated priesthood; segregation of women; taboos about women; male gods and prophets; unequal rights and treatment.
- For Muslim women, by using the hijab to enable them to enter the public sphere; in evangelical groups, by sharing experiences and finding support e.g. in Bible study groups; by becoming priests e.g. in the Church of England.
