... everything from the group's history to it's very existence is invested in the pole (Not unlike the Church's significance in some societies such as Britain). Durkheim saw religion as a means of reaffirming the collective conscience although there have been many criticisms of this view. One is that the theory doesn't meet modern times, Durkheim's view is more relevant to small pre-industrial societies, in more complex societies with so many varying beliefs and only a small proportion attending church then it seems impossible that religion can affectively reaffirm society. Another criticism is that religion does not always act as an integrative force, the current states in Ireland and Israel are prime examples of how religion sometimes weakens the collective conscience. Anthropologists have also criticised Durkheim for describing Totemism as being a religion and finally Durkheim is only tentative on how this relationship between Society and Religion works. Marx agreed with ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now