Durkheim characterizes collective conscience as "a totality of beliefs and sentiments common to average citizens of the same society forms a determinate system which has its own life" (Ritzer, 82). In Durkheim's opinion a whole is not identical to the sum of its parts, thus society is not just a mere sum of individuals. .
A good example of functionalist perspective is Emile Durkheim's theory about religion. According to Durkheim, religion in not about supernatural beings but rather about beliefs and practices, which are the collective representations of society and groups. Because Durkheim's main interest was the ways in which society is bound together, he investigated the role and the origin of religion in various communities. He believed that a simpler society has a simpler religion. Durkheim claims that, "a religion as closely connected to a social system surpassing all others in simplicity may well be regarded as the most elementary religion we can possibly know" (Ritzer, 91). For instance Durkheim argues that totemism a religious system in which animal figures are regarded as sacred is among the simplest religious forms in the world. The totemic animal, Durkheim believed, was the original focus of religious activity because it was the emblem for a social group, "the clan" (Ritzer, 91). He thought the model for the relationships between people and the supernatural was similar to the relationship between individuals and the community. For him the function of religion was to make people willing to put the interests of society ahead of their desires. He also believed religion is an important part of society and that the functions of religion are to maintain the equilibrium in the society.
Moreover, Durkheim compares religion to society. He says that society is the cause of the unique sensations of the religious experiences, so called "sui generis" (Ritzer, 84). This concept corresponds to the way in which society considers the things of its own experience.