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Durkheim's Idea of External Constraints

Through religious ceremonies, people are able to come together and confirm their social bond thereby reinforcing their social solidarity. In its euphoric function, religion helps people to offset their feelings of loss of faith and frustration by helping restore the sense of well-being of the believers as well as their sense of critical appropriateness of the moral world of which they are a part of (Bancroft and Rogers, 2010). .
             According to Durkheim, religion does not only encompass religious symbols, objects, beliefs and sacred rituals. He believed that it also encompassed the rituals and routines that the group of believers took part in regularly in a bid to bind them together in solidarity. The religious rituals allow the members to get away from the mundane parts of their daily lives and concentrate on higher realms of experience. This is why Nat chooses to attend church every Sunday and to participate in church activities. She believes that her religion makes her a better person and as such takes part in the rituals associated with the Catholic Church as a reflection of this belief. It also allows her to stay connected to the other members of her church because she is able to know what other members of her church are doing in their charity work activities. This is shown by the fact that she does not believe that there is anyone else in her church carrying out the same charity activities as her. .
             Durkheim also argued that sacred rituals and ceremonies are an important part of marking significant occasions in the lives of people. Births, marriages, and deaths are marked with religious ceremonies. Births are celebrated through baptism, marriage is celebrated through weddings ceremonies and deaths are marked by funeral services. One only attends all these ceremonies if they are connected to the individuals who are celebrating them either as friends or family. This is why Bridgette only attends church on special occasions.


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