Class Discussion #7: Is Religion and Marriage Good for You? 1313 unread replies.1313 replies. Sociological studies show that religion and marriage both improve the quality of life and are stabilizing factors in society. From a functionalist point of view, religion teaches us how to live an ethical life, provides a community, gives purpose or meaning to one’s life. Marriage, on the other hand, normalizes reproduction practices and the socialization of future members of society, and legally sanctions emotional and financial support between a man and a woman. From a conflict perspective, however, religion can also be see as reproducing dominant values and a form of social control, and family can be seen as heterosexist, patriarchical, and tied to a particular social class–middle and upper class lifestyles. Read the following articles and watch the video, and then respond to discussion questions below: http://www.nber.org/digest/oct05/w11377.html (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) http://www.stephaniecoontz.com/node/371 (Links to an external site.) Stephanie Coontz: On Marriage (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) 1. Do you think religion and marriage are positive or negative forces in society? Make a case for both sides. 2. Why do you think religion and marriage are often the center of conflict in society? (In other words why do some people want to preserve these institutions and why do others want to replace or reform them?) 3. Recently, Germany’s parliamentary member’s proposed a seven year marriage limit, after which the couple must recommit. If you were in politics what policy change would you make on either marriage or religion and why?