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Browse this when you have time. Also, if you glance at it occasionally, over time you may get insights into the question 'what is the difference between anthropology and sociology?'!

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Anthropologists Develop a New Approach to Explain Religious Behavior
Craig T. Palmer, associate professor of anthropology in the MU College of Arts and Science. "We noticed that communicating acceptance of a supernatural claim tends to promote cooperative social relationships. This communication demonstrates a willingness to accept, without skepticism, the influence of the speaker in a way similar to a child's acceptance of the influence of a parent."

This echos points made in several lectures (such as Lecture 4 and Lecture 5) about cultural systems of meaning ordering social relationships. They are definitely taking a "structural-functional" approach to the topic!

Anthropology of Religion is a major area of study, but not one we focus on in this course.