Question

Indeet’s family has a pot of incense that they use to give gifts of scent to their dead ancestors in rituals. It is seen as a special object, apart from everyday life, for a ritual that is to be treated with special respect. Émile Durkheim would refer to this object as:

Answer 1

Answer:

Sacred

Explanation:

The sociologist Émile Durkheim developed the dichotomy of sacred/profane in order to refer to the role that various items play in human life. He argued that religion was the system of beliefs that related to "sacred" objects. These were part of elaborate rituals and were objects of reverence. On the other hand, profane objects were those that belonged to mundane life and individual concerns. In this case, it seems like the pot of incense is important to the family, and is part of various complex rituals. This shows that the pot is a sacred object for the family.