Why/How does this institution fit Smith’s (2017) definition of religion?
Were you able to intuit or learn about any notions of the “superhuman power” on which the organization centers?
What activities did you observe that you believe constitution the “practices of religion” that are core to Smith’s definition?
Were you able to grasp some of the organization’s ancillary religious beliefs?
What demographic characteristics appear to predominate among the organization’s members?
How might some of the practices or beliefs you observed reflect or potentially influence social dynamics of class, gender, race/ethnicity, or politics?
Did anything you observed provide insight into the core questions that structure our course meetings?
What aspect, belief, or practice of the visited organization most struck you as sociologically interesting or noteworthy, and why?