Represent not only the things that give meaning and about which humans feel certain, but also the ideas that make such things so important that humans are willing to fight, work, or give up something of their own in exchange for them; express the ideas of central beliefs common to the members of a group describing what they consider good, rights, and desirable, and against which the norms of a particular group or subgroup may be judged
View of the social world that questions how factors such as race, sex, social class, and age are associated with an unequal distribution of socially valued goods and rewards
Instrumental in expressing and releasing group tension