Summary of Durkheims Sociological Theory - 958 Words

Emile Durkheim is one of the major leaders in the delineation of sociology. Durkheim set out on a mission to define how sociology should be considered and how the method of sociology should be used. Although Durkheim’s writing does touch upon certain moral, political organization, and intellectual issues, overall, Durkheim sets out to provide a theoretical construction for the study of sociology. Durkheim desires to understand societal life through various social constructs. His agenda entails â€Å"accurately distinguish[ing] social facts† and further â€Å"show[ing] what it is that gives them their identity† (Giddens 52). He basically would like to analyze how societies work and what factors can be used to describe different aspects between†¦show more content†¦Durkheim set out to find theories and not answers to specific problems. The most basic question of sociology is concerning the factors that hold together society. Durkheim claims that â⠂¬Å"whatever specific mechanisms we find should all relate back to a more fundamental mechanism of which these specific mechanisms are variants† (Collins 186). Durkheim argued that sociology should be searching for this mechanism. He also claimed that he had potentially found such a mechanism which is the law of social gravity. As Collins notes, â€Å"Durkheim’s key explanatory factor is social morphology, the structural relationship among people† (Collins 186). Durkheim concludes that the society determines the individual, meaning that the individual is influenced by the society in which he/she belongs to. There are different variations in social density which â€Å"are the key determinants in every aspect of Durkheim’s theory† (Collins 187). Even further, Durkheim was interested in inducting the laws of all societies by studying more traditional and primitive societies because he believed that they were simpler and more capable of showing th e elementary forms of social life (Collins 183). Durkheim thought the key was to observe modern society through the lens of a more primitive, traditional society. Durkheim only wished to study societies and create laws to help cure society. He was not only looking into the history of society, but he was also looking into theShow MoreRelatedCrime Is Necessary: Durkheim’s Theory of Crime729 Words   |  3 Pagessociety plays a large role in our actions and Durkheim explains that reasons to which why crime is executable. Experts in the Department of Sociology have given their own words and critiques toward Durkheim’s theory. there are many theories of crime out there, but the most agreeable one is Emile Durkheim’s Theory of crime. The french sociologist states in his book Suicide that: â€Å"Now there is no society known where a more or less developed criminality is found under different forms. No people exist whoseRead MoreDurkheim and the Relevance of His Theories in Modern Society1240 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Treat social facts as things† is an expression that epitomises the works of Emile Durkheim. This essay focuses on four main sociological concepts proposed by the functionalist Emile Durkheim; the division of labour; mechanical and organic solidarity; anomie and suicide, and examines their relevance in contemporary society. Along with Marx and Weber, Durkheim is considered one of the founding members of modern sociology. He is also credited with making sociology a science through his applicationRead MoreDurkheim‚Äà ´s theories focusing on sociological methodology, division of labor and social solidarity1195 Words   |  5 PagesEssay 3 – Durkheim 03/29/2014 DURKHEIM: A SUMMARY OF THEORIES IN RELATION TO MARX AND WEBER Durkheim’s theories focusing on sociological methodology, division of labor and social solidarity The majority of Durkheim’s work is interested in society and societies ability to preserve coherence and rationality an period of increasing modernity. Throughout his work Durkheim was intensely concerned that society become a legitimate science, this is especially obvious when reading the book ‘EmileRead MoreDurkheim/Social Facts2127 Words   |  9 PagesStacey Seddon 10 January 2011 Social Theory (SOCI 101) Module Coordinator: Paul Jones Essay Question: Why is the concept of social facts so significant for Durkheim’s work? Illustrate your answer with reference to at least one of his studies. This essay will look at social facts and the significance of them to Durkheim’s work, Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) a French sociologist wrote a series of controversial monographs, showing the methods and subject matter of the new science ofRead MoreSociological Theory3361 Words   |  14 Pagesï » ¿INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY Compare and contrast the views of three appropriate sociological perspectives to an area of social life of your choosing. Why do we act the way we do? Does the mass media really affect the way a people in a society behave? Sociologists focus on the environment and the social aspects of human behaviour in order to answer questions like these when studying a particular society. A society is defined as a large social group that shares the same geographical territoryRead MoreBiography of Emile Durkheim1258 Words   |  6 Pagesteaching philosophy in 1882. Durkheim also wrote articles mainly on German philosophy and ‘social science’. These had received acknowledgment from Louis lizard, director of higher education in France, also a devoted republican. He was intrigued by Durkheim’s ideas on a scientific French morality. So in 1887 Emile Durkheim was appointed in charge of the social sciences and it was here than ‘Sociology’ first officially entered the French university system. He is commonly cited as the principalRead MoreIntroduction. Women Across The World Struggle To Make Their1454 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Women across the world struggle to make their voices heard so that today’s challenges can be an aspiration in equality for the future. To understand the struggle women are facing around the world, individuals look to feminists and conflict theories that empower and drive domination and oppression. Feminist theorists like West and Zimmerman, MacKinnon, and Smith defend women’s rights and call for an open and organized society that promotes equality for all genders, ethnic, cultural, and religiousRead MoreThe Significance for Economic Anthropology of the Work of Marx and Durkheim1557 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is the significance for economic anthropology of the work of Marx and Durkheim? Introduction The works of Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim have proved that they were indeed the finding fathers of modern social theory during the late 19th to the early 20th century. Along with others (i.e. Weber, Simmel, Veblen etc.) they had laid down the foundations of our understanding of the relationships that are held between culture and society on one hand, and economic activity on the other hand. Marx sawRead MoreEmile Durkheim’s Notion of Social Solidarity3007 Words   |  13 PagesEmile Durkheim’s Notion of Social Solidarity At the heart of Durkheim’s book of Division of Labor in Society is social solidarity. More than an increase in productive output, social solidarity is deemed to be the most notable effect of the division of labor. Over time, as roles become more distinct and appropriated according to one’s objective, the individuals in a society become more linked to one another. In fact, he tries to make sense of the division of labor as a phenomenon that contributesRead MoreComparison of Marx, Durkheim and Weber1622 Words   |  7 Pagesworlds and times in history, has had such familiarization not only for their respected times but a revelation to today’s systems and structures. Let us explore the minds and studies of the three men, and discover were they either Genius’ or foe? Summary: The â€Å"Manifesto of the Communist Party† by Karl Mark was first written in 1848 in a time where rules on workers and working conditions where at minimum to none. At the precipice of social and political turmoil in Germany, Mark writes â€Å"The history