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Today’s Class

Today’s Class. Durkheim’s life and times Approach to sociology The Division of Labor in Society Suicide In-Class Writing Discussion of Hornsby. Emile Durkheim, 1858-1917. Durkheim’s Life & Times. Born 1858, Epinal; close-knit family 1879: Ecole Normale Superieure

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Today’s Class

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  1. Today’s Class • Durkheim’s life and times • Approach to sociology • The Division of Labor in Society • Suicide • In-Class Writing • Discussion of Hornsby

  2. Emile Durkheim, 1858-1917

  3. Durkheim’s Life & Times • Born 1858, Epinal; close-knit family • 1879: Ecole Normale Superieure • Social and political context • 1885: Trip to Germany • Writings on methodology; The Rules of the Sociological Method (1895)

  4. Durkheim’s Life & Times • 1887: Position at University of Bordeaux; The Division of Labor in Society (1893) • Suicide (1897) • 1902: Position at the Sorbonne • The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912)

  5. Durkheim’s Life & Times • World War I; loss of son • Stroke in 1916, death in 1917

  6. Durkheim’s Approach to Sociology • Rejection of “methodological individualism” – need to study groups, societies • Social Realism • Society as constraint • Social Facts • Need for separate discipline for study of society

  7. The Division of Labor in Society • What holds societies together? • Durkheim’s argument: shared moral framework • Spencer, Principles of Sociology: social cooperation based on rational self-interest • Durkheim: rational action presupposes moral framework • Rational action rests on nonrational foundation

  8. The Division of Labor in Society • Increasing division of labor • Cause: increasing volume and density of population • Functionalist argument • Social solidarity? • Shift from “mechanical” to “organic” solidarity

  9. Mechanical Solidarity • Same activities, same beliefs • Individual consciousness has two components • “Collective Conscience” • Mechanical solidarity: CC takes up almost all of individual consciousness • Why “mechanical”?

  10. Organic Solidarity • High division of labor, solidarity through mutual dependence • People not as similar • Why “organic”? • Receding place of collective conscience in individual consciousness

  11. Laws as Indicators • Low division of labor/mechanical solidarity  repressive laws • High division of labor/organic solidarity  restitutive laws

  12. Today’s Readings • Preface • Growing importance of economic life • Lack of morality in economic sphere • Anomie (normlessness) • Threat of conflict • Solution: occupational groups

  13. Today’s Readings • Mechanical and Organic Solidarity • Weakening of collective conscience • Individual and society are not opposed • Functionalism: civilization • Civilization as effect of division of labor • Idea of social facts • Society determines individuals, not the other way around

  14. Today’s Readings • Growing influence of social forces • Increasing diversity among people • Ideas and feelings are socially determined

  15. Suicide (1897) • Thinking about suicide • Durkheim: social causes • Study approach: social structure and suicide rates

  16. Suicide (1897) • Rejection of popular explanations (mental illness, climate) • Durkheim’s alternative: social structure • Integration • Regulation

  17. Types of Suicide • Low integration  Egoistic suicide • High integration  Altruistic suicide • Low regulation  Anomic suicide • High regulation  Fatalistic suicide

  18. Method and Findings • Method: country-level data • Findings: • Religion • Marriage • Children • Family size • Wars and crises • Economic booms and busts

  19. Problems of Study • Logical flaws • Design flaw: ecological fallacy • Sexist assumptions and conclusions Significance: Large-scale empirical effort to show effects of social structure

  20. In-Class Writing Hornsby finds evidence of both social integration and social regulation in electronic gatherings. Describe at least one example of integration and one example of regulation that she discusses.

  21. Small-Group Exercise 1. Have you participated in electronic gatherings on a somewhat regular basis (or even just “lurked”)? If so, how would you describe the gatherings in terms of social integration? Social regulation?

  22. Small-Group Exercise 2. Do you think electronic gatherings are more or less integrated than face-to-face situations? More or less regulated? How do you think they affect overall social solidarity?

  23. Small-Group Exercise 3. What does Hornsby mean by “cyborg society”? How is cyborg solidarity different from organic solidarity? Do you agree that we are making a transition to a new kind of solidarity as a result of new technologies?

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