Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

1. Emile Durkheim(1858-1917)

2. Personal Information • Born April 1858 • Jewish section of Epinal, France • Family: Close-knit • Not wealthy but respected • Hey Hey Durkheim • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgA41FMY0oQ • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxVImdGYu3I

3. Personal Information • 1887 first faculty appointment • 1st Sociology course • Chair: Dept. of Social Sciences • 1896-1902 (University of Bordeaux) • Married, 2 children • (Son, Andre died in WWI) • Diedat 59

4. Social Environment • Rapid industrialization • Conflict: Workers and Owners • Paris Commune (1871) • Workers seized Paris • Established egalitarian republic • Government destroyed commune • Killed 20,000 working-class people

5. Social Environment: France • History of Political Instability • Monarchy of Louis XVI • French Revolution(1789) • Dictatorship of Napoleon I (1799-1815) • Restoration of Bourbon monarchy • Bourbons overthrown (1830)

6. Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette

7. Napoleon I

8. History of Political Instability • Monarchy of Louis Philippe • Revolution ended monarchy (1848) • 2ndRepublic (1848-1852) • Emperor Napoleon III (1852-1870) • Nephew of Napoleon I • Deposed after defeat in Franco-Prussian War

9. Louis Philippe

10. Napoleon III(Nephew of Napoleon I)

11. History of Political Instability • Durkheim lived in 3rd Republic • People had lost moral unity • Remnants of previous governments • People supported: • Democracy • Monarchy • Socialism

12. Durkheim’s 3 Basic Concerns 1) Instability • Economic • Political 2) Violence • Workers & employers • Between nations • Anti-Semitism 3) Decadence • Self-centered • No sense of community

13. Sociology the Solution • Purpose of Sociology=Explain how to make modern society work • Develop positivist laws • Solve problems • Address moral crises • Create stability

14. Morality • Morality composed of three elements: • Discipline • (Constrains egoistic impulses) • Attachment • (Voluntarily join groups) • Autonomy • (Individual responsibility)

15. Sources of Morality • Education • Provides children with moral tools • Occupational associations • Adults acquire morals

16. Intellectual Influences • Kant • Morality without divinity • Sense of duty • Saint-Simon • Sociology->Moral laws • Hold society together

17. Intellectual Influences • Comte • Focus: Social stability & change • Spencer • Social evolution

18. Ideas Social Solidarity Dynamic Density Social Facts Collective Consciousness Collective Representations Social Currents Society as a distinct social reality Individual as Dualistic

19. Social Solidarity 1) Mechanical Solidarity • Non-industrial societies • Minimal division of labor • Few occupations • Similarity bound people together

20. Social Solidarity 2) Organic Solidarity • More advanced societies (industrial) • Increased division of labor • Many occupations • Difference and Interdependency create solidarity

21. Mw Dynamic Density • Number of people in society • Amount of interaction

22. Social Facts • “Ways of acting, thinking, & feeling, external to the individual & endowed with the power of coercion, by reason of which they control him.” • Independent of any single individual • Only explained by other social facts

23. Social Facts-3 General Types 1. Material facts • Social structures • Economy, Family, Social class • Morphological Facts • Form and Structure • Population size and density • Geographical location

24. Social Facts(cont.) 2. Nonmaterial facts • Norms • Values • Collective representations • Collective consciousness

25. Social Facts(cont.) 3. Social currents • Not as clearly formed • Examples: • Enthusiasm in crowds • Indignation in crowds • Depression in particular social groups

26. Collective Consciousness • Totality of beliefs & sentiments common to the average member of society • Exists before individuals • Survives individuals

27. Collective Consciousness(cont.) • Experienced as external force • Shapes behavior • Varies from society to society • Based on division of labor

28. Collective Consciousness4 dimensions 1. Volume=Number of people involved 2. Intensity=How deeply people feel about the belief 3. Rigidity=Clarity of the definition 4. Content=Form collective consciousness takes

29. 4 DimensionsMarriage in Feudal Societies (Mechanical Societies) • Volume=Most people involved • Intensity=Felt deeply about it • Rigidity=Clearly defined • Content=Religious & economic

30. 4 DimensionsMarriage Today (Organic Society) • Volume=Large # but smaller % of population • Intensity=Feel less deeply • Rigidity=Less clearly defined • Content=Personal choice

31. Collective Representations (Specific state of collective consciousness) • Examples: • Norms, values, & beliefs • Of various groups (e.g., family, schools) • Not reducible to or dependent on individual • Form a collective consciousness

32. Social Currents • Less clearly formed than Collective representations • Examples: • Enthusiasm or pity in crowds • Depression & disillusionment in segments of society

33. Society & Social Reality • Society as a distinct form of social reality • Cannot be reduced to biology or psychology • Society is not the mere sum of its parts

34. Individual as Dualistic • Individual part and Social part • Individual part • Bioorganic • Inborn • Self-centered

35. Individual as Dualistic • Social Part • Develops through interaction • Socialization • Altruistic • Group oriented • Needs nurturing & developing

36. Anomie • Norms (expectations for behavior) are: • Confused • Unclear or • Not present • Normlessness

37. Anomie • Modern individuals insufficiently integrated into society -> • Weakening bonds • Social regulation breaks down • Societal control on individual desires & interests is ineffective • Individuals on their own

38. Anomie • Human’s dual nature-> Breakdown of morals • Rising rates of deviance • Social unrest • Unhappiness • Stress

39. Research Suicide rates are social facts 4 types of suicide: • Egoistic • Altruistic • Anomic • Fatalistic

40. Egoistic Suicide • Low social integration • Group solidarity declined • Individual must depend on self • Excessive individualism • Vulnerable groups: • Urban dwellers • Industrial workers • Protestants • Unmarried men

41. Altruistic Suicide • High social integration • Excessive integrationinto group • Completely absorbed by group • Dutyto commit suicide for group • Examples: • More in less “civilized” societies • One group in modern society—Army

42. Anomic Suicide • Low social regulation • Breakdown of moral community • No rules or vague rules • Examples: • Adolescents • Older white men

43. Fatalistic Suicide • Excessive social regulation • Too tightly controlled • Few choices • Examples: • Slaves • Very young husbands • Married women when divorce not available

44. Contribution to Sociology • Institutionalized Sociology • Taught first class • Defined sociology’s area of research • Research illustrated sociology’s usefulness

45. Contribution to Sociology • Set the standard for research style & presentation • Literature review • Theoretical context • Testable hypotheses • Use of statistics • Implications of findings