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Emile Durkheim ( )
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Personal Information Born April 1858 Jewish section of Epinal, France
Family: Close-knit Not wealthy but respected Hey Hey Durkheim Functionalism
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Personal Information 1887 first faculty appointment
1st Sociology course Chair: Dept. of Social Sciences (University of Bordeaux) Married, 2 children (Son, Andre died in WWI) Died at 59
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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
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Social Environment: France
History of Political Instability Monarchy of Louis XVI French Revolution (1789) Dictatorship of Napoleon I ( ) Restoration of Bourbon monarchy Bourbons overthrown (1830)
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Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette
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Napoleon I
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History of Political Instability
Monarchy of Louis Philippe Revolution ended monarchy (1848) 2nd Republic ( ) Emperor Napoleon III ( ) Nephew of Napoleon I Deposed after defeat in Franco-Prussian War
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Louis Philippe
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Napoleon III (Nephew of Napoleon I)
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History of Political Instability
Durkheim lived in 3rd Republic People had lost moral unity Remnants of previous governments People supported: Democracy Monarchy Socialism
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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
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Sociology the Solution
Purpose of Sociology=Explain how to make modern society work Develop positivist laws Solve problems Address moral crises Create stability
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Morality Discipline Attachment Autonomy
Morality composed of three elements: Discipline (Constrains egoistic impulses) Attachment (Voluntarily join groups) Autonomy (Individual responsibility)
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Sources of Morality Education Occupational associations
Provides children with moral tools Occupational associations Adults acquire morals
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Intellectual Influences
Kant Morality without divinity Sense of duty Saint-Simon Sociology->Moral laws Hold society together
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Intellectual Influences
Comte Focus: Social stability & change Spencer Social evolution
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Ideas Dynamic Density Social Facts Collective Consciousness
Social Solidarity Dynamic Density Social Facts Collective Consciousness Collective Representations Social Currents Society as a distinct social reality Individual as Dualistic
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Social Solidarity A set of norms, values, and morals that hold a certain group of people together “The ties that bind” Social context: Growing individualism Social dislocation Moral diversification
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Social Solidarity 1) Mechanical Solidarity Non-industrial societies
Minimal division of labor Few occupations Similarity bound people together
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Social Solidarity 2) Organic Solidarity
More advanced societies (industrial) Increased division of labor Many occupations Difference and Interdependency create solidarity
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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
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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
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Social Facts (cont.) 2. Nonmaterial facts Norms Values
Collective representations Collective consciousness
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Social Facts (cont.) 3. Social currents Not as clearly formed
Examples: Enthusiasm in crowds Indignation in crowds Depression in particular social groups
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Collective Consciousness
Totality of beliefs & sentiments common to the average member of society Exists before individuals Survives individuals
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Collective Consciousness (cont.)
Experienced as external force Shapes behavior Varies from society to society Based on division of labor
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Collective Consciousness 4 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
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4 Dimensions Marriage in Feudal Societies (Mechanical Societies)
Volume=Most people involved Intensity=Felt deeply about it Rigidity=Clearly defined Content=Religious & economic
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4 Dimensions Marriage Today (Organic Society)
Volume=Large # but smaller % of population Intensity=Feel less deeply Rigidity=Less clearly defined Content=Personal choice
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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
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Individual as Dualistic
Individual part and Social part Individual part Bioorganic Inborn Self-centered
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Individual as Dualistic
Social Part Develops through interaction Socialization Altruistic Group oriented Needs nurturing & developing
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Anomie Norms (expectations for behavior) are: Confused Unclear or
Not present Normlessness
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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
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Anomie Human’s dual nature-> Breakdown of morals
Rising rates of deviance Social unrest Unhappiness Stress
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Research Suicide rates are social facts 4 types of suicide: Egoistic
Altruistic Anomic Fatalistic
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Research on Suicide Durkheim defined suicide as:
“death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result.”
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Egoistic Suicide Low social integration Group solidarity declined
Individual must depend on self Excessive individualism Vulnerable groups: Urban dwellers Industrial workers Protestants Unmarried men
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Altruistic Suicide High social integration
Excessive integration into group Completely absorbed by group Duty to commit suicide for group Examples: Observed more in less “civilized” societies One group in modern society—Army
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Anomic Suicide Low social regulation Breakdown of moral community
No rules or vague rules Examples: Adolescents Older white men
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Fatalistic Suicide Excessive social regulation Too tightly controlled
Few choices Examples: Slaves Very young husbands Married women--when divorce is not available
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Contribution to Sociology
Institutionalized Sociology Taught first class Defined sociology’s area of research Research illustrated sociology’s usefulness
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Contribution to Sociology
Set the standard for research style & presentation Literature review Theoretical context Testable hypotheses Use of statistics Implications of findings
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