Durkheim I: Society and Social Facts

Emile Durkheim

• Born in Epinal, France in 1858

• Grew up in a Jewish family-- his father was a rabbi.

• He was expected to follow tradition, but instead he dropped out of rabbinical school.

• Got into the prestigious Ecole Normale Superieure, one of the best colleges in France

“Father of Sociology”(1858-1917)

• Committed himself to establishing sociology as a science, after drafting his doctoral thesis, The Division of Labor in Society, in 1886

• Appointed to teach the first official course in social science at the University of Bordeaux , completed many of his great works there

• Known for four primary works:o The Division of Labor in Societyo The Rules of Sociological Methodo The Elementary Forms of Religious

Lifeo Suicide

o Died in 1917 at age 59

Emile Durkheim

Importance of religion in social life

Commitment to rationalism

Emile Durkheim’s Brain!

Influences on Durkheim

Comte’s use of scientific method to study society

Spencer’s “organic analogy” of societies: idea of society as an organism that naturally evolves

Empirical observation; link to natural sciences

Scientific study of morality

Concern with cohesion, function, order

Durkheim – the “Functionalist”

“The laws governing the functioning and evolution of animal organisms provide a model for a natural science of society” (134).

Durkheim argued that each part of the social system functions to serve the whole, just like the various organs in the human body function to keep the whole organism alive. Concerned with how things work together to produce order.

Used the “organism” metaphor and other concepts from biology to describe social life.

Key Concepts: “The Rules of Key Concepts: “The Rules of Sociological Method” (1895)Sociological Method” (1895)

• Social factSocial fact: a key concept in sociology, the domain of sociological : a key concept in sociology, the domain of sociological study, what the social “is”study, what the social “is”

• Sociology is the “study of social facts.”Sociology is the “study of social facts.”

• Social facts as Social facts as sui generissui generis phenomenaphenomena– External to the individualExternal to the individual– Objective “things”Objective “things”– Related through cause/effect to other social factsRelated through cause/effect to other social facts

• InstitutionInstitution: a modern term for a social fact: a modern term for a social fact

• Rules of Rules of sociological methodsociological method: basic principles for the study social facts : basic principles for the study social facts – how we should proceed– how we should proceed

the Social Facts of life

EXTERNAL to INDIVIDUALS:

“any way of acting, whether fixed or not, capable of exerting over the individual an external constraint” – or -- “any way of acting which is general over the whole of a given society whilst having an existence of own, independent of having an individual manifestation” (147).

CAN ACT ON INDIVIDUALS:

Values, cultural norms, institutions, or social structures capable of shaping our behavior

Social Facts are “Sui Generis”

-Society is not just a collection of individuals, but has its own characteristics independent of the individuals who comprise it. 

-Social facts correspond to the conception or experience that the group shares, not just an individual’s thought or experience.

-Social facts have constraining power.

Latin for "of their own kind"

"The whole does not equal the sum of its parts; it is something  different, whose properties differ from

those displayed by the parts from which it is formed."

Social facts are known through other social facts: “Rules,” p. 141

“It is important to know not the way in which a particular thinker individually represents a particular institution, but the conception that the group has of it… This conception is indeed the only socially effective one. But it cannot be known through mere inner observation, since it is not wholly and entirely within any one of us; one must therefore find some external signs which make it apparent. Furthermore, it did not arise from nothing: it is itself the result of external causes which must be known in order to be able to appreciate its future role.”

SOCIAL FACTS EXPLAIN OTHER SOCIAL FACTS

What are Social Facts?

State forms, family types, property rights, punishment, notions of responsibility, religious beliefs, language, signs, proper behavior, kinds of political authority ….

Social institutions, social activities, roles, laws, beliefs, values, customs, norms, ways of acting and thinking… FUZZY CONCEPT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJIO-xOD364&feature=related

 

SOCIAL NORMS AS SOCIAL FACTS: THE ELEVATOR EXPERIMENT

Using the Sociological Imagination is a way of seeing Social Facts…

• Sociological Imagination links personal troubles to public issues

• Examples:– Divorce– Poverty– Suicide – as famously studied by

Durkheim himself!– Racial composition of our social

networks– Drug abuse

Small Group Discussion: Small Group Discussion: Social FactsSocial Facts

Get in your groups and come up with a Get in your groups and come up with a social fact we have social fact we have not mentionednot mentioned..– Define the social fact and explain how it is a Define the social fact and explain how it is a

collective reality, external to the individual.collective reality, external to the individual.– How does the social fact also act upon How does the social fact also act upon

individuals to shape behavior? individuals to shape behavior? – How might we study the social fact as an How might we study the social fact as an

“objective thing?” Can we measure it? How?“objective thing?” Can we measure it? How?– What other social facts can be linked to your What other social facts can be linked to your

social fact to explain it?social fact to explain it?Discuss these questions and nominate one or two members to share with Discuss these questions and nominate one or two members to share with

class.class.

Rules for Explanation of Social Rules for Explanation of Social FactsFacts

– We must treat social facts as objective “things”We must treat social facts as objective “things”•Look for social facts in “objective outcomes”Look for social facts in “objective outcomes”

– We must We must separate cause and function (148)separate cause and function (148)– The causes of a social fact’s specific form lie in The causes of a social fact’s specific form lie in

external conditions--other social facts.external conditions--other social facts.•We explain social facts with other social factsWe explain social facts with other social facts

– ““The function of a social fact must always be The function of a social fact must always be sought in the relationship that is bears to some sought in the relationship that is bears to some social end” (155).social end” (155).• Durkheim as functionalist – segments of society Durkheim as functionalist – segments of society

function to ultimately maintain social orderfunction to ultimately maintain social order

Small Group Discussion: Rules Small Group Discussion: Rules of Sociological Methodof Sociological Method

1)1) Move through the “Rules” section – Move through the “Rules” section – Durkheim’s methodology– and see if you Durkheim’s methodology– and see if you can find any part of it to critique. What can find any part of it to critique. What might be some potential problems or might be some potential problems or obstacles to doing sociology this way?obstacles to doing sociology this way?

2)2) Do you agree with D’s functionalist Do you agree with D’s functionalist perspective that all social segments must perspective that all social segments must function to maintain social order?function to maintain social order?

3)3) Think about Marx as a scholar-activist Think about Marx as a scholar-activist and compare that to the kind of scholar and compare that to the kind of scholar D seems to be– Similarities, differences?D seems to be– Similarities, differences?