Lecture W7 Durkheim
Durkheim- starting point is how is social order possible
- How does society hang together?
- Society as an organism- it develops specialised functions to maintain order
- Is a POSITIVIST- can examine society by scientific methods?
- Task of sociology is to uncover the functions that keep the social organism in order
- Should begin by thinking of society/social organism as a SOCIAL FACT
o Social facts have Priority over us, exist before existence of any individual
o Is External to us
o Is Constraining- conditions our behaviour
1st book Division of Labour: refers to the organisation of functions in society that enables
social and economic goals to be achieved- that exist prior to us thus are a Social Fact.
o Out of all the specialised labour we get- A sense of common unity and
common purpose
o Therefore, division of labour is essential to social growth
- 2 social types:
o Mechanical solidarity: pre-industrial pre-scientific societies
Ppl bound by bonds of resemblance, similarity of minds leads to
individuals fuse into a mass- collective conscience
Not much mobility
Little innovation
Is suspicious of others and distrustful of strangers
Is a form of society where the law is repressive- if you diverge from
the belief-system then there are consequences
Lex talionis- society works on the principle of an ‘eye for an eye’- no
concept of rehabilitation
TRANSITION TO….
o Organic solidarity: advanced/industrial society
Chains of interdependence
Differentiation of functions and division of labour-
each has his sphere of action dependent on contribution of other to
the well-being of the whole
Geographical mobility- unlikely to live and die in same place
Innovation
A society based on Trust
Law is Restitutive
‘Cult of individual’- have to respect, through which mutual tolerance is
developed
- Social harmony
o Abnormal forms of DoL: Forced
o Anomic DoL: disturbance that prevents ppl from fulfilling their functions
Suicide: “is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or
negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result”
- Using scientific methods:
o Suicide rates in France appeared to be fairly uniform over time
o suicide rates between different countries not same
Durkheim- starting point is how is social order possible
- How does society hang together?
- Society as an organism- it develops specialised functions to maintain order
- Is a POSITIVIST- can examine society by scientific methods?
- Task of sociology is to uncover the functions that keep the social organism in order
- Should begin by thinking of society/social organism as a SOCIAL FACT
o Social facts have Priority over us, exist before existence of any individual
o Is External to us
o Is Constraining- conditions our behaviour
1st book Division of Labour: refers to the organisation of functions in society that enables
social and economic goals to be achieved- that exist prior to us thus are a Social Fact.
o Out of all the specialised labour we get- A sense of common unity and
common purpose
o Therefore, division of labour is essential to social growth
- 2 social types:
o Mechanical solidarity: pre-industrial pre-scientific societies
Ppl bound by bonds of resemblance, similarity of minds leads to
individuals fuse into a mass- collective conscience
Not much mobility
Little innovation
Is suspicious of others and distrustful of strangers
Is a form of society where the law is repressive- if you diverge from
the belief-system then there are consequences
Lex talionis- society works on the principle of an ‘eye for an eye’- no
concept of rehabilitation
TRANSITION TO….
o Organic solidarity: advanced/industrial society
Chains of interdependence
Differentiation of functions and division of labour-
each has his sphere of action dependent on contribution of other to
the well-being of the whole
Geographical mobility- unlikely to live and die in same place
Innovation
A society based on Trust
Law is Restitutive
‘Cult of individual’- have to respect, through which mutual tolerance is
developed
- Social harmony
o Abnormal forms of DoL: Forced
o Anomic DoL: disturbance that prevents ppl from fulfilling their functions
Suicide: “is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or
negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result”
- Using scientific methods:
o Suicide rates in France appeared to be fairly uniform over time
o suicide rates between different countries not same
