At the core of Emile Durkheim’s sociological theory is the idea of social cohesion. As a
functionalist sociologist, Durkheim is concerned about social cohesion or social
solidarity. According to Durkheim, social cohesion comes from a core institutionalized
values that are held in common. Thus, anomie (that is, the lack of norms of behavior),
feelings of alienation, and social conflict, which are some of the central concepts in
Emile Durkheim’s sociological theory, are seen as social pathologies.
Collective Conscience, Religion, and Mechanical Solidarity
According to Durkheim, collective conscience and religion are crucial to social cohesion.
This is because, first, collective conscience (understood as beliefs and sentiments that
are shared in common by members of a society) creates common condition of
existence, and religion is the main form of collective conscience, which, according to
Durkheim, imposes a uniformity of beliefs and actions.
However, it is important to note that Durkheim argues that collective conscience,
expressed in religious beliefs and reinforced by ceremony, which eventually brings
people in solidarity, is true only to small-scale societies, for example, tribal societies.
Durkheim calls the kind of solidarity that we can find in small-scale societies
“mechanical”. As we may already know, for Durkheim, mechanical solidarity implies the
similarity of individuals living in a society. In other words, in a society held together by
mechanical solidarity, members share the same basic beliefs about the world and about
life (which are essentially based on religion) and engage in the same basic social and
economic activities, such as hunting and gathering.
These basic beliefs and values constitute what Durkheim calls “collective conscience”.
For Durkheim, collective conscience, which is understood as the totality of beliefs and
values, is a determinate system with a life of its own. Because collective conscience is
understood more as “norms of society”, this system causes the individuals to cooperate
with each other or abide by the laws of the society. But it must be remembered that
collective conscience is not a social structure but is a form of solidarity found in small-
scale societies.
Now, as we can see, advanced societies moved away from this type of solidarity, which
results in the weakening of the hold of collective conscience. However, for Durkheim,
the paradox of modern societies is that as they become more individualized so they
become more integrated. Thus, Durkheim did not view modernization as the cause of
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jeffocs. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R99,56. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.