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Sociological Theory
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD


CHRONOLOGY OF DAVID EMILE DURKHEIM'S LIFE

BORN APRIL 15, 1858 AT EPINAL, VOSGE, LORRAINE, FRANCE, SON OF A RABBI
1874-5 GRANTED BACCALAUREATE (EG, HIS DIPLOMA)
1879 ADMITTED TO STUDY IN THE ECOLE NORMALE SUPERIEURE
1887-1902 TAUGHT PHILOSOPHY, SOCIOLOGY, FACULTY OF LETTERS, BORDEAUX
1887 MARRIED LOUISE DREYFUS, HAD A SON, DAUGHTER;
1891-92 LECTURES ON RULE GOVERNED AUTHORITY WHICH WERE TO CULMINATE IN, THE DIVISION OF LABOR

Durkheim's most excellent works!!
  1. 1893 DIVISION OF LABOR IN SOCIETY
  2. 1894 RULES OF SOCIOLOGICAL METHOD
  3. 1897 SUICIDE
  4. 1896 BEGAN JOURNAL, ANNEE SOCIOLOGIQUE
  5. 1912 ELEMENTARY FORMS OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

1914 WORLD WAR I
1916 ONLY SON, ANDRE, KILLED IN THE WAR
1917 NOV. 15, DURKHEIM DIES
"SOCIOLOGY MUST NOT BE A SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION OF READY-MADE AND DECEPTIVE TRUISMS; IT MUST FASHION DISCOVERIES WHICH CANNOT FAIL TO UPSET ACCEPTED NOTIONS." 1909
IDEAS DEVELOPED PRIOR TO 1888

I. SOCIOLOGY AS SCIENCE OF MORAL LIFE

A. USE OF ORGANIC ANALOGY
  1. SOCIETY COMES PRIOR TO INDIVIDUAL
  2. SOCIETY AS IDEAL
  3. PRODUCTION OF COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE WILL DIFFER
  4. SOCIETY IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS THIS IS UNIQUE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
  5. SOCIOLOGY IS TO STUDY THE MORAL RULES AS PART OF THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION.
B. EARLY WRITINGS PRODUCE LASTING CONCERNS:
  1. IMPORTANCE OF IDEALS & MORAL UNITY FOR STABILITY
  2. INDIVIDUALS ARE SHAPED BY SOCIETY & ARE ACTIVE
  3. ATTACHMENT TO SOCIETY INVOLVES OBLIGATIONS, CONSTRAINTS AND COMMITMENT TO IDEALS (NORMS, VALUES, BELIEFS)
  4. PROPERTIES OF SOCIETY, PARTICULARLY THE CONSCIENCE COLLECTIVE, CANNOT BE DEDUCE FROM INDIVIDUALS
  5. FOUNDATIONS FOR THEORY OF ANOMIE
  6. THEORY OF RELIGION
II. METHODOLOGY

SOCIAL FACTS
CHARACTERIZED BY;
  1. EXTERNALITY - THEY CONSTITUTE A REALITY SUI-GENERIS OUTSIDE OF ANY PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL
  2. CONSTRAINT - THEY POSSESS A POWER COERCION OVER THE INDIVIDUAL
  3. GENERALITY - THEY ARE POTENTIALLY UNIVERSAL, DIFFUSED WITHIN A GROUP
SOCIAL FACTS SHOULD BE EXPLAINED IN TERMS OF OTHER SOCIAL FACTS
INSTITUTIONS ARE SOCIAL FACTS; CRIME, SUICIDE

THREE TYPES OF SUICIDE
  1. EGOISTIC
    OUTGROWTH OF THE DIVISION OF LABOR AND THE "CULT OF INDIVIDUALISM"
  2. ANOMIC
    ALSO THE RESULT OF THE DIVISION OF LABOR, PROBLEMS IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIC SYSTEM
  3. ALTRUISTIC
    AN ASPECT OF TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES OR TIGHTLY KNIT GROUPS; A BY-PRODUCT OF A STRONG CONSCIENCE COLLECTIVE II. THE DIVISION OF LABOR IN SOCIETY
III. INDUSTRIALIZED SOCIETY PRODUCES MIXED MESSAGES BASIC QUESTION:

WHAT HOLDS SOCIETY TOGETHER? WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO SOCIETY?

DURKHEIM MAINTAINS WE MUST LOOK AT THE CAUSE & EFFECTS OF THE GROWTH IN THE DIVISION OF LABOR

USE OF ORGANIC ANALOGY:
  1. SMALL SOCIETIES ARE LIKE SINGLE CELL ORGANISMS, LITTLE DIVISION OF LABOR
  2. INDUSTRIALIZED SOCIETIES ARE LIKE COMPLEX ORGANISMS, HIGHLY DEVELOPED DIVISION OF LABOR
TWO TYPES OF BONDS
  1. MECHANICAL SOLIDARITY
  2. ORGANIC SOLIDARITY
THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW SOLIDARITY IS BY INDICATORS
  1. REPRESSIVE LAW
  2. RESTITUTIVE LAW

DEPENDENT VARIABLES
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE TYPE OF LAW (INDEX)TYPE OF SOLIDARITYEFFECT ON PERSONALITY
LITTLE OR NO DIVISION OF LABOR REPRESSIVE LAW MECHANICAL SOLIDARITYCOLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE OVERWHELMS PERSONALITY
DIVISION OF LABORRESTITUTIVE LAWORGANIC SOLIDARITYVARIED PERSONALITIES DEVELOP


WHAT BRINGS THE CHANGE FROM ONE TO THE OTHER?



Emile Durkheim's grave in Paris.


Picture of Bulldog

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