Emile Durkheim - Division of Labour, Social Fact, Suicide, Religion, and Society

Emile Durkheim - Division of Labour, Social Fact, Suicide, Religion, and Society

Emile Durkheim (1858 - 1917) was a prominent sociologist known for his contributions to understanding various aspects of society, including the division of labor, social facts, suicide, and religion.

Anomie: Durkheim defined anomie as a social condition where the norms guiding conduct break down, leaving individuals without social restraint or guidance.

Division Of Labour: Durkheim's work on the division of labor focused on understanding how social life is integrated and regulated. He distinguished between two types of societies: segmented and complex.

• Segmented Society: Characterized by homogeneity, division of labor based on age, and the replacement of units without affecting overall structure.
• Complex Society: Heterogeneous, division of labor based on skill and knowledge, and removal of specialized roles affecting vital functions.

Durkheim identified two forms of solidarity associated with the division of labor:

• Mechanical Solidarity: Found in traditional cultures with low division of labor, where shared beliefs and common experiences bind individuals together.
• Organic Solidarity: Characteristic of modern societies with complex division of labor, where economic interdependence fosters mutual dependency.

Durkheim argued that the division of labor is not merely an economic necessity but also a social fact, creating a sense of solidarity among individuals.

Social Fact: In his work "Rules of Sociological Method" (1895), Durkheim defined social facts as ways of acting that exert external constraint on individuals and are general throughout society. Social facts are studied using positivistic methodology, involving observation, classification, verification, comparison, and generalization.

Durkheim outlined six rules for observing social facts reliably, emphasizing the need for empirical study and precise formulation of concepts.

Critics such as Gabriel Tarde and Harry Elmer Bayons challenged Durkheim's emphasis on the constant aspect of social facts and his neglect of individual agency.

Suicide: Durkheim's study of suicide focused on understanding the social factors influencing individual decisions. He defined suicide as all cases of deaths resulting from positive or negative acts of the victim.

Durkheim argued that different collective sentiments in society influence suicide rates, with changes in social facts leading to variations in suicide rates.

Critics such as Marcuse and Gabriel Tarde challenged Durkheim's view, suggesting that suicide could also be motivated by individual or psychological factors.

Religion: Durkheim believed that religion is inherently social, with the sacred representing society divinized. He argued that the sacred and profane are distinct and cannot be mixed without losing their essential attributes.

Scholars like Guy Swanson and Edmund Leach provided insights into the relationship between religious beliefs and social structure, while critics like Steven Lukes and Evans Pritchard raised questions about Durkheim's conceptualization of religion and society.