C4(2): Emile Durkheim Flashcards
1-11: Overview | 12-__: Social Facts
Emile Durkheim talks about?
Syllabus of Emile Durkheim
- DOL
- Social Fact
- Suicide
- Religion and Society
Define Social Facts
Social facts are the social structures and cultural norms that constrain people in all areas of social life
Social facts are classified as?
- Material Social Facts
- Non - Material Social Facts
DOL is classified into?
- Functions of DOL
- Causes of DOL
- Abnormal Forms of DOL
Under Functions of DOL, Emile divided societies into?
State the differences with definition
- Primitive Society
- Mechanical Solidarity
- Low Interdependence
- Low Material Density
- Low Moral Density - Modern Society
- Organic Solidarity
- High Interdependence
- High Material Density
- High Moral Density
Note: DOL ∝ Material Density & Moral Density
What are the Causes of DOL?
- Increase in material density (Increase in Population)
- Increase in moral density (Increase in Interactions)
What are the Abnormal Forms of DOL?
- Anomie - New rules and norms governing DOL do not arise
- Inequality - Resulting in discontent, tension, conflict
- Inadequate Organization - Resulting in disunity and disintegration
What are the two major reasons of suicide?
- Integration - Degree to which collective sentiments are shared
- Regulation - Degree of external constraints on people
What are the types of suicide?
There are 4 types which relate to integration and regulation:
1. Altruistic - High Integration - Suicide for the Good
(Eg) Military Soldier voluntary sacrifice for the nation
2. Egoistic - Low Integration - Individual feels isolated
(Eg) Young adult feeling alienated in modern society
3. Fatalistic - High Regulation - Oppressed by rampant rules
(Eg) Child taking life for stringent rules imposed by parents
4. Anomic - Low Regulation - Feeling of purposelessness during upheaval (Society fails to provide norms)
(Eg) Financial trader taking life during a financial crisis
What are the two basic components of Religion?
- Beliefs - Collective representations
- Rites - Modes of action determined by Beliefs
Religious beliefs are classified into?
- Sacred (Pavithra)
- Profane (Apavithra)
Note: There is a middle ground which is Mundane, which states that it is neither of them
Define Physical World and Social World
Durkheim in his book: Montesquieu and Rousseau
Physical World: Directly observable facts
Social World: Indirectly observable facts
Nature of social facts
Social facts are external and coercive in nature.
They should be treated as things
How did Durkheim differentiate Sociology from Psychology and Philosophy?
- By empirical research
- Social facts - External and coercive
- Psychological facts - Internal (Inherent)
What are the characteristics of Social Facts? (Hint: ECGI)
- Externality
- Constraint
- Generality
- Independence
What are Material Social Facts?
Provide examples - Basic and Linked to Generality
Real, material entities which define the externality of the social facts
(Eg) Law and Architecture
(Eg) Descending order of Generality
- Society
- Structural Components of Society
(Such as Church and the State)
- Morphological Components of Society
(Population distribution, and communication channels)
What are Non Material Social Facts?
Provide examples - Basic and Linked to Generality
Non - material entities which are found in the mind of actors
(Eg) Culture and Norms
(Eg) Descending order of Generality
(Not stringent)
- Collective Conscience
- Morality
- Collective Representation
- Social Currents (Waves of enthusiasm (or) indignation)
Study of Social Facts (Hint: OCDE)
- Observation: Identifying manifestations and symbols
- Classification: Grouping diverse set of facts into broader categories
- Distinction: Difference between Normal and Pathological
- Explanation: Define precisely - Complete objectivity
Define DOL
Splitting up an activity into number of smaller processes which are undertaken by different persons or groups of persons
Adam Smith about DOL (Source his work)
Adam Smith in his book Wealth of Nations (1776) said that DOL is the primary source of economic progress
Transition from Primitive to Modern Society and emphasize on how is it achieved?
Rise in Population leads to Conflict for sharing limited resources and to achieve peaceful coexistence the society transits from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity
This occurs because of dynamic density
Define Dynamic Density
Dynamic density is the increase in material density and moral density
DOL as a social fact
- Exists everywhere such as Family, Religion, and so on
- It is sui - generis, that is it evolves with society
- Integrates people
Law - Primitive Society v/s Modern Society
Primitive Society - Repressive Laws
Strong common morality - anyone caused an issue seen as a damage to common morality rather damage to a specific individual
Modern Society - Restitutive Laws
Weak common morality - anyone caused an issue seen as a damage to a specific person/group rather to common morality
Anomie
- Individuals do not face sufficient moral constraints and do not know what is not proper and acceptable behavior
- Durkheim says anomie as a Social Pathology caused due to rise of organic solidarity and isolation in modern society with minimal regulation
Define Suicide
Any death caused directly/indirectly, by a positive/negative action of the victim himself which he knows will produce this result
Broadly, Cause of Suicide is?
Changes in collective sentiments lead to changes in social currents contributed to increase in suicide rates
Generally, Cause of Egoistic Suicide is?
Social disintegration leads to currents of depression and disillusionment contributing to suicide
Note(1): Strongly integrated group discourages suicide
Note(2): Religion protects man against the desire for self - destruction and it supports integration of religious community
Suicide as a social fact
- Rate of suicide of various societies is fairly constant
- Suicide is not a psychological phenomenon - As normal people committed suicide whereas ill people did not
- Suicidogenic Forces: Integration and Regulation
- Certain rate of suicide is considered as normal
Define Religion (and Source)
Book: The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912)
Religion is a unified system of beliefs and rites focused on sacred things—things considered special and set apart. It brings together everyone who follows these beliefs and practices into a single moral community, often called a Church.
What is the dynamogenic quality of Religion?
Religion has the capability not only to dominate the individuals but also to elevate them above their ordinary abilities and capabilities
What is totem?
Material representation of the non - material force
Note: Durkheim refers non - material as society and refers totem as the symbol of society
Durkheim’s views on Science?
All those who follow science - integrate with each other and it becomes a common source of identity
Therefore, he refers science as a modern religion
