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Durkheim Flashcards

1
Q

What are the Two Main Themes in Durkheims work

A
  • Priority of the social over the individual
  • Society can be studied scientifically
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2
Q

When was sociology born according to Durkheim

A

France in the nineteenth century

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3
Q

How did Durkheim separate sociology from psychology

A

He argued that sociology should be concerned with the study of social facts

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4
Q

How did Durkheim separate sociology for philosophy

A

He argued that it should be oriented towards empirical research

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5
Q

Define Social Facts

A

Social structures and cultural norms and values that are external to and relative of actors

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6
Q

How are social facts to be studied?

A

Empirically and treated as “things”

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7
Q

What were the two ways of defining social facts

A
  1. a social fact is experienced as an external constraint
  2. It is general through society and not attached to any particular individual
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8
Q

How are social facts explained?

A

Only by other social facts

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9
Q

Examples of Social Facts

A

Legal Rules, moral obligations, social conventions, language

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10
Q

What are material social facts

A

Social facts that can be directly observed

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11
Q

What are nonmaterial social facts

A

Norms, values and cultures

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12
Q

Where are nonmaterial social facts found

A

Mostly found in the mind

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13
Q

What is relational realism

A

The level of reality interactions between nonmaterial facts creates

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14
Q

What are the two aspects of morality

A
  • morality is a social fact
  • morality identified with society
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15
Q

Four types of nonmaterial social facts

A

Morality, collective conscience, collective representations and social currents

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16
Q

Durkheim’s Concern with morality

A

People were in danger of pathological loosening of moral bonds

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17
Q

Define Collective conscience

A

the communal beliefs, morals, and attitudes of a society

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18
Q

Define Collective Representations

A

Refer to both a collective concept and a social “force”

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19
Q

What are examples of Collective representations

A

Religious symbols, myths, legends, group memories

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20
Q

Define Social currents

A

A set of meanings that are shared by the members of a collectivity

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21
Q

Does the division of labour separate people?

A

No, it pulls people together by forcing them to be dependent on reach other

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22
Q

Two types of social solidarity

A

mechanical and organic

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23
Q

Define mechanical solidarity

A

People are all engaged in similar activities and have similar responsibilities

24
Q

Define Organic solidarity

A

People have differences and all have different tasks and responsibilities

25
How is modern society held together according to Durkheim
By the specialization of people and their need for the services of others
26
How can collective conscience be differentiated in the two types of society
Volume, Intensity, rigidity and content
27
Mechanical Solidarity dimensions
V: Entire society I: High R: High C: Religious
28
Organic Solidarity dimensions
V: Particular groups I: Low R: Low C: Moral Individualism
29
Define Dynamic Density
- causes the transition from mechanical to organic The number of people in a society and the amount of interaction that occurs among them
30
What law characterizes mechanical solidarity
Repressive Law - Due to everyone feeling offense, wrongdoer is severely punished
31
What law characterizes organic solidarity
Restitutive Law - Offenses committed against particular individual rather than whole society
32
What determines if a society is healthy or not
If it has similarities to other societies
33
What are the three abnormal forms of the division of labour
1. the anomic 2. the forced 3. the poorly ordinated
34
How to evaluate suicide rates
- Compare different societies - look at changes in rates over time
35
Four types of Suicide
egoistic, altruistic, anomic, fatalistic
36
The two social facts relating to suicide
Integration: the strength of attachment to society Regulation: degree of external constraint of people
37
egoistic suicide
low social integration - feeling they are not a part of society
38
Altruistic suicide
strong social integration - feels it is their duty to do so
39
Anomic suicide
low social regulation - disruptions within the powers of society leaving people dissatisfied
40
Fatalistic suicide
high social regulation - passions choked by oppressive discipline
41
Form of social reform suggested
Institution based occupational groups
42
How is religion created
Society creates it by defining certain phenomena as sacred and others as profane
43
Conditions needed for a religion
- Set beliefs - Set of rituals - Churches
44
Life of a clan phases
- clan separates into small groups and groups live independently (is uniform and dull) - members gather together in celebrations
45
Define collective effervescence
the passion or energy that arises when groups of people share the same thoughts and emotions. - shared energies are sacred, all else is profane
46
Define totemism
a religious system in which certain things come to be regarded as sacred
47
What are the two general models for how humans develop concepts
Empiricism: contends that our concepts are just generalizations of sense impressions Apriorism: Contends that we must be born with some initial categories of understanding
48
What are the six fundamental categories of understanding
Time: rhythms of social life Space: division of space occupied by society Classification: the human group Force: experiences with social forces Causality: imitative rituals Totality: society itself
49
Summarize Religion
It is what connects society and the individual
50
What are the three components of morality
1. Involves discipline 2. involves attachment to society 3. involves autonomy
51
What was it like before Durkheim reformed education
There were two approaches: - Education as an extension of the church - education as the unfolding of the natural individual
52
How was education reformed
- provides individuals with discipline - education could develop devotion to society - develops autonomy
53
What are occupational associations
All the workers and owners joined together in association that is both professional and social
54
How did conflict occur in the workplace according to Durkheim
Through lack of common morality
55
Criticisms of Durkheim
- was only an accidental functionalist - no attempt to predefine the needs of society - Provided no evidence about passions - Failed to give consciousness an active role in social process - Judged as a conservative due to criticisms of socialism, feminism and emphasis on morality
56
Contemporary Applications of Durkheim
Contemporary Applications of Durkheim - Inspired Goffman - Racial Order relied on theory of culture - Americans classifying europeans as sacred and black as profane - Sociology is information and communication technology

Classic Sociological Theory (6 decks)

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