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Today’s Class
Durkheim’s life and times Approach to sociology The Division of Labor in Society Suicide In-Class Writing Discussion of Hornsby
Durkheim’s Life & Times
Born 1858, Epinal; close-knit family 1879: Ecole Normale Superieure Social and political context 1885: Trip to Germany Writings on methodology; The
Rules of the Sociological Method (1895)
Durkheim’s Life & Times
1887: Position at University of Bordeaux; The Division of Labor in Society (1893)
Suicide (1897) 1902: Position at the Sorbonne The Elementary Forms of Religious
Life (1912)
Durkheim’s Approach to Sociology Rejection of “methodological
individualism” – need to study groups, societies
Social Realism Society as constraint Social Facts Need for separate discipline for
study of society
The Division of Labor in Society What holds societies together? Durkheim’s argument: shared moral
framework Spencer, Principles of Sociology: social
cooperation based on rational self-interest
Durkheim: rational action presupposes moral framework
Rational action rests on nonrational foundation
The Division of Labor in Society
Increasing division of labor Cause: increasing volume and
density of population Functionalist argument Social solidarity? Shift from “mechanical” to
“organic” solidarity
Mechanical Solidarity
Same activities, same beliefs Individual consciousness has two
components “Collective Conscience” Mechanical solidarity: CC takes up
almost all of individual consciousness
Why “mechanical”?
Organic Solidarity
High division of labor, solidarity through mutual dependence
People not as similar Why “organic”? Receding place of collective
conscience in individual consciousness
Laws as Indicators
Low division of labor/mechanical solidarity repressive laws
High division of labor/organic solidarity restitutive laws
Today’s Readings
Preface Growing importance of economic life Lack of morality in economic sphere Anomie (normlessness) Threat of conflict Solution: occupational groups
Today’s Readings Mechanical and Organic Solidarity
Weakening of collective conscience Individual and society are not opposed
Functionalism: civilization Civilization as effect of division of labor Idea of social facts Society determines individuals, not the
other way around
Today’s Readings
Growing influence of social forces Increasing diversity among people Ideas and feelings are socially
determined
Suicide (1897)
Thinking about suicide Durkheim: social causes Study approach: social structure
and suicide rates
Suicide (1897)
Rejection of popular explanations (mental illness, climate)
Durkheim’s alternative: social structure Integration Regulation
Types of Suicide
Low integration Egoistic suicide High integration Altruistic
suicide Low regulation Anomic suicide High regulation Fatalistic suicide
Method and Findings Method: country-level data Findings:
Religion Marriage Children Family size Wars and crises Economic booms and busts
Problems of Study
Logical flaws Design flaw: ecological fallacy Sexist assumptions and conclusions
Significance: Large-scale empirical effort to show effects of social structure
In-Class Writing
Hornsby finds evidence of both social integration and social regulation in electronic gatherings. Describe at least one example of integration and one example of regulation that she discusses.
Small-Group Exercise
1. Have you participated in electronic gatherings on a somewhat regular basis (or even just “lurked”)? If so, how would you describe the gatherings in terms of social integration? Social regulation?
Small-Group Exercise
2. Do you think electronic gatherings are more or less integrated than face-to-face situations? More or less regulated? How do you think they affect overall social solidarity?