Revised Lecture Notes: Durkheim with Improved Comprehension
Durkheim’s Sociology as a Science
· Durkheim argues that sociology must focus on ‘social facts’ as its specific object of study. These social facts are distinct from individual facts and operate independently of personal actions. Durkheim asks key questions: How does society maintain social cohesion and order, especially when individualism seems to threaten this order?
· He suggests that individualism, when not regulated by social norms, can lead to anarchism or chaotic behavior. This is why social facts, which are external forces, are essential for controlling individual behavior and preventing disorder. For example, people may act according to the mass rather than critical thinking, which poses a threat to social order.
· Anomie, or the breakdown of societal norms, is a concept Durkheim introduces to describe situations where moral regulation is insufficient, leaving society vulnerable to disorder.
Moral Regulation
· Moral regulation in society, according to Durkheim, was traditionally maintained by institutions like the church, which played a significant role in guiding moral behavior. However, with the industrial revolution and the rise of factories, this moral regulation became weaker. While factories regulated labor, they didn’t influence morality in the same way that religious institutions did.
· Durkheim is concerned about this shift because it leaves modern society without a strong source of moral authority. He contrasts this with Marx, who focused more on class struggles, whereas Durkheim is concerned with how moral regulation is essential for social order.
Philosophers’ Critique of Sociology
· Philosophers were critical of sociology because it seemed to encroach on their traditional domain. Durkheim argued that sociology, by focusing on empirical data and social facts, offered a distinct approach to understanding society. To conduct sociological studies, he emphasized the importance of eliminating prejudices and approaching social facts without preconceived notions.
· This is challenging because everyone holds preconceptions. For example, while it may seem beneficial to live with a partner before marriage, Durkheim points out that statistics may reveal otherwise. His point is that preconceived ideas should not interfere with the objective study of social facts.
Social Facts
· Durkheim’s concept of social facts refers to the external forces that influence individual behavior. These facts, such as laws, customs, and public opinion, shape individuals’ actions and thoughts. Social facts have certain characteristics: they are external to the individual, created by the collective, and exert a coercive power that constrains individual behavior.
· For example, Durkheim says: ‘When I fulfil my obligations as brother, husband, or citizen… I perform duties which are defined externally to myself.’ This illustrates how social facts control individual actions, even if one personally agrees with them. Social facts are ‘things’ outside the individual, and to study them objectively, one must assume a neutral, detached stance.
Sociology vs. Individual Theories
· Durkheim firmly rejected psychological or individual theories, insisting that social facts must be explained by other social facts, not by individual motives. He argued that societal conditions, like periods of war or crisis, can lead to stronger social cohesion. For instance, during wartime, suicide rates tend to drop as people feel a stronger sense of community.
· Durkheim also emphasized that society is more than just a sum of individuals. ‘Society is not the mere sum of individuals but the system formed by their association,’ he argued, meaning that society creates its own structures and rules that cannot be understood by analyzing individuals alone.
Crime as a Social Fact
· Durkheim viewed crime as a social fact, stating that ‘we must not say that an action shocks the common conscience because it is criminal but rather that it is criminal because it shocks the common conscience.’ This means that society defines what is considered criminal based on collective reactions. What is deemed a crime in one society might not be in another, emphasizing that crime is shaped by the collective conscience of a society.
Key Takeaways from Durkheim’s Sociology
· - Sociology studies social facts, which are external to individuals and regulate behavior.
· - Modern society has seen a shift in moral regulation from the church to industrial systems, but this shift has left moral authority weakened.
· - Durkheim argued that society is more than the sum of its parts, with its own structures and collective behaviors that shape individual actions.
· - Crime is not an inherent action but is labeled as such based on societal reactions and collective judgment.