Today’s Class

Durkheim’s life and times Approach to sociology The Division of Labor in Society Suicide In-Class Writing Discussion of Hornsby

Emile Durkheim, 1858-1917

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 Life & Times

World War I; loss of son Stroke in 1916, death in 1917

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?

Small-Group Exercise

3. What does Hornsby mean by “cyborg society”? How is cyborg solidarity different from organic solidarity? Do you agree that we are making a transition to a new kind of solidarity as a result of new technologies?