What is a Social fact?What is a Social fact?

►Social facts are regularly observable Social facts are regularly observable facts which are exogenous to facts which are exogenous to individual members of a society individual members of a society facts that originate not in the individual facts that originate not in the individual

but "outside" of him or her.but "outside" of him or her. They must exist outside and prior to the They must exist outside and prior to the

individual individual

► Social facts have three properties:Social facts have three properties:

► GeneralGeneral - They are general throughout - They are general throughout society. They are diffused throughout the society. They are diffused throughout the group. group.

► ExternalExternal - Social facts exist outside the - Social facts exist outside the individual, are prior to the individual, and individual, are prior to the individual, and exist independently of the individual’s will.exist independently of the individual’s will.

► ConstrainingConstraining - They often have some sort of - They often have some sort of sanction, manifested in coercion or ostracism, sanction, manifested in coercion or ostracism, against any individual who resists themagainst any individual who resists them

AnomieAnomie

► In In The Division of Labor in SocietyThe Division of Labor in Society, , Durkheim proposed two concepts. Durkheim proposed two concepts. First, that societies evolved from a simple, First, that societies evolved from a simple,

nonspecialized form, called nonspecialized form, called mechanicalmechanical, , toward a highly complex, specialized toward a highly complex, specialized form, called form, called organicorganic. .

►In the former society people behave and think In the former society people behave and think alike and more or less perform the same work alike and more or less perform the same work tasks and have the same group-oriented tasks and have the same group-oriented goals. goals.

►When societies become more complex, or When societies become more complex, or organic, work also becomes more complex. In organic, work also becomes more complex. In this society, people are no longer tied to one this society, people are no longer tied to one another and social bonds are impersonal. another and social bonds are impersonal.

►Anomie thus refers to a breakdown of Anomie thus refers to a breakdown of social norms and it a condition where social norms and it a condition where norms no longer control the activities norms no longer control the activities of members in society. of members in society. Individuals cannot find their place in Individuals cannot find their place in

society without clear rules to help guide society without clear rules to help guide them. them.

Changing conditions as well as Changing conditions as well as adjustments in lifestyle leads to adjustments in lifestyle leads to dissatisfaction, conflict, and deviance. dissatisfaction, conflict, and deviance.

"one does not advance when one "one does not advance when one proceeds toward no goal, or -- which is the proceeds toward no goal, or -- which is the same thing -- when the goal is infinity. To same thing -- when the goal is infinity. To pursue a goal which is by definition pursue a goal which is by definition unattainable is to condemn oneself to a unattainable is to condemn oneself to a state of perpetual unhappiness" state of perpetual unhappiness"

SuicideSuicide

►Suicides peak from Tuesday through Suicides peak from Tuesday through Thursday and slow down considerably Thursday and slow down considerably during the weekend.during the weekend. In the U.S. today, there is also a peak on In the U.S. today, there is also a peak on

Mondays, a pattern which has been called Mondays, a pattern which has been called "stormy Monday.""stormy Monday."

►Suicides are most likely to occur in the Suicides are most likely to occur in the hours from 10-12 am and from 2-4 pm.hours from 10-12 am and from 2-4 pm. This holds for France and the U.S. although This holds for France and the U.S. although

the pattern is attenuated in the U.S. today. the pattern is attenuated in the U.S. today.

Variations by SubgroupsVariations by Subgroups

Category High Suicide Rate

Low Suicide Rate

Gender Men Women

Class Professionals Manual workers

Marital Status Not Married Married

Religion Protestant Catholic, Jewish

Race White Blacks

Age 35-50, 16-18, 80+ Other Ages

►Durkheim identified two independent Durkheim identified two independent dimensions of social structure as he dimensions of social structure as he developed a theory to account for developed a theory to account for differences in the suicide rate across differences in the suicide rate across groups and societies. groups and societies. The extent to which people are integrated The extent to which people are integrated

into society and into society and The extent to which they are regulated or The extent to which they are regulated or

governed by norms pertaining to that society governed by norms pertaining to that society ►These two dimensions determine the suicide rate These two dimensions determine the suicide rate

Regulation-Regulation-LowLow

Regulation-Regulation-HighHigh

Integration-Integration-HighHigh

AnomicAnomic AltruisticAltruistic

Integration-Integration-LowLow

EgoisticEgoistic FatalisticFatalistic

Historical Transition Toward Historical Transition Toward EgoismEgoism

► Although social interactions increase over time Although social interactions increase over time in the transition toward modernity, the social in the transition toward modernity, the social structure does not "envelop" people any more, structure does not "envelop" people any more, they interact with many different persons and they interact with many different persons and groups but are not integrated into any one groups but are not integrated into any one world. world.

► Accordingly, people are not regulated Accordingly, people are not regulated sufficiently, disattachment, emptiness, and sufficiently, disattachment, emptiness, and highly separated individuals are the highly separated individuals are the consequence. consequence.

► Hence the linear increase in the suicide rate, Hence the linear increase in the suicide rate, which is really an increase in egoistic suicide. which is really an increase in egoistic suicide. Egoistic here does not mean "following one's own Egoistic here does not mean "following one's own

interest"--rather, it means an orientation away from interest"--rather, it means an orientation away from others in terms of meaningful social others in terms of meaningful social relations to others. relations to others.

Homicide Rate ExampleHomicide Rate Example

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