Characteristics Of Emile Durkheim Social Facts

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Considered the founding father of modern day sociology, Emile Durkheim radicalised the social sciences in the twentieth century.The primary core to his doctrine encompasses the renunciation of a reductionist theory in the study of society and the beginning of social phenomena sui generis. The crux of Durkheim’s sociology lies in social phenomena as “social facts” which are, according to Durkheim, distinctive in character and external to any given individual. These “facts”, in essence, exist and continue to exist throughout generations and are not limited to a singular entity as they are outside the individual. Durkheim asserts that social facts “are invested with a coercive power by virtue of which they exercise control over [individuals]” …show more content…
This structure creates a very stagnant society, one in which social facts coerce individuals to exhibit social behavior that, in turn, create social constraint that maintain these social facts. These social facts, to Durkheim, are the objective realities that sociologists quantify and analyse. This does not stay congruent with history in which social movements have prompted paradigm shifts, where collective opinions and consciousnesses shift forward rather than remaining stationary. There have been many instances in which society, rather than merely reproducing itself in a manner of equilibrium, transforms itself and progresses. A modern example of such change is the Gay Rights Movement, in which 30 or 40 years ago heterosexuality was considered the social norm but due to social movements homosexuality has gained social awareness and has begun to etch its way into normalcy. It may be possible for society to advance under Durkheim’s theory, he may allow for shifts in social fact or perhaps he would not consider “hetereosexuality” a fact but rather place it under a broader concept such as “sexuality”. Nevertheless, Durkheim instigated a long and provocative discussion on how the social sciences should be approached. His definition of social fact lay the foundation for discussion on universal truths that could be discovered and analysed to better understand society. For him, the social or “soft” sciences needed not to rely on the natural or “hard” sciences but could be useful and objective in its own right. His works, especially Rule of Sociological Methods have set guidelines for future social scientists for follow. While the existence of “social facts” is still debated today, in consensus or disagreement his definition has given other academics and participants in the social science domain (e.g, sociology,

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