Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

Emile Durkheim, a french sociologist, is a

functionalist thinker who puts emphasis on the
collective consensus among individuals based
on social values and customs.
Significant Books:
▪ Division of Labor in Society (1893)
▪ Rules of Sociological Method (1895)
▪ Suicide (1897)
▪ The Elementary forms of the Religious
Life(1912)
Social Solidarity
◻It is the collective bonding that is based on social
and moral values, customs that are to be followed
to live in a society.
◻Two aspects of social solidarity:
■ Social Integration
■ Social Regulation
◻Collective conscience emerges from solidarity.
Division of labor and social solidarity

• Low level of division of

labor
Mechanical Solidarity • Feature of Traditional
society

• High level of division of

labor
Organic Solidarity • Feature of modern society
 Two types of solidarity

Mechanical Solidarity Organic Solidarity

❖ Similarity of occupations ❖ Variation in occupations and life

and life experiences. experiences.
❖ Collective bonding gets loose
❖ Strong collective bonding
❖ Increasing interdependence
❖ Regulated by values , among individuals based on
beliefs and customs set by personal interests
a society ❖ Breakdown of common values,
❖ Development of collective beliefs and traditions.
conscience ❖ Development of Anomie
 Emile Durkheim

Collective Conscience Anomie

◻ Collective conscience is the sum ◻ Anomie occurs when collective

total of beliefs and sentiments conscience are in a state of
that are common to the average decay. It denotes a state of
members of the society. normlessness in both the society
Collective conscience dominates and the individuals. Collective
individuals’ mentality and bonding slackens and people no
morality longer committed to and
regulated by shared norms and
values. As a result
disorganization and
disintegration in the society
emerges
 Emile Durkheim
According to Durkheim due to the growing division
of labor in modern society and the resulting growth
of individualism would break down the
commitment to shared norms and values that may
eventually trigger anomie in a society. People lack
any social guidelines for personal conducts and are
inclined to pursue their private interests without
considering the interests of the society as a whole.