Download SYA4110 – Development of Sociological Thought

SYA4110 – Development of Sociological Thought
Tuesday 23rd September 2008
Durkheim Notes we didn't finish in class
The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912)
-Durkheim defined religion in terms of what he regarded as the most basic distinctions known to
humans: sacred vs. profane
-identified religion as the basic source of moral rules and social integration - and analyzed it as a
cyclical process.
-Collective rituals: generate intense emotion which, in becoming attached to the beliefs symbolized
in the ceremonies and to their participants, strengthens them, while bonding the participants to each
other.
-Religious ceremonies, then integrate society, both by strengthening collective beliefs and
morals and by mutually bonding their participants.
-The function of religion according to Durkheim is to integrate society.
-society is the source of all religion
-aspects of social reality that are defined as sacred - that is set apart and deemed holy
or forbidden - form the essence of religion.
-the rest are defined as profane - the everyday, the commonplace, the utilitarian, the
mundane aspects of life.
The sacred brings out an attitude of reverence, respect, mystery, awe, and honor
-3 necessary conditions for the development of religion:
1. development of a set of beliefs
2. development of a set of religious rites
3. religion requires a church or a single overarching moral community
Example: Sporting Events (Homecoming & SuperBowl)
-exemplify the conditions of religious ritual:
-high rates of group interaction
-focus on sacred symbols and collective ritual behavior symbolizing group membership and
strengthening shared beliefs, values, aspirations, and emotions.
-sporting events unite believers into a community of fans
Other important concepts that run throughout Durkheims works:
Individual:
-Formed and limited by society.
-Becomes more important in complex societies and individualism becomes the focus of the collective
conscience, binding people together.
Society:
-Exists over and above the individual, over whom it exercises an immense power, especially in less
complex societies.
-a society cannot be held together by self-interest and legal contracts alone
-there must also be a “moral” component or an underlying system of collective values and beliefs
guiding people’s interactions in the pursuit of “collective” goals or interests.
Cult of the Individual (or Individualism)
-the modern societies form of the collective conscience was called the cult of the individual
-people are guided by a morality which requires them to give due recognition to the inherent
dignity, rights, and freedom of the individual
-different from egoism
Law –
In primitive societies the laws are repressive
In modern societies the laws are restitutive
Professional Associations (aka Occupational groups)
-Durkheim proposed that the best possible force for creating change were the “professional
associations” (aka occupational groups)
Religion
-is the ultimate nonmaterial social fact – (external to and coercive of individuals)
-it has the capacity not only to dominate individuals but also to elevate them above their
ordinary abilities and capacities.
-religion in primitive society is an all encompassing collective morality
-as society develops and grows more specialized, religion becomes simply one of a number of
collective representations
Collective representations –
-the norms and values of specific collectivities such as the family, occupation, state, and educational
and religious institutions.
-They are also independent of individuals in the sense that their temporal span is greater than the
lifetime of any individual.
Review:
-Durkheim sought to develop a “positive science” of society where the goal was to learn about the
“laws” of the social world.
-the notion of solidarity is so important to Durkheim because in order for societies to exist there must
be a degree of unity among its members.
-Durkheim believed that suicide was primarily a social phenomenon and could best be understood by
looking at patterns within a given society.
-Durkheims categorization of types of suicide depended on their levels of integration and regulation.
-Durkheim believed that religion could act as a means through which to bring members of society
together
-Knowledge is shaped by the social world and scientific sociology should be used to guide social
reform
Critiques of Durkheim
-paradox: how can one have moral goals but claim be “bias-free” using the “objective” scientific
method?
-like Comte: discarded the religion of the day (the roman catholic and protestant churches) in favor of
“the holy see of sociology” with god-king Durkheim