Social Theory II – Durkheim Required reading: PSN‚ pp. 265-278‚ and R. Cotterrell‚ Emile Durkheim: Law in a Moral Domain (1999)‚ Ch 7 (photocopied handout) Q: How far would Durkheim agree and disagree with Marx’s view of law? Q: Does modern law need a set of values to underpin it? Can sociology explain what values modern law must express? What answer to these questions does Durkheim give? Q: If Durkheim ’got legal evolution wrong’ does this destroy the significance of his view of law?
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The functionalist theory is based on trust in both our political and legal systems. The theory is also known as the consensus theory‚ and thus explains that there is a middle ground that must be met in order for our society to remain stable. Vago (2009) explained the biological analogy of the functionalist theory. He stated that this theory can be seen as the body of an organism‚ in the organism there are different relationships with different functions that must be processed right in order for
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Durkheim’s functionalist theory -Functionalists see society as based on value consensus (members of society sharing common culture). -Culture: Set of shared norms (rules)‚ values‚ beliefs and goals shared culture produces social solidarity and binding people together. -Functionalists argue there are two mechanisms needed for society to achieve solidarity: Socialisation: instils the shared culture into its members ensuring we internalise the same norms and values‚ and meet society’s requirements
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Durkheim argued that anomic suicide takes place when normative regulations are absent‚ such as in the world of trade and industry (chronic anomie)‚ or when abrupt transitions in society lead to a loss in the effectiveness of norms to regulate behavior (acute anomie). The latter type explains the high suicide rate during fiscal crises and among divorced men Anomie - A condition characterized by the absence or confusion of social norms or values in a society or group. Anomie is also one of the
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criminalized by law in a society. From the sociological aspect‚ there are two major models that explain the origin of law and crimes: the consensus theory and the conflict theory. These two theories have radically different views on what crimes are. “The consensus theory is rooted in John Locke’s (1632-1704) “Social Contract Theory”” (Cox). According to Locke’s theory‚ government is based on a social contract between rulers and their subjects. The government needs to deal with the population justly;
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scholarship‚ which investigates suicide in terms of external social contexts‚ rather than internal personality traits. Durkheim utilizes empirical evidence to demonstrate the reversed relationship between social integration and rates of suicide. However‚ others have challenged Durkheim by revealing the poor quality of his data
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Classical Theory SYA3110 Emile Durkheim Durkheim was known as the architect of social science and contributed a great deal to the social science community. Durkheim was not born with this title however. Durkheim was born from a long line of French Jews. His father‚ grandfather‚ and great grandfather were all rabbis. At an early stage in life however Durkheim made the decision not to follow in his family’s footsteps. He wanted to lead a completely secular life and much of his work was dedicated
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Conflict theory cannot be fully introduced without defining two views social theorists have argued about for many years. The first is the consensus perspective. Consensus theorists state that society has a consensus of values among it members. This perspective puts a lot of emphasis on the state stating that it is organized to protect the interests of the general public‚ and has the duty to intervene when groups have differing views. The state is the representative of the general public’s values
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Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent of all participants. Consensus may be defined professionally as an acceptable resolution‚ one that can be supported‚ even if not the "favourite" of each individual. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as‚ first‚ general agreement‚ and second‚ group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its origin in the Latin word cōnsēnsus (agreement)‚ which is from cōnsentiō meaning literally feel together.[1] It is used
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Durkheim: Anomic Division of Labor The first pathological form that results from the division of labor‚ according to Durkheim‚ is the anomic division of labor. This fairly common‚ negative aspect of the division of labor occurs when the individuals become isolated by their repetitive‚ specialized tasks‚ and forget that they are parts of the whole‚ i.e. society. Examples of this occur in industries and factories which detach workers from their employers. In order to fix this anomic division of
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