Emile Durkheim Essay

Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist who is considered to be the founding father of sociology. His contributions were in sociology, Anthropology and religions studies. He published and lectured sociological studies in topics like education, crime, religion, suicide and form of mash. Durkheim was born in Pascoag province of Lorraine, formerly in Germany but presently in France, in 1859, April 15. His family line was of rabbi but he rebelled against this title while soundless a kid. Much of his harbor was to show that religions bases were from kind issues and non a divine issue.Though he rebelled against his family rabbi tradition, his relationship to the family and the Jewish community was still intact. to the highest degree of his collaborators and students were drawn from the Jewish community and was even confirmed under the Jewish traditions at the age of thirteen. He followed the regular system in the secular shoal and at the same time studied Hebrew, Talmud and Old T estament. He at one time acquired some numinous skills in Catholicism from his female instructor who was a catholic herself. However, soon after, he developed some doubts in religion and withdrew his involvement in it.In the college dEpinal, he was a precocious scholar and this earned him some prizes and honors. This motivated him towards his ambition and transferred to Lycee Louis-le-Grand, a French high school in Paris. Later in 1879, he fall in Ecole Normale Superieure a training institution for French scholars. In the ground, he met some major scholars marking French intellectual life. These were Henri Bergsona a vitalism philosopher, Jean Jaures a hearty leader, Rauh, Golot and Blondel all philophers and Peirre Janet a psychologist.His interest is a scientific view to society earned him some opposition towards Ecole Normale academic system. It contained no cordial science which was Durkheim interest. Instead, manitarian studies dominated the academic system. He rebelled a gainst a course that privileged reading of Latin prose and Greek verse and tangle recent scientific discoveries and philosophical doctrines should collapse been the privileged. He was for a solid and structured learning rather than elegant dabbling system which was even rewarded. In 1882 he finished 2nd last in his graduation class.Despite his rebel temperament, he had some commodity friends like Jean Jaures a socialist leader. He was kn own to be intelligent, dedicated, a good moral and scientific instructor. (Caser 143) After spending a year in Germany vignetteing sociology, he returned to Bordeaux where a teachers training school had meet been started. There, he taught social sciences and pedagogy. He was credited for introducing social sciences in the French curriculum. However, his argument that social science could easily explain morality and religion was criticized. thenceforth in 1890s, it became Durkheims period of his remarkable contribution.In 1893, he published his doctoral dissertation The Division of labor in Society, which was a study of how social order was maintained in differing societies. 1895 published Rules of the sociological method manifesting on sociology definition and how it is supposed to be done. One the same year, 1895, he founded surgical incision of Sociology at the University of Bordeaux. In 1898 he published his increasing students and collaborators works in LAnnes Sociologuque a journal he had founded. In 1897, he published Suicide a study providing examples of what the sociological monograph might look.He used quantitative methods in criminology to explore the different crime rates among Protestants and Catholics. He found the strong social control among catholic reduced suicide rates. In 1902, Durkheim was the permanent chair of education and sociology. In the same year 1912, he published his major work The elementary forms of Religious life During the world war which was characterized by propaganda, Durkheim droppe d his position on politics which was patriotic rather than internationalism. His former students had died in the war including his own son. This caused Durkheim mental blows.He had lost his son and his rational secular life had been affected by the war. In 1917, he suffered a stroke from emotional strains and exhaustion, recover months later and resumed to work but later on the same year died. Emile Durkheim was laid to rest in Paris. (Emile Durkheim) His theories and ideas mainly focused social structural assertions of human social tribulations. He covered the social facts, division of labor, education, crime, punishment law and suicide. In social facts, Durkheim felt that the society is much more than what it meant. He compound issue like ethnic and religion terra firma.His priority was not on what influences individuals behaviors or acts but in social facts. His argument about social facts is that its creative activity is more objective and greater than individuals actions an d who makes a society. He argued that only if people in a society were oriented to a ordinary figureic representation sets, to a common assumption about the environment, could moral unity prevail. Without them any society irrespective of its modern fontity or primitive nature would degenerate and decay. (Coser 144) In religion, his views are that it is a pervasive aspect in social structure.It is more human oriented aimed at uniting communities. He looks at it effect on an individual and the way they be receive, how it can divide a community and its role in the society. Durkheim defines religion as a cultural system of commonly shared beliefs and rituals that provides a sense of ultimate meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality based on super natural powers (Giddens 534) In division of labor, he argues that despite it aim for material and intellectual development in the society it has a moral factor more important in that it enhances social unity among people.He argues t hat people pitch something in common. This is what binds them together along traditional lines for they are more or less the same. The highly tangled division of labor in modern communities was influenced by organic solidarity. Specialization and social roles tie individuals to one another. He argues law is a major symbol in the social unity. Punishments acts in it are meant to sustain the unity. Law is not meant to punish but restrain the existing unity. Durkheim called the breaking of social norms state of anomic. (Calhoun 47) He tried to argue suicide by comparing its rates among the Protestants and Catholics.There was less suicide cases in catholic than in protestant. According to him this was as a result of catholic strict norms. His work has influence control theory of sociology. His view on punishment is that it is important in the society setting. He argues social solidarity can only be maintained through punishment. To avoid law breakers who in turn threaten the social un ity in a society, punishments act as a threat. However, he calls for a relevant punishment amount claiming it threatens immorality. On crime, he feels it is useful as it leads to reform.It is a response to a pressing social tension and therefore flushes out the pressing issue off the society. (Parsons 32) As a teacher, he had interest in education. He felt it is an important entity in the social structure as it strengthens social cohesion, maintains social roles and maintains division of labor. Emile Durkheim has over the years influenced sociology scholar. In most cases, they have based their studies in his arguments. In most education curriculum, his sociology initiative has been incorporated. His arguments in almost all the areas in social structure have influenced the modern society.Major education institutes offers courses on sociology all over the world. The study of criminology has based its findings in Emiles ideas. His sociological theories and ideas have been used to expla in the causes of crimes in a society. Policy and law makers have used Durkheims ideas in making the law. Courts too in their making of judgments they have based it on his ideas. For example cases of suicide and crimes. His findings have been very pregnant in trying to understand terrorism and terrorism acts. In the modern society, this has been a major threat to the international unity.Religion has been known to be the decide cause of such terrorism acts. The 9/11 us terrorism act was by Islamic extremists. The social control in Islamic does not restrict this and therefore it may not look more of a crime to them. Religion has influenced the society greatly, from politics, rituals and practices. On the religion set social norms, members have behaved and acted according to them. Civil wars in most of the word nations are as a result of social norms conflict among different societies. Most of the crimes against humanities have been important in that it has influenced reforms as per D urkheim ideas.Many societies have learnt from past experiences and have significantly reformed to be stronger and united. However, some societies have released social tensions through malefactor activities like wars and the end result have been improved unity. This justifies Durkheims idea on crime that it is important in reformation. The United Nation body is significant in the worlds unity. The social norms outlined in its organization have a great influence in controlling the worlds societies in their actions. Exploitation is now reduced and independence has prevailed. On the other hand, the larger community i.e. the world is now much more united. Division of labor which is an evident entity in the modern society is more than just sharing responsibilities and roles. It is very significant in social unity. The coming together of specialists from different background has enhanced interaction and understanding among a larger population.In the labor firms, acts that govern a company have been made by their respective insurance makers and are significant in the social unity and in role sharing. Durkeims scientific views on the society, his contributions and influences are very visible in the modern society.Therefore, he deserves acknowledgment as the founding father of sociology.Work citedCoser, . Emile Durkheim the Person sociology at hewett 1977. Retrieved on Friday, October 17, 2008 from http//www. hewett. norfolk. sch. uk/curric/soc/durkheim/durkper. htm Emile Durkheim Site Emile Durkheim biography mosaic Retrieved on Friday, October 17, 2008 from http//www. emiledurkheim. net/ Giddens, A& Griffiths, S . Religion in the modern society Polity, 2006. 138- 148 Parsons, T. et al . Theories of Society, New York Free Press, 2006, 33-48 Calhoun, et al Classical Sociological Theory . Blackwell Publishing, 2007. 45-66