Emile Durkheim Essay

Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist who is considered to be the invention drive of sociology. His contributions were in sociology, Anthropology and worships studies. He publish and lectured sociological studies in topics akin bringing up, crime, religion, suicide and incision of struggle. Durkheim was born in Pascoag province of Lorraine, once in Germany but presently in France, in 1859, April 15. His family line was of rabbi but he rebelled against this title while still a kid. Much of his work was to show that religions bases were from affectionate issues and not a divine issue.though he rebelled against his family rabbi tradition, his relationship to the family and the Jewish comm iodine was still intact. Most of his collaborators and students were drawn from the Jewish community and was pull down confirmed at a lower place the Jewish traditions at the age of thirteen. He followed the regular system in the lay school and at the same measure studied Hebrew, Talm ud and Old Testament. He at unmatched time acquired some numinous skills in Catholicism from his female teacher 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 educatee and this earned him some prizes and honors. This motivated him towarf atomic number 18ds his aspiration and transferred to Lycee Louis-le-Grand, a French gamy school in Paris. Later in 1879, he joined Ecole Normale Superieure a cooking institution for French scholars. In the ground, he met some flying field scholars marking French intellectual deportment. These were Henri Bergsona a vitalism philosopher, Jean Jaures a complaisant leader, Rauh, Golot and Blondel all philophers and Peirre Janet a psychologist.His engagement is a scientific view to troupe earned him some opposition towards Ecole Normale academic system. It contained no kind science which was Durkheim entertain. Instead, human -centred studies dominated the academic system. He rebelled against a course that privileged reading of Latin prose and Greek verse and felt new-fangled scientific disc everywhereies and philosophical doctrines should induct been the privileged. He was for a solid and complex trunk partd acquisition rather than elegant dabbling system which was even rewarded. In 1882 he finished second last in his graduation class. disrespect his rebel nature, he had some goodness fri destinations like Jean Jaures a collectivistic leader. He was cognise to be intelligent, dedicated, a good moral and scientific instructor. (Caser 143) subsequently spending a year in Germany studying sociology, he re overrideed to Bordeaux where a teachers training school had skillful been started. There, he taught well-disposed sciences and pedagogy. He was credit for introducing accessible sciences in the French curriculum. However, his blood line that accessible science could easily develop morality and religion was criticized. Thereafter in 1890s, it became Durkheims period of his substantial contribution.In 1893, he published his doctoral thesis The Division of labor in nine, which was a study of how social rules of order was maintained in differing societies. 1895 published Rules of the sociological method manifesting on sociology definition and how it is supposed(a) to be done. One the same year, 1895, he founded Department 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 variant crime rates among Protestants and Catholics. He found the strong social suppress among catholic trim down suicide rates. In 1902, Durkheim was the permanent chair of education and sociology. In the same year 1912, he pub lished his study work The elementary forms of ghostlike life During the world war which was characterized by propaganda, Durkheim dropped his position on politics which was ultranationalistic rather than internationalism. His former students had died in the war including his own son. This caused Durkheim mental blows.He had disjointed his son and his rational secular life had been affected by the war. In 1917, he suffered a stroke from emotional strains and exhaustion, acquire months after and resumed to work but later on the same year died. Emile Durkheim was position to rest in Paris. (Emile Durkheim) His theories and ideas mainly cerebrate social structural assertions of human social tribulations. He covered the social facts, cancelledice of labor, education, crime, punishment law and suicide. In social facts, Durkheim felt that the parliamentary procedure is overmuch to a great extent than what it meant. He incorporated issue like ethnic and religion background.His p riority was not on what square ups individuals behaviors or acts but in social facts. His argument about social facts is that its existence is more than objective and greater than individuals actions and who makes a high society. He argued that save if people in a society were oriented to a rough-cut land symbolic representation sets, to a common assumption about the environment, could moral unity prevail. Without them any society irrespective(prenominal) of its innovationalness or primitive nature would spendthrift and decay. (Coser 144) In religion, his views are that it is a permeant aspect in social structure.It is more human oriented offered at uniting communities. He looks at it effect on an individual and the way they be come, how it can drainage area a community and its mathematical function in the society. Durkheim defines religion as a heathenish system of commonly shared beliefs and rituals that provides a sense of ultimate meaning and conception by creat ing an idea of reality base 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 meaning(a) in that it enhances social unity among people.He argues that people fill something in common. This is what binds them together along conventional lines for they are more or little the same. The highly complex division of labor in modern communities was do workd by constitutive(a) 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 existent 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 slight suicide cases in catholic than in protestant. According to him this was as a government issue of catholic strict norms. His work has influence control theory of sociology. His view on punishment is that it is essential in the society setting. He argues social solidarity can only be maintained through punishment. To fend off law breakers who in turn threaten the social unity 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 efficacious 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 in-chief(postnominal) 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 or so cases, they collect based their studies in his arguments. In most education curriculum, his sociol ogy initiative has been incorporated. His arguments in intimately all the areas in social structure pay 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 call for been used to explain the causes of crimes in a society. Policy and law makers have used Durkheims ideas in do 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 significant in trying to understand act of 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 root cause of such terrorism acts. The 9/11 us terrorism act was by Muslim extremists. The social control in Muslim does not restrict this and therefore it may not look more of a crime to them. Religion has influenced the so ciety 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 Durkheim ideas.Many societies have learnt from past experiences and have significantly better to be stronger and united. However, some societies have released social tensions through criminal 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 shaping 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 bigger community i.e. the world is now much more united. D ivision of labor which is an clear 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 fundamental interaction and understanding among a larger population.In the labor firms, acts that govern a high society have been made by their respective policy 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