SOC219H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter durkheim: Émile Durkheim
Document Summary
Durkheim writes, to make crime a social illness would be to concede that sickness is not something accidental, but on the contrary derives in certain cases from the fundamental constitution of the living creature (18). The living creature that durkheim talks about is people. Durkheim means that crime is basically inherent within society, it is in its lifeblood, and is impossible to get rid of, as any society without crime will cease to be a society. Durkheim argues that to classify crime among the phenomena of normal sociology, is to assert that it is a factor in public health, an integrative element in any healthy society (18). What does durkheim mean when he designates crime as normal versus pathological ? (see also bottom of page 18, top of page 19) Basically, durkheim says that crime is normal, it is necessary in any society in order for that society to survive.
