SOC 2070 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Altruistic Suicide, Anomie, Social Forces

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2070
• Professor: Patrick Parnaby

Document Summary

The promise of science: 19th and 20th century positivism. Emile durkheim (1857-1917), functionalism and the social system. When the system works, deviance is less likely. Deviance has functional roles (4 reasons) things in system are there because it has a purpose. Deviant behaviour facilitates social solidarity, clarifies moral boundaries, tests moral boundaries, reduces social tension. Mechanical (held together by shared tradition) and organic (modern industrial, social order is a product of interdependence based on differences) solidarity. Anomie and the great depression (1930), people didn"t know where they belonged, no longer functioning as a whole, turned to self-interest, rise in crime. Egoistic suicide occurs when people lack social integration, disconnected from groups that give importance. Altruistic suicide occurs when someone is so devoted to norms/values of group they are willing to sacrifice their life for it.