SOC388H1 Lecture Notes - Collective Consciousness, Social Fact
Document Summary
Emile durkheim (1858-1917)- individual-society relationship- functionalism- organismic metaphor- soci- ety- social fact- collective consciousness- solidarity organic, mechanical. Durkheim 1858-1917--> collective consciousness (a real thing for durkheim) It gets transferred from one generation to another, shared ideas and beliefs that we have in common with other people in our group, independent of individual minds. Links us together in a group and in generations, idea is reproduced. In some societies it is more important than others (older more common) Collective consiousness is highest moral force for durkheim. Simpler agricultural societies, little differentiation in older societies. People moving together because of similar solidarities. Societies that develop with division of labour and industrialism. What keeps them together is interdependence because we have different specializa- tions. Proportion of collective consciousness decreases, differentiation brings individual ideas and minds. Individual and collective consciousness work together and co-exist. Durkhiem thought because they are linked it creates solgeneris, a nature of its own kind.
