Sociology 2240E Lecture Notes - Collective Effervescence, Communitarianism, Vise
9 Apr 2013
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2 main themes: priority of social order over the individual and society can be studied scientifically. Society is made up of social facts" that must be studied through observations and measurements. To separate soc from philosophy, he argued that soc should be oriented toward empirical research. Attacked comte and spencer for relying on preconceived ideas of social phenomena instead of actually studying the world. Distinctive subject matter of soc should be the study of social facts. Social facts are the social structures, cultural norms and values that are external to actors. Social facts should be treated as things" and studied empirically. 2 ways of defining a social fact, one by external constraint rather than an internal drive, two by general throughout society not attached to an individual. Referred to social facts with suigeneris- meaning unique. Social facts have unique character not reducible to individual consciousness. Social facts can only be explained by other social facts.
