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Emile Durkheim and Sociology
Research Guide
What is Emile Durkheim and Sociology?
Emile Durkheim and Sociology refers to the body of sociological scholarship examining Émile Durkheim's foundational theories on social solidarity, division of labor, and methodological rules alongside debates with Gabriel Tarde on imitation and emergence in modern society.
This field encompasses 18,011 works that analyze Durkheim's contributions to understanding social conditions, collective behaviors, and cultural dynamics in industrial societies. Durkheim's 'The division of labor in society' (1935) with 5200 citations presents his vision of mechanical and organic solidarity amid industrialization. 'The Rules of Sociological Method' (1982) by Durkheim, cited 4575 times, establishes principles for treating social facts as objective realities.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Durkheim's Theory of Social Solidarity
Scholars analyze mechanical and organic solidarity in modern societies, tracing evolution from Division of Labor. Research applies concepts to globalization and social cohesion metrics.
Durkheimian Sociology of Religion
This area examines Elementary Forms as foundational for collective effervescence and secular belief systems. Studies extend to digital religions and civic rituals.
Division of Labor in Durkheim
Investigators revisit anomic division of labor, linking to economic precarity and regulatory failures. Empirical tests occur in gig economies and automation contexts.
Durkheim vs Tarde on Imitation and Emergence
Comparative studies contrast Durkheim's collectivism with Tarde's micro-interactionism in social emergence. Applications include network theory and memetics.
Durkheim's Rules of Sociological Method
Researchers critique and apply 'social facts' methodology to quantitative sociology and big data. Focus includes explanatory versus interpretive tensions.
Why It Matters
Durkheim's theories in 'The division of labor in society' (1935) explain how industrial changes foster organic solidarity through interdependence, influencing studies of modern work divisions and social integration. 'Professional Ethics and Civic Morals' (1958) by Durkheim links state roles to moral regulation amid declining religion, applied in analyses of welfare states and citizenship as in 'Outline of a Theory of Citizenship' (1990) by Turner, which cites Durkheim on social integration conditions. These ideas shape public sociology, as Burawoy argues in 'For Public Sociology' (2005) with 1837 citations, urging sociologists to engage publics on issues like health and wealth decisions from 'Nudge: improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness' (2008).
Reading Guide
Where to Start
'The division of labor in society' (1935) by Émile Durkheim, as it offers the foundational text on solidarity types with 5200 citations, providing direct access to his core ideas on industrial society changes.
Key Papers Explained
Durkheim's 'The division of labor in society' (1935) lays out solidarity amid industrialization, which 'The Rules of Sociological Method' (1982) methodologically supports by defining social facts, both extended in 'Professional Ethics and Civic Morals' (1958) to state and ethics. Lukes' 'Emile Durkheim: His Life and Work: A Historical and Critical Study' (1973) contextualizes these historically, while Burawoy's 'For Public Sociology' (2005) applies them to public engagement, and Coleman's 'Foundations of Social Theory' (1991) builds rational choice bridges with 8026 citations.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current scholarship in the 18,011 works cluster continues exploring Durkheim-Tarde tensions on imitation versus emergence in cultural studies and anthropology, as no recent preprints or news are available.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nudge: improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness | 2008 | Choice Reviews Online | 11.8K | ✕ |
| 2 | Foundations of Social Theory | 1991 | Anthropology of Work R... | 8.0K | ✕ |
| 3 | The division of labor in society | 1935 | Columbia Law Review | 5.2K | ✕ |
| 4 | The Rules of Sociological Method | 1982 | — | 4.6K | ✓ |
| 5 | Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation | 2003 | Cambridge University P... | 2.3K | ✕ |
| 6 | For Public Sociology | 2005 | American Sociological ... | 1.8K | ✕ |
| 7 | Professional Ethics and Civic Morals. | 1958 | American Sociological ... | 1.0K | ✕ |
| 8 | Outline of a Theory of Citizenship | 1990 | Sociology | 802 | ✕ |
| 9 | Emile Durkheim: His Life and Work: A Historical and Critical S... | 1973 | Man | 701 | ✕ |
| 10 | For An Anthropology Of Ethics And Freedom | 2002 | Journal of the Royal A... | 596 | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core argument in Durkheim's 'The division of labor in society'?
'The division of labor in society' (1935) argues that the Industrial Revolution shifts society from mechanical solidarity based on similarities to organic solidarity through functional interdependence. Durkheim views this evolution as a new vision for social cohesion. The work has 5200 citations.
How does 'The Rules of Sociological Method' define social facts?
'The Rules of Sociological Method' (1982) by Durkheim treats social facts as things external to individuals with coercive power, requiring objective study. It establishes rules for sociological inquiry independent of psychology. The text holds 4575 citations.
What role does Durkheim assign to the state in 'Professional Ethics and Civic Morals'?
'Professional Ethics and Civic Morals' (1958) by Durkheim characterizes the state as the ultimate moral authority amid industrial instability and religious decline. It connects societal ethics to professional groups and civic duties. The work received 1002 citations.
How does Burawoy's 'For Public Sociology' relate to Durkheim?
'For Public Sociology' (2005) by Burawoy calls for sociologists to engage multiple publics, building on Durkheimian traditions of studying societal gaps. It integrates public sociologies into disciplinary frameworks. The paper has 1837 citations.
What is the main tension in Durkheim studies between Tarde and Durkheim?
Durkheimian sociology emphasizes collective solidarity and emergence, contrasting Tarde's focus on imitation in individual behaviors. This intersection appears in 18,011 works on modern social phenomena. Keywords include solidarity, imitation, and cultural studies.
Which Durkheim biography provides historical context?
'Emile Durkheim: His Life and Work: A Historical and Critical Study' (1973) by Lukes analyzes Durkheim's ideas in historical context to aid critical judgments. It seeks to clarify what Durkheim meant and how he viewed the world. The study has 701 citations.
Open Research Questions
- ? How do Durkheim's rules for treating social facts as objective realities apply to contemporary digital imitation processes influenced by Tarde?
- ? In what ways does organic solidarity from division of labor fail to explain integration in post-industrial societies with rising individualism?
- ? Can internal conversations, as in Archer's 'Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation' (2003), reconcile Durkheimian structure with agentic freedom?
- ? How might Durkheim's civic morals framework address ethical freedoms in Laidlaw's 'For An Anthropology Of Ethics And Freedom' (2002)?
- ? What conditions enable public sociology to bridge Durkheimian theory with real-world policy nudges as in Thaler and Sunstein's 'Nudge' (2008)?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 18,011 works with no specified 5-year growth rate, focusing steadily on Durkheim-Tarde debates in solidarity and imitation per keywords, with top citations stable like 'Nudge: improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness' at 11808 and 'Foundations of Social Theory' (1991) at 8026; no recent preprints or news indicate ongoing foundational analysis without new surges.
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