Emile Durkheim, the Father of Sociology Essay - 2001 Words

All great things in life start off with people whom we would never have guessed imaginable. Who would have thought the study of society would have amounted to anything or become a significant part of peoples lives. In the late 1800s people had a very small mindset which involved not knowing or even caring about what the outside world was like. The people knew things occurred in their society, but they never knew why nor did they care to find out. The society was run by religion and they did not question it. A Frenchman came out with studies that showed societies were strong and could become things that people would have never imagined. He proved that within society there were numerous groups and he could pinpoint their behavior and roles†¦show more content†¦Durkheim realized the deviance in society and concluded that there was a distinct difference in the way small towns and large cities worked together as a society. Suicide before Durkheim was an act people did to end their own lives due to multiple reasons and even sometimes accidental. Durkheim did not understand why someone would choose to end their own life. It was against social norms and he felt like there should be a clear explanation. He did not believe it was always a mental issue but in fact a direct response to the society in which the person lived in. Since a study to this extent had never been done before Durkheim was left to debate this issue alone, with many critics against his theories. He was on a trial and error process of the true definition of suicide, he had several ideas. One for example was that â€Å"â€Å"suicide is any death which is the immediate or eventual result of a positive (e.g., shooting oneself) or negative (e.g., refusing to eat) act accomplished by the victim himself.† (Robert Alun Jones.) He felt that he had not reached the correct definition due to a valid counterargument. One problem he faced was a mother giving birth. The mother knows that she could die during childbirth but that is not the result she intends on happening, but she would sacrifice herself in order to save her child. After much debate and ideas being tossed around Durkheim decided that suicide consisted of three parts: â€Å"extra-social causes†, â€Å"determination ofShow MoreRelatedDavid emile Durkheim: Father of Sociology1797 Words   |  8 Pages Throughout his life David Emile Durkheim managed to write about many aspects of life, however his most influent ial work had to do with sociology. Today he is known as the father of sociology for the innovative and revolutionary work he did. However, his works are not always easily understandable, but once understood its reach is endless. 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In the 1890s period Emile Durkheim a sociologist, in France watched the transformation of society go from a ‘primitive’ stance into something more complex also known as ‘organic solidarity’. Max WeberRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Sociological Theorists Max Weber, Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx1599 Words   |  7 PagesEmile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber are all important characters to be studied in the field of Sociology. Each one of these Sociological theorists, help in the separation of Sociology into its own field of study. The works of these three theorists is very complex and can be considered hard to understand but their intentions were not. They have their similarities along with just as many of their differences. The first theorist to consider is Karl Marx. Marx has a uniqueness all of his own